My Father Jack Boughton

676 Words3 Pages
In the story of the prodigal son, Jesus told of a boy who was tired of living under his father’s rules and household, and demanded to receive his inheritance early. Upon receiving all of his inheritance from his father, he ran away and spent his money on meaningless things of the world. When he had lost all that he had been given and was to the point of eating in the pig’s trough for lack of better food, he came back to his father, hoping to be accepted as a servant. However, when he was returning home, the Bible says that his father saw him from afar and came running towards him, putting a ring on his finger, and killed the fattened calf to throw him a grand party and celebrate his return home. Jesus’ intent in telling this parable was to…show more content…
After twenty years (Robinson 57) of running away from the traditional lifestyle, to which he never felt he could belong, he finally came home. Through Robinson’s ingenious and eloquent writing, she illustrates the story of a man, Jack, who comes home late, unshaven, and worn from the perils of the past years living on his own, but as time goes on, he begins to slowly open his heart and share the truth of his troublesome childhood and his past. Though he had been seen as a disappointment and mischievous boy all of his life, he grows in compassion and grace throughout the novel, which is reflected in the tender moment when he carries his father up the stairs and gently puts him to sleep in his old age (Robinson 73-74). Despite his brokenness, he brings a smile and willingness to please his father and return to the place he has always longed to truly call…show more content…
He willingly accepts Jack back into his family and shows him grace and relentless love despite his drinking and failures (Robinson 244). However, it is important to note how Reverend Boughton fails to show Jack agape, or God’s unconditional love, and to completely love his son. When he had been disappointed beyond all of his hopes and dreams for his son, who despite constant love of his father still returns to his old, troublesome ways, he finally lost hope in his son and began to reveal the hurt that he had endured over the years of waiting for his son to finally come home. He asked his son why he didn’t love them and said that to love his son was both a “curse and an affliction” to him (Robinson 273). This failure to love his son completely contrasts with God’s perfect love and symbolizes the unattainability of humans to love perfectly and in comparison, the perfection of God’s
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