A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Here is a very earthly story that you won't find in the Bible. There was once a farmer who owned many oxen that grazed and lay down in green pastures. On day he called his son to him and together they went out into the field to look over and count their oxen. But behold, when they did count the animals the father was filled with despair for a single ox had gathered up all his belongings and gone to a far country, through a large hole in the hedge. 'We must go and find that which is lost?' said the farmer to his son, who with a rather puzzled look on his face, replied, 'What do you mean "We must go"? For surely when the ox that has gone to the far country, sees the error of his ways and looks over the hedge at his friends back at home, enjoying the green pastures, he will return from whence he came.' When he had come to his senses, the son discovered that the father was already half way towards the hole in the hedge and beckoning him to follow. 'Anyway,' continued the son, 'we already have twenty six oxen in this field. Why would any farmer leave them all alone and go and look for just one ox, when all the other oxen might be attacked by some wild domestic dog or be rustled by another local farmer. Indeed they might even discover the hole in the thicket themselves and all leave for the far country. At this, the father stopped in his tracks and one good clip around the ear later, having explained that if the remaining oxen had wanted to leave they would have done so already and the hole in the thicket would be the narrow door through which the prodigal ox would return to grazing heaven and green pastures, he continued on towards the far country. Some time later, he beheld a wonderful sight. For in the distance he could see his beloved ox running. Unfortunately it was running in the opposite direction, having spotted his master some seconds earlier and decided to go deeper into the far country, or at least behind a tree where nobody could see him. This action filled the father with anger and, shouting instructions to his beloved son, sometimes in words he did not quite understand, eventually both encircled the ox. Now tired from extensive partying with the locals and trying to run away, he realised it was hopeless and began to remember the green pastures of home. So it came to pass that together the father and his son led the ox back through the hole, though not carried on the father's shoulders like the lost sheep and home to his family, where he gave the ox a fresh bucket of meal.
And lo the father saw a blackthorn bush and with a mighty blow from his axe, he cut down two large branches which he planted in the thicket, henceforth closing the way to the far country.
Some time later the father and his son went home rejoicing and called all his family together and said to them, 'Rejoice with me for I have found the ox which was lost.' 'Great,' said his wife, 'but if you'd fenced in the first place it would never have happened. Now eat your dinner.'
But behold, the oxen out in the green pastures, heard the singing and dancing of the farmer as he rejoiced and the wife got on with the ironing. And they murmured ( or was that moo mooed) amongst themselves and said, 'Lo these many months we have never transgressed or gone to the far country, even though we have looked over the thicket a few times, but we were never given a fresh bucket of meal to ourselves.'
The next Friday, the father and son came to the field again, took out the ox that had gone astray and sent it to the abattoir to be killed because its time had come. But there were no murmurings that day.
Well that's what happened, at least as far as I can remember, for dad never let any of his animals that broke out of the field, remain on someone else's land for long. And of course the reason he wanted this particular animal back was because he knew it was ready to be sent to the meat plant. He was always a good judge of that.
And there is a heavenly meaning in all of this. For we're all tempted by the far country and many of us have 'looked over the hedge'. Maybe you have said, 'there but for the grace of God go I.' when you have seen the effect the far country has had on somebody you know. But how wonderful that we have a Saviour who cares about us enough when we stray, to not let go of us and to seek to bring us back to His green pastures. And there is no doubt, just like the parables of the lost coin, son and sheep that there is great rejoicing in heaven when any of us puts our faith in Jesus. And even when we fail in our walk and maybe go back to the far country more than once, He still doesn't forget about us and always leaves the narrow hole open for our return.
Dad never lost an animal in this way for he knew all that were his. That's dedication but how much greater is the Son's knowledge of each of us and as He says, 'My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.'
