Points to Ponder — Page 11
— 11 His father replied, “G o to every friend ’s home, and tell them that your father has evicted you from his house and has taken away your access to the property. Ask them to provide you with some money so that you may arrange some source of livelihood. ” When he went to his friends’ homes and told them that his father had evicted him, one sent a message out through a servant that he was sick and regretted that he could not meet him at that time. Some excused saying that they had the money but had given it to someone else just that day. The young man returned home empty handed and said to his father that what his father had been saying was proven true; no one helped him. The Father said, “Let me show you my friend now. ” The father took his son to the wilderness, and outside the town he reached a house, and called out. There was a query from inside, “Who is this ?” The father announced his own name. The voice from the house said, “Okay. ” Then there was silence without a response for half an hour. The son said, “Your friend has proven to be like my friends. ” The father said, “Do not be impatient; you will know soon why he has taken so long to come out. ”