Luke and John

A certain man had six sons and the younger of the first three sons said to his father, "Father, give me the portion of goods that falls me."
The father of the six sons had nothing to give so the younger son of the first three fled from home. And not many days after, the younger of the first three sons went off to sea. He journeyed to a far country and had no possessions on which to waste his prodigal living. But when the wars did end and he was spent he entered the ministry and though he continued to want, he tried to join himself to the citizens of many country congregations. He even went into the fields to throw his pearls before the swines.
Though many gave him everything, including their pearls of great price, he continued to want. Buying lands and planting vineyards he sold them for pottage and the pods on which the swine fed.
Then one day as the younger of the first three sons was sitting in his rocker in the shade of his vineyards, a man came to him and said,
"If you will but sell to me your inheritance, you shall never want and you shall have hired servants and bread enough to spare."
And so he sold his inheritance and arose early the next morning and called his yard lady.
"The grass is tall and ripe unto harvest. I have been to many lands and in all these lands no one fairer than you was ever found."
"Come with me and we shall reap the harvest of the tall grass before us. We shall never want."
And so he arose and with the pottage stuffed in his wallet, journey to present the fair yard lady the gift she so wanted.
But when he was still a great way off, his Jack Russell, as Balaam's ass did so long ago, spoke. "Enough is enough!" and ran him into the ditch with a halt as the bumper kissed the trunk of the swaying turkey oak.
And now the son of the youngest of the first three sons falls upon the prodigal, has compassion and gently kisses him. And the son says,
"Father, our sins against heaven and in his sight have been great and we are no longer worthy to be called his son. Had I the best robe, I would wrap you in it. Had I a ring, I would put it upon your hand and sandals upon your feet. Had I a fatted calf I would kill it and we would eat and make merry."
And as the son of the youngest of the first three sons spoke, he heard the father calling for yard lady, yard lady, yard lady.
He then became angry and would not respond to the son. Many came and pleaded with him but still he scowled in silence.
"All these many years we served you, never transgressed your commandments, we were the model family. Yet, you never gave us your heart to make merry with us. You sold your inheritance and went into a far land to seek yard ladies."
And so the son will always have these thoughts, which will always live with the son.
And what thoughts he has shall be your thoughts.
Were we right to make merry and rejoice for the son that has returned from a far land and is alive again?
The grass grows tall and the yard lady is lost and is not to be found.