I’ll Ask You a Question:

Here is a new story that has reached me; it is similar but different to the story of the prodigal son:

There was a father with two sons. One son, by his actions and nature, was bad while the other was good and pure.

One day, the two sons went to the mall to go shopping. The father told his good son to stay close to his brother; and keep him out of trouble.

So when the two sons entered the mall, the first thing the bad son tried to do was run off and lose the good son. He knew that as long as the good son was keeping an eye on him, he couldn’t have any fun.

The good son was faithful to his father’s wishes and he was always two steps behind. But, he couldn’t stop the bad son from shoplifting at one of the stores, even though he warned him over and over about their father’s displeasure.

The bad son got caught by the security guards. But before he was taken off to jail, he lied and told the authorities that the good son was his accomplice. And the good son agreed because he knew what the bad son was doing, and he failed to stop him. So they both went to prison to spend the night.

This was not the bad son’s first trip to jail. He fought and screamed about how much he hated it, but for some reason, he found himself headed there again and again. This was the good son’s first trip to jail though.

The father who was the richest man in town found out about the whole situation quick and set them free before they even saw the entrance to the cage doors. He forgave any wrongdoings of his two sons instantly and welcomed them back to be with him at his mansion.

But, suppose the father was not a rich man. Suppose he only had enough money to bail out one son. Which son would he bail out?

Obviously he would save the son that brings the most glory to his house and name; the faithful son.

In this scenario, what would become of the bad son?

Obviously, he would have to wait in jail until his father has saved up enough money. But, perhaps the bad son would find a pleasurable home amongst all the sinful men locked in with him. Maybe, he’d even become the king of the prison, and rule there until his end.

Now, here is my question to all you readers:

What would happen if the father had no money to free any of his sons? What are his options? What would become of the two sons in prison?