#12 Top 40 New Testament Passages: Parable of the Prodigal (Luke 15:11-32)

Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 

When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 

But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. 

But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. 

His father came out and began to plead with him. 

But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 

Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’” (Luke 15:11-32)

One of Jesus' most beloved parables is known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus tells the story in response to criticism from the Pharisees, a strict sect within Israel's religion. 

The Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:2)

In response to their grumbling, Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep, and the parable of the lost coin to illustrate the fact that He was sent to save sinners, not those who strictly observe the law of Moses. For when one sinner repents, all of heaven rejoices! (Luke 15:7, 10)

He follows with the story of a man who had two sons, the younger of which asked for his inheritance now. Typically a double portion of the father's amassed wealth went to the eldest brother, in this case two thirds. The audacity of asking for the inheritance before the father had passed on was an insulting thing to do. But the father doesn't react in a rash manner. He gives the younger son what he asks for and sends him on his way. 

The young son does what young men sometimes do. He lives in excess and foolishly spends all his inheritance on self-indulgent activities. His life could be described as riotous, wild or dissolute. And it ends in destitution. The picture Jesus draws of the young Jew feeding pigs and starving is a powerful image. Pigs are unclean animals for Jews. They do not eat unclean animals or touch them. In addition to this slap in the face, the young Jew is surrounded by uncaring people, who do nothing to alleviate his hunger. 

How has chasing after the thrills and glittering things in life left you empty? 

The young son comes to his senses. Literally he came to himself. He arrived at a meeting with his own mind, thinking about what he had done and how he had fallen. And he was reminded of life with his father. There is more than enough for even the hired hands. It's time to go back home.  Perhaps the young son thinks, "But how can my father take me back now, after I've disgraced myself so badly and insulted him?"

He decides to ask his father to be taken on as one of his hired servants. He will confess his wrongdoing and seek mercy. And so he heads back home.

Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son

Now this is where the parable turns the focus on the father. The father sees his young son coming up the road to his house. The young man is beaten down and ragged. The father was filled with compassion, ran out to meet his son, threw his arms around him in a big bear hug and and kissed him. 

The young son offered a rehearsed speech about his unworthiness, but the father quickly ordered the servants to bring new shoes, robe and signet ring. He ordered the fattened calf, reserved for special feasts, to be prepared for a welcome home party for his son! It was clear the young son had been welcomed home, not as a servant, but as a son with all the rights and privileges of sonship. The prodigal in this case is the father, for his mercy and generosity of spirit is most excessive.

Then the parable turns to the eldest son. He hears the sounds of celebration as he is coming in from a day's work. He asks a servant what's going on and he learns his father has thrown a party to celebrate the return of his wayward brother. Incensed, the elder brother refuses to join the party. His father pleads for him to join the celebration, but he will have nothing to do with it. In fact, the elder son feels mistreated by his father, for he has never thrown him a party. He has always been an obedient son. Doesn't he deserve to be celebrated? But when this young son of his comes home, who has blown 1/3 of the family wealth on prostitutes and booze, his father kills the fattened calf! Notice the elder brother doesn't refer to the younger son as his own brother. He has distanced himself from his younger brother in his judgmental attitude.

His father explained that everything he has belongs to the eldest son. The eldest has never wanted for a thing. But they have to celebrate because the younger son was lost and is now found, was dead to the family and to God, but is now alive again. 

This story is popular for a number of reasons. For most of us its the beauty of the excessive love and mercy which the father shows. We can identify with the younger son. We've all made mistakes. We've all acted selfishly and foolishly. We've all felt empty in a world full of plenty and choice. And our hearts stir when we think of returning to better days, when we didn't have a care in the world, but lived happily under the protection and provision of a loving family. As young adults are prone to say today, "Adulting is hard!" It's beautiful to think there's a place where all the fear, pain, self-doubt and struggle is replaced with a loving embrace that restores us. That place is with Jesus.

But the rest of the story is not happy. The rest of the story illustrates how the scribes and Pharisees, and all other legalistic, self-appointed, religious law enforcers miss the celebration of God's love. The elder son represents the grumbling, accusatory scribes and Pharisees, just as the younger son represents the tax collectors and sinners. The elder son's refusal to join in the celebratory welcome home to the younger son is a mirror held up to the grumbling religious leaders. They hopefully see themselves and repent of their hardheartedness against sinners who have come to Jesus. 

The parable doesn't say what the elder son did in response to his father's urging to come to the party. It remains open. And that is the genius of the parable. It invites the hearers to move. You can either stand obstinate in judgement against those who have squandered the gift of life, and are now suffering the consequences for their foolishness, or you can join your Father in heaven in reaching out with the invitation to come home. You can gratefully acknowledge that you have everything you need. Generosity takes nothing from your plate, nor does mercy. There is more than enough for all the children of God.

I have been both the elder son, who takes a judgmental stance, and the younger son, starving for the things of God which nourish the soul. Both times in my life, I have found God to always embrace me with love when I finally decide to come to me senses.