75 The Parable of the Prodigal Son [Luke 15:11–32]
The Bible passage: [Luke 15:11–32]
The Story:
Jesus told this parable:
A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me my share of your estate now.” So, the father split his assets between them.
Not long after that, the younger son gathered together all his possessions and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his money in foolish living. After he had wasted everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing left to live on.
He went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He was so hungry he would have gladly eaten the pigs’ food, but no one would give him any.
He finally came to his senses, and said, “My father’s hired hands have more than enough food, and I’m here starving to death! I’m going to go back to my father and say, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I’m not worthy to be called your son. Please make me one of your hired hands.’”
So, he got up and returned to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran and hugged him and kissed him.
The son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I’m not worthy to be called your son.”
But the father told his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattest, healthiest calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast. My son was dead, but he is alive again. He was lost, but now he’s found!”
And they all began to celebrate.
His older son was working in the field. As he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. He summoned one of the servants and asked what was going on.
“Your brother is here,” he told him, “And your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has come back safe and sound.”
Then the older brother became angry and didn’t want to go in. So, his father came out and pleaded with him.
But he replied to his father, “Look, I have been slaving for you for years. I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never even gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has wasted your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.”
The father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
The Lessons:
- In this parable, the younger son leaves his father and ruins his life.
- To the Jewish people, working with pigs, which are considered unclean animals, was about as low as a person could get.
- When the younger son decided to repent and go home, his father saw him coming from a long way off and RAN to meet him. The father was waiting in anticipation of his son’s return.
- All of the gifts the father lavished on the younger son on his return are pictures of grace.
- Jesus told this story in response to complaints from the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus spent too much time with “sinners“. In this story:
- The father represents God.
- The younger son represents sinful people, who want to go through life following their own path rather than the path recommended by God the Father.
- The older son represents the scribes and Pharisees, who saw themselves as always obeying God, even though their heart wasn’t really in it. Being the oldest gave him the birthright, which put him in a higher position than his brother.
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