Luke
15:11-32
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is found in Luke chapter 15,
verses 11-32. The main character in the parable, the forgiving father, whose
character remains constant throughout the story, is a picture of God. In
telling the story, Jesus identifies Himself with God in His loving attitude to
the lost. The younger son symbolizes the lost (Luke 15:1), and the elder
brother represents the self-righteous (the Pharisees and teachers, Luke 15:2).
The major theme of this parable seems not to be so much the conversion of the
sinner, as in the previous two parables of Luke 15, but rather the restoration
of a believer into fellowship with the Father. In the first two parables, the
owner went out to look for what was lost (Luke 15:1-10), whereas in this story
the father waits and watches eagerly for his son's return. We see a progression
through the three parables from the relationship of one in a hundred (Luke
15:1-7), to one in ten (Luke 15:8-10), to one in one (Luke 15:11-32),
demonstrating God’s love for each individual and His personal attentiveness
towards all humanity. We see in this story the graciousness of the father
overshadowing the sinfulness of the son, as it is the memory of the father’s
goodness that brings the prodigal son to repentance (Romans 2:4).
1. The
word “Prodigal” doesn’t mean rebellious or lost—it means “wasteful” and
“extravagant.” The word origin refers to a person who’s reckless and squanders
their wealth.
2. The
parable of the Prodigal is the last of three parables Jesus shares about loss
and redemption—The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin and The Lost Son—and it’s best
read in that context to understand the full force of Jesus’ narrative.
3. When
the prodigal son asked for his inheritance, it was like saying to his
father, “I wish you were dead.” It was a huge insult, weighted with
shame and guilt.
4. In
the Jewish culture at this time, doing something like this would’ve likely cut
you off from the community forever. And being a part of the greater community
was critical for survival, health and overall quality of life.
5. In
reality, the father would’ve had to split up the land and sell a portion of his
assets to give his son the requested inheritance.
6. When
the prodigal son was done partying and found himself alone and hungry, he took
a job feeding slop to pigs. Why is this significant? In the Jewish culture
pigs were “unclean” animals. If a Jewish man longed for the food of pigs it was
definitely hitting “rock bottom.”
7. The
prodigal son decides to head home, thinking that maybe his father would receive
him as a servant. This is proof that the son didn’t understand the depth of his
father’s love and compassion.
8. The
prodigal son rehearses a speech, but he never gets to use it.
9. When
the father sees his son return, he runs to greet him. Running in the Ancient
Near Eastern culture was taboo at that time. It required a man to pull up his
tunic to his hips and expose his legs (to keep from tripping). The practice was
frowned upon and typically brought shame and embarrassment.
10. If
a Jewish son squandered his money, giving it over to the Gentiles, he would’ve
been cut off from the community upon his return. The father likely ran to meet
his son to reach him before anyone else in the community had a chance to
confront him. The fact that the Father runs to receive him is scandalous and
shocking and goes against the cultural norm.
11. The
father didn’t scold the son but gave him a lavish welcome home party—calling
for his servants to prepare the fattened calf, a ring, a robe and shoes. This
is God’s stance toward repentant sinners, and it’s always bold, surprising and
overflowing with joy.
12. The
father gave his son a robe to restore his dignity in front of the
community. No doubt the son was tattered and dirty from feeding slop to pigs
and the father clothes him as an act of love and compassion and to honor his
son in full view of the village.
13. The
father also gave the son a ring. Wearing rings during this time in history
was a sign of both wealth and position. The power of this symbol reflects
the father’s desire to restore his son as a family member and a respectable
member of the community—under the shadow of the father—once again.
14. Next,
the father asked his servants to get his son a pair of sandals. This, perhaps
the most practical gift, was a gesture that said, “I want you around for a
while.” The sandals prepared him to walk with the father without fear of
cutting or soiling his feet from the ground.
15. But
there was one last gift—the fattened calf. This kind of extravagant feast was
reserved for incredibly important occasions. No longer would his son settle for
the pods of pigs—he would now dine on the best meat available in the presence
of his family and, likely, everyone in the village.
16. The
story has a part two about the older son, that often gets overlooked, but it’s
just as important.
17. The
older son represented the Pharisees and scribes—they felt disrespected by God’s
scandalous grace to the sinner and the outcast. Besides, they’ve been keeping
the rules since day one—why didn’t they get a party?
18. The
father’s response to the older son? “All I have is yours too, but this
requires a celebration—my son was dead and now he’s alive again!” This is
a great picture of God’s stance to the self-righteous sinner—kind, direct,
generous, but still focused on the power of repentance.
19. The
parable ends with the refusal of the older brother to attend the feast. We
don’t know what happened, but Jesus left the story hanging, open-ended for
questions and discussion, as he often does.
Who are you in this story? Are you a prodigal, a pharisee or
a servant? Are you the rebellious son, lost and far from God? Are you the
self-righteous pharisee, no longer capable of rejoicing when a sinner returns
to God?
Maybe you've hit rock-bottom, come to your senses and
decided to run to God's open arms of compassion and mercy? Or are you one of
the servants in the household, rejoicing with the father when a lost son finds
his way home?
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