THE PRODIGAL SON

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” does not mean rebellious or lost—it means “wasteful” and “extravagant.” The word origin refers to a person who is 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 have likely cut you off from the community forever. Moreover, being a part of the greater community was critical for survival, health and overall quality of life.

5. In reality, the father would have 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 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 did not 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 have 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 did not 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 is 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 is overlooked, but it is 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 have 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 do not 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 have hit rock bottom, come to your senses and decided to run to God's open arms of compassion and mercy. On the other hand, are you one of the servants in the household, rejoicing with the father when a lost son finds his way home?