November 24, The Parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32
This very long parable is really an illustration of the first two parables (lost sheep and coin). It is not my intent to interpret every aspect this one; rather, let me share a few insights.
I have heard this called the Parable of the Prodigal Father. The word prodigal is a name we, the Church, have given to this parable. If you look up the word prodigal, you will find it means: extravagant to a degree bordering on recklessness or producing generous amounts. In the negative, prodigal describes the younger son who wasted his father’s money on sinful living. When considering the Father, God, we see prodigal in how extravagant God bestows His love on us and this younger son.
I have also called this the Prodigal Sons, meaning both the younger and older sons were lost. But the word prodigal would not really apply to the older son but stingy and ungrateful might.
In this parable, the younger son refers to sinners who have rebelled against God. He would represent the lost sheep and the lost coin in the first two parables. In the prodigal, we see the repentance of the sinner. Neither the sheep nor the coin need to repent. Upon repentance, notice the Father saw the son while he was still a long way off. The father ran to his son and accepted him. It is very undignified for a middle eastern man to run. The father accepts his son back and extravagantly blesses him with a ring, shoes, a robe, and a feast, the celebration mentioned in the sheep and coin parables.
The older son would represent the grumbling Jewish leaders from the context of this teaching (Luke 15:1). The explanation for this parable (although I think this parable is really an explanation of the first two) is given in the correction to the older son. This parable is so long, deep, and dramatic that one could spend a lifetime learning from it. Enjoy. Do you remember when you came to yourself like the younger son? Have you ever caught yourself acting like the older son?
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”—Luke 15:11-32
I have a few thoughts running through my head on this parable:
ReplyDelete1. Prodigal. I never looked up the definition of prodigal and just assumed that meant "to run away" coz that's what I picked up from the context. Thank you, Pastor Randy, for the definition, it puts a new light to the word. With this meaning it certainly would be wonderful to be God's prodigal daughter... to love Him so extravagantly and with such abandon that I wouldn't care what anyone else thought.
2. The father. He ran to greet his younger son when he saw him returning home; and he pleaded with his older son who was pouting and angry. The father's heart was toward his sons, he loved them so much that he was willing to be undignified-extravagant in his love- (as with the younger) and also to be humble (as with the older). Both of those "action" are often hard for us. But shouldn't we, as Christians, demonstrate both of those character traits in our daily lives... to ALL who cross our paths?
3. The older son. What a waah waah! He must have been extremely self-centered & ungrateful. When he was pouting and wouldn't join the celebration, his dad went out to him, pleading for him to come join the party. Big brother told his dad that he had been "slaving" for him all these years! Slaving??? His father provided everything he needed, and probably everything that he wanted, and there was not one ounce of gratitude in big brother's little tirade to his dad. How dare he? Oh, wait... does that sound like me?... does that sound like you?
Let's be thankful. Let's act eternally grateful for all the gifts and blessings that our Heavenly Father gives to us on a daily basis. Let's join the celebration when the lost come home. Let's tell our Father that we recognize how good He is to us, and that we could never thank Him enough. Let's share God's goodness with others.