Luke 15:11–31
INTRODUCTION
The parable of the prodigal son is widely known. Though this story is couched in local customs, it addresses universal concerns about relationships, pride, guilt, forgiveness, justice, and grace (see Luke 15:11-31).
This story is best known as the parable of the prodigal son or the parable of the lost son. But the main message of the story is about the actions of the father. Perhaps it should be called the parable of the prodigal father.
From this story the word “prodigal” has acquired a very negative connotation. Prodigal activity is almost inextricably associated with immoral behavior. But we should recognize that the word itself is meant to describe an attitude about resources rather than an attitude about morality. Prodigal means profuse expenditure, disbursement without regard to risk, and unrestrained consumption of assets. One can be prodigal in a good way by using wealth to help others. Or one can be prodigal by wasting resources in reckless dissipation.
Let us consider briefly each of the three main characters in this incredibly timeless story.
I. THE YOUNGER BROTHER
The younger son is disrespectful, selfcentered, and downright careless! Despite belonging to a wealthy family, he is not happy at home. He wants to assert himself, to exercise autonomy, to enjoy freedom, to realize his dreams and aspirations. Living at home is a form of imprisonment.
Contrary to the normal customs of the time, he asks his father for his share of the inheritance which would only be his when the father died. The father yields to this shocking pressure. And the young man sets out to get a life!
We are not really given any specifics as to how he wasted his wealth in riotous living. The allegation of sexual immorality is a judgment pronounced by the older brother. It is not one of the objective facts in the story. Who knows what happened? Maybe he squandered his assets in betting on the outcome of camel races.
The reality is that he soon loses everything. The pleasure and freedom he dreamed of while at home have not been realized. He believed that joy and contentment would come to him from things he could acquire and the unhindered pursuit of desire. This kind of thinking is a fatal mistake. A profound truth in life is that “you can never get enough of what you don’t need because what you don’t need can never satisfy.”
Hardship forces him to face harsh realities. He begins to see things in an entirely new light—even the things of home which formerly had been so oppressive.
Such an experience is not isolated to one young man in an ancient story. How many people do not realize the value of what they have until it is lost? Having a job can feel burdensome until one has no job. The treasure of good health habits is not realized until health is compromised.
Economic, social, and emotional poverty awakens a new evaluation of his former life. Servants in his father’s house had a better life than what he now experiences. The freedom he had sought reduced him to involuntary slavery. Now he wishes to become a slave in order to gain some sense of freedom and security. He sets out for home, rehearsing his confession and request.
The pursuit of freedom from constraint and discipline can easily lead to captivity. Just ask any addict. Real freedom is the ability to continue making good choices.
II. THE OLDER BROTHER
The older brother has remained at home. To someone observing from a distance, this man looks like the ideal son. He is obedient and circumspect in behavior. He does not dishonor his father outwardly. His life seems calm and without turmoil.
But the return of his younger brother exposes his true character. On the exterior he has done everything right. But on the interior he has nurtured pride, envy, and resentment. He does not see things as the father does. He cannot welcome his brother and he disgraces his father by refusing to go into the party. Notice the way he speaks to his father (Luke 15:29–30).
He bristles with anger towards his brother and bitterness towards his father. The harsh denunciation of his brother suggests jealousy and perhaps envy. The accusations about his father display the state of his mind and heart.
Neither son loved the father. They both wanted to use their father for self-serving purposes. One son broke the rules; the other son kept the rules, but both sons were seriously alienated from the father.
The two brothers are different yet alike in many ways. The younger one rebelled openly; his actions were a disgrace to himself and the family. The older son did all the right things, looked like a model son, but was alienated from both his father and his brother.
Neither son was content in the father’s home. Their hearts were focused on their father’s wealth rather than on his love. The younger was full of uncontrolled passion. The older was full of loveless obedience. But the younger surrenders his pride while the older justifies his discontent.
III. THE PRODIGAL FATHER
Now we turn to the third person featured in the story—the one who might be called the “prodigal father.” Remember the definition of prodigal, profuse expenditure, disbursement without regard to risk, and unrestrained consumption of assets.
When we recall why Jesus told this story, we immediately recognize that it is the action of the father rather than the sons that is the chief focus of the story. The behavior of both sons provides context for the most amazing and unexpected action of the father. The father’s behavior here provides a revelation of divine love, an explanation for why Jesus received tax collectors and sinners, and an appeal to the pompous, selfrighteous scribes and Pharisees.
This is a story that exposes God from the inside. Let us consider five insights into the character and action of God when dealing with wayward people.
A. God is generous beyond reason (Matt 5:44–45). The father in this story divides his livelihood between both sons.
B. God’s role as father breaks all defective earthly stereotypes. To the original hearers of this story the father running toward the younger son and going out to reason with the older son would be a shocking reversal of typical and expected behavior. Unfortunately, there are many people today who have great difficulty in understanding God because they have an earthly father who is anything but godlike.
C. Obedience to God arises out of love for God, not fear of Him (Rom 2:4). It is a new realization of the father’s love that draws the boy homeward.
D. God’s forgiveness involves restoration, not mere pardon. The returning son begged to become a hired servant. Instead, he is restored to sonship. The situation is no less amazing for the older son who remonstrates that his father never gave him a goat—to him the father says, “All that I have is yours.”
E. God specializes in joy, extravagant joy. The father spares nothing in celebrating the return of his son. Jesus spoke about the joy in heaven when sinners repent (Luke 15:7).
CONCLUSION
Changing the title of the story opens new insights. This is not just about rebellion and repentance. Instead, it is about God’s love, God’s forgiveness, God’s generosity, and God’s joy. The story carries an implied invitation to become like the prodigal father. When it comes to forgiveness, love, encouragement, and acceptance, is it possible to be known as the “Prodigal Church”? (Eph 4:32).
Lowell C. Cooper is a retired general vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, MD, USA. Lowell and his wife, Rae Lee, live in Kennewick, WA, USA.
