A man had two sons. The younger son told his father "I want a share of your estate now before you die" So the father agreed to divide his wealth between his two sons. A few days later the younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land where he wasted all his money in wild living. When his money ran out there was a great famine that spread over the land and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him and the man sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding to the pigs began to look good but nobody gave him anything As he came to his senses he said to himself "At home even the hired servants have more than enough to spare and here I am starving to death". He resolved to go home to his father and say "Father I have sinned against both heaven and you and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Please take me back as a hired servant".
So he returned home to his father and while he was still a long way off his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion he ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son full of remorse said to him. "Father I have sinned against both heaven and you and I am no longer worthy to be called your son". But the father said to the servants "Quick Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet and kill the calf that we have been fattening for we must celebrate with a feast for this son of mine was dead and now he has returned to life. He was lost but now he is found" So the party began.
Meanwhile the older son was in the fields working, when he returned he heard music and dancing in the house and he asked one of the servants what was going on. "Your brother is back" he was told "and your father has killed the fattened calf and we are celebrating because of his safe return" The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him but he replied "All these years I have slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to and in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends yet when my brother comes back after squandering all your money on prostitutes you celebrate by killing the fattened calf" His father said to him "Look dear son, you have always stayed by me and everything I have is yours but we had to celebrate this happy day because your brother was dead but he came back to life. He was lost but now he is found".
So what is the meaning of the Parable of the prodigal son. The word prodigal means lost and is grouped with two other parables regarding the lost ‘The lost sheep’ and ‘the lost coins’ The parable is in the context of Jesus responding to the Pharasee's who complained that he was unholy because he welcomed sinners. Typically the son would have inherited his share when his father died and although he was within his rights to ask it implied that he wished his father dead and showed disregard for his Authority and a lack of respect. The son showed selfishness and immaturity. The father grants his request showing generosity knowing that he was letting the sinning son go his own way. The Son is showing his desire for independence, the life of possessions and pleasure rather than relationship, duty and obedience. He places great distance between himself and the father by going to a far off land, this mirrored the separation he had already made in his heart rejecting the goodness that his father had provided. He squanders the money that the father had worked so hard to accumulate on selfish shallow pleasures leading to financial disaster which is then followed by a famine.
The famine is a picture of unforeseen events and of consequences. Hungry and penniless with no friends now that the money had gone he ends up working for a gentile farmer feeding the pigs. Jews were not even allowed to touch pigs as they were seen as unclean and this is a vivid picture of how low he had fallen. That he is prepared to do anything to survive including eating the pig’s food. He realized that servants at home were treated better than him, he was all but a slave.
It is when we reach rock bottom that we often come to our senses and can see the problems caused by our own pride, independence greed and sin. His own choices had led to a situation where he had no choice. Sin promises much but leaves us a slave to it. But the son in the end had a humble heart, he remembered the kindness of the father, he wanted to turn back and change, he wished to repent and was willing to make amends by working as a servant for no pay until he had paid off the debt. As he returns the father spots him from a distance which suggests he was looking out for him, hoping for his return. The son falls at the Fathers feet asking for forgiveness but the father cuts short his confession and orders a big joyful celebration. He does not dwell on past failings and dismisses the idea that he should work to pay back the debt but gives instead unconditional love.
Our confession should also end our life of slavery to sin, offering ourselves instead as a living sacrifice to doing what is right. The father is a picture of God our heavenly father who waits patiently with love and compassion to restore us. He takes great delight that we love him and want to be close to him and that we should have his heart to love others likewise. The older brother who is angry and jealous at the celebration of his younger brothers return expresses a sense of injustice, that bad behaviour is being rewarded and that his loyal dedicated hard work has not ever been recognized in the same way. Many of us would understand how he felt. This reaction touches very much on our human nature and our attitude to the idea of justice. The older son is a picture of the Pharisee bitter and self-righteous, centering on wrongdoing, pointing the finger forgetting to celebrate when a sinner repents and comes home, forgetting that he is after all his brother. In contrast the joy of the father and his unconditional love suggests that the return to fellowship with the father was more important than the conversion from sin. God’s grace brings restoration to receive the spirit of Son-ship and in this we see a picture of Gods kingdom in heaven and of the age to come
Bible reading Luke 15:11-32