The Parable of The Prodigal Son

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The Parable of The Prodigal Son

Everyone has heard the term ‘the prodigal son,’ it’s a story from the Bible.

Jesus Christ used to tell parables, stories that had a moral and spiritual meaning to them. But the story of the prodigal son was meant to shock the people who heard it.

2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, the Jews worshipped the Lord God of all Creation, and followed the Ten Commandments and other laws of God. Also the religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees considered themselves and the Jews as superior to the gentiles (anyone who was not a Jew). They wouldn’t speak to them, befriend them, or want to be anywhere near them.

Before Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son, the Pharisees were complaining to Jesus that he was being friendly and welcoming to the tax collectors.  Everyone hated the tax collectors because they gave the money to the Roman authorities, and also kept money for themselves. Everyone also hated those who they classed as sinners, people who broke the commandments of God, the poor, the sick and the ill.

So here is the parable from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15.

All the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to Jesus to hear him. 2 The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.”

11 Jesus said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them. 

13 Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and travelled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. 

14 When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 

15 He went and worked for one of the citizens of that country (a non-Jew), and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He was so hungry he wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 

17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! 

18 I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. 19 I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

20 “He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 

21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat, and celebrate; 24 for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and now is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on. 27 He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’ 28 But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him. 

29 But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

31 “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and now is found.’” Luke 15:1, 11-32.

So here is the spiritual meaning of the parable of the prodigal son, and what it means to us today.

The youngest son had one elder brother and a father who was financially wealthy running his business, which his two sons would have helped him in the business.

But the young son grew tired of hard work, and instead thought of all he could do if only his father gave him his inheritance. Eventually he decided to ask his father for his inheritance so he could go his own way, far away from his father and brother.

Once his father gives him his inheritance, he immediately left the family and headed far away to some city, where his father wouldn’t hear what he was doing.

And what he did was to squander all his money on alcohol and prostitutes. While his money lasted he probably had lots of friends, but once he ran out of money, no one cared about him whether he lived or died.

Out of desperation, he went to work for a non-Jew to feed pigs, and was so hungry he would have gladly eaten what the pigs were eating.

But then he came to his senses, and thought about his kind father and those who worked for him. And he realised he would be better working for his father as a paid worker, than the life he had now.

He was what the Bible would call, repentant. He was genuinely sorrowful for the shameful way he had treated his father and sinned against God. And he could easily imagine his fathers reaction when he would have to tell him that he had squandered all his father’s money on prostitutes!

Yet, he didn't have any choice, and so he headed for home, fearful of what might happen to him.

But as he approached his father’s home, his father saw him and came running to him, and was moved with compassion, and hugged and kissed him. 

The son could hardly get the words out of his mouth asking for forgiveness.

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat, and celebrate; 24 for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and now is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

Of course, his elder brother was furious, no forgiveness for his brother.

Everyone listening to Jesus would have been shocked at the behaviour of the younger son. He was an insult to his father and to God, and probably hoped the father would have given his son a punch in the mouth for asking for his inheritance.

Then when they heard the son had squandered his money on alcohol and prostitutes, they would have been even more angry against him.

When the son ended up working for a non-Jew and feeding pigs, they would have thought it a fitting end to the story. For pigs were considered unclean animals – as unclean as the gentiles (non-Jews), and Jews wouldn’t eat pork or have anything to do with non-Jews.

But this story illustrates how God views us humans. It doesn’t matter what country we are from, or the colour of our skin, or our cultural background or what god/idol we worship.

In the beginning God created the world and everything was good, but humankind continually rejected God and wanted to go their own way. Yet God didn’t chase after us, but He did call His prophets (in the Holy bible) to call us to repent and turn back to God.

Then God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ, so that whoever believed and trusted in Jesus Christ would not perish but have eternal life.

We have all broken the Ten Commandments in thought, word and deed. We have all failed to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

Our failure to follow the commandments of God, have hindered the Kingdom of God on Earth, and helped the spread of war, famine, oppression, injustice, sickness and disease and death.

Yet God waits patiently, for His sons and daughters to come to their senses, repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

Jesus said.

“I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.” Luke 15:7.

So, whoever you are reading this, male or female, young or old, rich or poor, who consider themselves respectable or as sinful as the prodigal son. God loves and cares about you. And God doesn’t want you to perish in the second death, but to enjoy eternal life in God’s kingdom of heaven, forever.

In my book – Evidence for God: Prophecies, Miracles and the Power of God. the prophecies not only prove God exists and that the history of humankind has been unfolding according to the predetermined plan of God.

They also prove that God loves and cares about you. And you can read the book for FREE, as I have made the 300-page paperback book available as a 300-page eBook and FREE DOWNLOAD. From my website – www.EvidenceForGod.co.uk