The Parable Of The Prodigal Son (Part 1) Series

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It’s often said that Charles Dickens, one of the most popular writers of all time, considered the parable of the prodigal son to be “the greatest story ever told.”

Since this parable is really about the different reactions to the prodigal, it could also be called “The Forgiving Father and the Begrudging Brother.”

Luke 15:11-32

11Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12The 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. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He 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 men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called you son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still along 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 in on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For 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. 26So 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. 29But 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. 30But 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. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

THE STORY

Verses 11-24 can be broken into three parts:

1. The REBELLION (vv. 11-16)

“There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 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” (vv. 11-13).

The younger son was really saying to his father, “I wish you were dead.” The younger son converted his inheritance into cash, traveled to a distant country, and went on a spending spree. Soon his money was gone. The younger son is called the prodigal son because the word “prodigal” means “wasteful.”

“After he had spend everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything” (vv. 14-16).

Not only did the prodigal son run out of money, but he also ran into a famine. With his money gone, he had to take a job feeding pigs. Feeding pigs would be a bad job for anyone, but for a Jew it was even worse. It was probably the most humiliating job for a Jew, since pigs were unclean animals (Leviticus 11:7). The son was in so much need that he even longed to eat the pigs’ food. Even the pigs were better of than him!