THE PRODIGAL SON

Luke 15:11
Then He said: “A certain man had two sons."

The story of the prodigal son is, in fact, the story not only of one man but of a whole family. Isn’t it true for all of us that the challenges in the lives of our loved ones become our concern too? It really is a family affair. And this is because in a family, the relationships bind us to one another.

Today we will be looking into the parable of the Prodigal Son and seek to understand each character in the story.

We know that when Jesus told parables it is because He wants to explain truths by illustration. Jesus begins the story by introducing the family. There was a father who had two sons. The father here represents the Father in heaven. Our God is a Father and those who believe in Him and have a relationship with Him are His children.

But as we go along the parable we realize that the father’s children are far from being alike. They are in fact opposites. This speaks to us of how in God’s family, not all are the same. The older son represents the faithful saints while the younger son represents those who, while having a relationship with the Lord, remain self-willed.

Luke 15:12-16
And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

THE YOUNGER SON

Jesus goes on to tell the story of the younger son. He demanded that his father give him the portion of goods that belonged to him. And we are told that shortly after, he left and went to a far country to waste his possessions on prodigal living. This introduction gives us keys to understand the younger son.

The younger son told his father to give him his portion. He did not plead or make a request. He demanded. We see from this a picture of a man who has a sense of entitlement. He had a sense that what he was asking for is truly his and that he deserved it. And there are those who can relate with the younger son in this way. When they became Christians they feel they are entitled to a life of blessings. They expect that since they have given their lives to Jesus they deserve a life of prosperity and must not be given hardships. Whenever a believer grumbles or complains against difficulties in life it is just like the prodigal son demanding his portion. This is actually a manifestation of pride, to expect that one deserves more than what he is being given, because the truth is we do not deserve anything.

By demanding his portion it is also saying he cannot wait anymore for his father to decide when he will get his inheritance. He wanted it right away. When his father gave it to him, not very long after he lost it too. God has a perfect time for giving His promises to us. If we are willing to wait He will give it at exactly the moment He knows it will work for our good because we are prepared to handle the blessing. But if one is unable to wait and insists on getting it based on his timetable, God can grant that man’s desire. However, this will lead to sorrow and leanness of soul. We must be careful what we ask of God because He may just give it to us even if it is not His perfect will. He can even allow signs to come our way to affirm us in a direction outside of His perfect will.

Proverbs 20:21
An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning
Will not be blessed at the end.

Where did he spend his inheritance? We are told he spent it on worldly living. In some ways, Christians today will have to decide on this matter too. The younger son who demanded his inheritance is like those who will decide to enjoy life today. The younger son demanded his portion because he did not like the hard work in the fields. He wanted the easy life and a life of pleasure. Christians today can also be drawn to such a choice, to take the easier path and go for a life of pleasure. The broad way is easy and is full of life’s pleasures. Christianity can be hard work. It calls for us to be diligent in studying the Word of God. It calls for us to pray unceasingly. It calls for us to deny ourselves and take up our cross. It calls for us to not cease doing good to others. It calls for training like an athlete in a race. It calls for us to choose affliction over the passing pleasures of sin. The choice is between whether we desire to gain satisfaction in this life or eternity.

The younger son not only got his inheritance but he fled to another country. He did this because he wanted control. He despised being under another. He did not want to be under the leadership of his father. He wanted to be able to call his own shots. This speaks of people who do not want to be under authority or to be disciplined by another. Jesus cannot only be Savior, He also has to be Lord. He needs to have authority over our lives. When people have a difficult time being under authority, it is because of pride in that person’s heart.

While it may be easy to think that we are not in the same boat as the prodigal son, perhaps we need to ask God whether or not we are showing characteristics of the younger son in some degree. Are we choosing the pleasures of this life? Do we despise discipline? Or being under authority?

Luke 15:17
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,

In the end, the prodigal son squandered his inheritance. He lost what was his. But it was this suffering that brought him back to his senses. There really are times when God allows difficulties in our lives to humble us and bring conviction to us. There is very little that can be done to help people until they realize how rebellious and prideful they are. Indeed people are their own worst enemies.

Luke 15:18-19
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.

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In order for a person to come back from a fall, genuine repentance is needed. According to Dr. Brian Bailey, one of the hallmarks of true repentance is not only to be willing to take the lowest place but from our hearts to realize that all we deserve is the lowest place.

OLDER BROTHER

The older brother on the other hand was the stark contrast of his brother. When the younger son demanded his portion, the older brother did not follow suit but chose to stay with his father. He was a man who worked hard. We know that when the younger brother returned, the older brother was still working in the field. When he also spoke to his father, he mentioned that he served him for many years. He was a diligent and hardworking man. He was also faithful. He was faithful in his duties and he was faithful in obeying his father’s commands. This was a man who also submitted to the authority of his father. And it is for this reason that his father promised that he is the one who will always be with his father and will be the heir to all his father had. What a promise! The key to receiving all that the Heavenly Father has for us is faithfulness, obedience and submission. He was willing to wait for a greater portion and thus he did not seek to receive his inheritance right away. He represents men and women who are willing to take the light afflictions of this life to gain greater rewards in eternity.

However, while the older brother had a mind like his father’s, he did not have a heart like his father’s. This is probably the reason why God allowed this test on their family’s life too. You see when someone dear to us is going through a trial, we too are being tested. We too are being developed. We too are being changed. It appears that when the younger son came back, the older son was not at all happy about it. He even used the term “your son” as if to disassociate himself with his brother.

He complained that his father played favorites because he has never given him a young goat to make merry with his friends despite having worked so hard with his father and obeying him while he was now serving the best calf for his younger son who squandered his wealth. His father in fact was not playing favorites. But this is something we will go into later on. Let us first take a look at the older brother and his response to his younger brother.

The older brother called his younger brother “your son” and reminded his father of his brother’s wrongdoings. His response was quite natural. When a loved one makes wrong choices he is bound to affect others in his family. The older son must have been hurt by seeing what his brother did to his father and their livelihood. Thus, there was a closing of heart. He chose to close his heart to his brother. In loving another, there really is a possibility of getting hurt. As humans we can at times fail others. And it is quite difficult when those who fail you are the very people who are closest to you. When a person is unable to deal with the hurt properly, he may then simply close his heart towards the person because he seeks to protect himself from getting hurt by another failure of that person. As a result when his brother came back, even if he was repentant, he lacked the compassion and mercy of his father. He did not possess the father heart that seeks to restore those who were once disobedient.

And this was probably what needed to be dealt with in the older brother’s heart. He needed the father heart. He needed mercy. Mercy after all is the highest revelation of the character of our own Heavenly Father. The older brother was going to be the full owner of his father’s wealth. And like him, those who are called by God to become His first born ones, those who will be the co-heirs of Christ need to manifest both His mind and His heart.

THE FATHER

Finally, we look at the father. The father approached his two sons differently. It is not because he was partial towards one but because they were on different plains. Different as his approaches were, both showed his love for them. His experiences with both sons show us two forms of discipline. When the younger son demanded his portion, the father gave it to him. This is not because he wanted to get rid of his problem child but because he knew this is what the younger son needed. The father understood that his younger son would no longer heed correction or admonition. His heart was hardened and rebellious. Thus, he allowed him to make his choice. He gave what he asked for because he understood that he cannot force his son to obey him. God is the same with us. He will not force us to obey. He will leave the decisions into our hands but not its consequences. The father mirrors the wisdom and heart of the Father in heaven. He knew that with the hardness of his son’s heart only the very consequences of his folly can soften him. This must not have been easy for him as a father. He must have feared the consequences as well but he knew he needed to leave his son in God’s hands. There are such times in a person’s life when we must surrender a loved one to God who has gone astray so that He can take care of him. We must learn to let go and let God.

It was also costly on the part of the father to discipline his son. It caused him a portion of his wealth. He accepted the cost for the sake of his son. It also cost the Father when He created this earth so that through its trials the co-heirs of His Son can be perfected. It cost Him His beloved Son to make a way for our salvation and our perfection. But this is the father heart. It will endure sacrifices and pain if only to bring a son to the right path.

Luke 15:20-24
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;  for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

When the younger son finally returned. He was still afar off yet, the father already saw him and approached him. He did not wait for the son to draw near and explain himself. He extended the hand of peace towards his lost son. When his son requested that he be accepted back as a servant, the father did much more. 

He gave him new robes, which speaks of salvation and relationship. He also gave him a ring, which speaks of authority. Finally, he gave him shoes, which speaks of ministry. Restoration is indeed possible!

With the older son, he trained him differently. It is noteworthy that the older son mentioned that despite his dedicated service and full obedience to his father, his father never gave him a young goat to make merry with his friends. It is possible that the father withheld from his obedient son the very thing that led his younger brother to destruction. He knew this son would heed and so he kept him from getting vulnerable to pleasures of life that could take him down the same road as his younger brother. The discipline of the father in this case was preserving the older son. There are times when we get a glimpse of the world and desire it. Yet the Father in heaven in His mercy withholds these desires from us to protect and preserve us. It is because of His wisdom and love for us that he does not always give us what we want.

While we may all relate with either son, it is the father that we must seek to emulate, just as Jesus conformed to the image of the Father in heaven, doing only what He did and willed. Thus, Jesus was able to declare that He and the Father are one. May we take heed of the precious lessons from this beautiful parable.

References:
Bailey, Brian. The Gospel of Luke, Zion Christian Publishers, New York:1999, (p. 193-199).
Bailey, Brian. The Parables of Jesus, Zion Christian Publishers, New York:2012 (p. 138-144).