The Prodigal Son
Part I
Jesus had told the crowd following him when a Pharisee asked him why he was speaking to the rift-raft of the society of that day and age which was tax collectors or more like thieves approved by the Roman Government and prostitutes and beggars. Jesus had told them the story of the lost coin, and somehow that did not connect. I mean most of the Pharisees were rich how could they relate to a poor widow who had lost a coin. He told the story about the lost sheep and again the Pharisees could not understand the story because they were studious men who had no idea what one sheep could mean to a shepherd. Jesus was probably frustrated by their reactions which is not recorded, but I understand. I remember so many times sitting down with a person that I needed them to understand how important it was to change their lives. It was my job as a foster care caseworker to do those things, but sometimes people were satisfied with their lives and did not want to change. They would look at me and I knew that I had not reached this person, and it made me sad because I knew if they did not change their lifestyles they were going to lose their children. Jesus probably realized that the Pharisees were not getting what he was trying to tell them that each person was valuable to God and to him. He needed them to understand this because if not their souls were in danger of being lost to them. Jesus told a third story, and it was one that they could understand. He told what we now call the Prodigal Son.
“11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his [a]wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 So he went and [b]hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the [c]pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17 But when he came to [d]his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and [e]in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he got up and came to [f]his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and [g]embraced him and kissed him. 21 And 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 slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never [h]neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your [i]wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you [j]have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’” Luke 15:11-32 NASB
Most of the Pharisees had families. They had children, and they had sons. This was a story they could understand. Maybe Jesus knew that the one who asked him a question had had a family like this where one son had gone astray, and maybe that son had not come home.
Parents today have a difficult time raising their children because outside influences are everywhere. Things were different for the parents of other eras, and so how can this story be for today like it was back then, but it was only different in all the ways that children today are hit with ideas and lifestyles all day every day, but there were challenges back in the Roman times. This may have been Israel but it was under the control of the Romans, and the Romans brought with them a lot of temptations mainly for sons because daughters did not have the freedom that sons had. Sometimes these sons were sent to learn Greek and Latin at schools far away from home so that their guiding parents could not keep them safe from harm of outside ideas. It was a turbulent time living under Roman rule.
The practices of that day and age was that a son could demand his inheritance prior to his father’s death. Most would wait but there were some who wanted to go out into the world and be free of their father’s house. The younger son in this story was ready to be out on his own. He may have been 20 years old and felt that he was grown and ready to be his own boss. His older brother was the steady one of the two, and may have been much older. He knew his place and had no problem waiting for his inheritance. There is no mention of sisters but I am sure that if there were sisters… the part that would be their dowry was not considered the inheritance of the two brothers.
The verses also speak that the young son got his money and left the country and went to a faraway country. Maybe he went to Rome to live the high life of going to the games to watch others die or maybe he went to a place closer like Corinth. Corinth had a bad name in the ancient world. It was a port city with sailors and merchants coming and going. It was also known for it 100,000 prostitutes due to several temples in the area, and almost all those prostitutes were slaves most captured in battles by the Romans and sold throughout the empire. These slaves were of all ages and genders. A person could find whatever or whoever they wanted to have sex with in Corinth. Maybe this son heard of this city and thought how he would like to see it.
I think Jesus knew at this point he had the Pharisee’s attention. They understood this story. It spoke to them, and it speaks to us. The father’s heart was broken. He may have waited for months to hear from his son. Maybe those months rolled into years, and the father waited. Even one word that he is alive would have been a blessing, but young men often do not think about the needs of those who love them just to know they are safe. It will take the losses in life to make them understand that need. The older brother may have been happy to have his bratty younger brother out of his life and did not notice the grief of this father for this lost child.
The younger son was having a good time and then a famine hit the country he was living in at the time. We would see it as the stock market went down, and everything costs much more. So, it was with this young man. He ran out of money and because he had been raised to be a wealthy man’s son, he had no skills to earn a living. He could only find a job working on a pig farm. Now for the Pharisee who were all about the rules knew that this was a degradation since pigs were considered unclean animals. They knew how far this young man had fallen. IT is in this time of degradation that this son realized that in his father’s house he would at least have clean clothes and eat good food for even the men who worked for his father had this. The young man decided to walk home. It took time to walk home, and maybe he thought he would never make it home.
But his father had men always on the lookout for his son coming home because he never gave up on this child of his. When he was spotted, the father raced to his son’s side because he loved and missed him. As the younger son told his father how he had failed his father, the father spilled out his love for his son, but the older son heard the news and heard there was going to be a feast and was unhappy.
He probably stormed up to his father. “How can you do this, father? I have worked here faithfully and you have never thrown me a party. You have ignored all that I have done.” His father saw the pain in his older son who could not understand how he rejoiced. He told this son, “Look, all that is mine will be yours one day. Your brother was lost to us. He was as good as dead to us, but he has come home and is no longer dead to us nor lost to us. He has been found alive. I have missed him. His mother has missed him. Let us rejoice in the fact that he is home.”
Now what did the older brother do at that point? He may have refused to join in the celebrations. His father did not say, “Let this be a celebration about you also.” He made it clear that this was not a celebration for those who stay do not wander away. This is a celebration of who is lost and now found. Maybe the Pharisees did not like the ending of that story because when they questioned Jesus about why he hung out with the rift-raft they were showing their jealousy because we are better and should be the ones hearing you.
The prodigal son is a difficult parable, but is also a very simple tale of a father and his two sons. Jesus could have told the story simply from the younger son and the father, but he added the older son. I think his reason is that Jesus is trying to point out that just because a believer has always been faithful and never broke the big rules in life that they can also fall by the wayside in doing their duty day in and day out. The Prodigal Son realizes his mistake in not being with the father and knows he is lost and therefore understands more what he needs. The dutiful son does not understand this. He just sees that his father is being unjust to him.
Across time this story speaks to many of us. It speaks to those of us who like the Prodigal Son strayed. IT will speak to those of us who are the Dutiful Son but only if we listen to the undercurrent of the story. IT speaks of the Father’s love for all his children…those who wander and those who do not. He finds joy daily in the dutiful child but rejoices when that prodigal child returns home.
Prayer
Lord,
I am your Prodigal child returned. I understand your joy at my return to You. But as I grow older I also understand the heart of the Dutiful child. Sometimes we forget that your love is for us when we wander and when we return but it is also there always when we remain under your wings. Open my heart to rejoice more with you when one of your Prodigal children returns.
Ever in Christ’s Love,
MET
Part I
Jesus had told the crowd following him when a Pharisee asked him why he was speaking to the rift-raft of the society of that day and age which was tax collectors or more like thieves approved by the Roman Government and prostitutes and beggars. Jesus had told them the story of the lost coin, and somehow that did not connect. I mean most of the Pharisees were rich how could they relate to a poor widow who had lost a coin. He told the story about the lost sheep and again the Pharisees could not understand the story because they were studious men who had no idea what one sheep could mean to a shepherd. Jesus was probably frustrated by their reactions which is not recorded, but I understand. I remember so many times sitting down with a person that I needed them to understand how important it was to change their lives. It was my job as a foster care caseworker to do those things, but sometimes people were satisfied with their lives and did not want to change. They would look at me and I knew that I had not reached this person, and it made me sad because I knew if they did not change their lifestyles they were going to lose their children. Jesus probably realized that the Pharisees were not getting what he was trying to tell them that each person was valuable to God and to him. He needed them to understand this because if not their souls were in danger of being lost to them. Jesus told a third story, and it was one that they could understand. He told what we now call the Prodigal Son.
“11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his [a]wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 So he went and [b]hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the [c]pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17 But when he came to [d]his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and [e]in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he got up and came to [f]his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and [g]embraced him and kissed him. 21 And 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 slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never [h]neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your [i]wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you [j]have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’” Luke 15:11-32 NASB
Most of the Pharisees had families. They had children, and they had sons. This was a story they could understand. Maybe Jesus knew that the one who asked him a question had had a family like this where one son had gone astray, and maybe that son had not come home.
Parents today have a difficult time raising their children because outside influences are everywhere. Things were different for the parents of other eras, and so how can this story be for today like it was back then, but it was only different in all the ways that children today are hit with ideas and lifestyles all day every day, but there were challenges back in the Roman times. This may have been Israel but it was under the control of the Romans, and the Romans brought with them a lot of temptations mainly for sons because daughters did not have the freedom that sons had. Sometimes these sons were sent to learn Greek and Latin at schools far away from home so that their guiding parents could not keep them safe from harm of outside ideas. It was a turbulent time living under Roman rule.
The practices of that day and age was that a son could demand his inheritance prior to his father’s death. Most would wait but there were some who wanted to go out into the world and be free of their father’s house. The younger son in this story was ready to be out on his own. He may have been 20 years old and felt that he was grown and ready to be his own boss. His older brother was the steady one of the two, and may have been much older. He knew his place and had no problem waiting for his inheritance. There is no mention of sisters but I am sure that if there were sisters… the part that would be their dowry was not considered the inheritance of the two brothers.
The verses also speak that the young son got his money and left the country and went to a faraway country. Maybe he went to Rome to live the high life of going to the games to watch others die or maybe he went to a place closer like Corinth. Corinth had a bad name in the ancient world. It was a port city with sailors and merchants coming and going. It was also known for it 100,000 prostitutes due to several temples in the area, and almost all those prostitutes were slaves most captured in battles by the Romans and sold throughout the empire. These slaves were of all ages and genders. A person could find whatever or whoever they wanted to have sex with in Corinth. Maybe this son heard of this city and thought how he would like to see it.
I think Jesus knew at this point he had the Pharisee’s attention. They understood this story. It spoke to them, and it speaks to us. The father’s heart was broken. He may have waited for months to hear from his son. Maybe those months rolled into years, and the father waited. Even one word that he is alive would have been a blessing, but young men often do not think about the needs of those who love them just to know they are safe. It will take the losses in life to make them understand that need. The older brother may have been happy to have his bratty younger brother out of his life and did not notice the grief of this father for this lost child.
The younger son was having a good time and then a famine hit the country he was living in at the time. We would see it as the stock market went down, and everything costs much more. So, it was with this young man. He ran out of money and because he had been raised to be a wealthy man’s son, he had no skills to earn a living. He could only find a job working on a pig farm. Now for the Pharisee who were all about the rules knew that this was a degradation since pigs were considered unclean animals. They knew how far this young man had fallen. IT is in this time of degradation that this son realized that in his father’s house he would at least have clean clothes and eat good food for even the men who worked for his father had this. The young man decided to walk home. It took time to walk home, and maybe he thought he would never make it home.
But his father had men always on the lookout for his son coming home because he never gave up on this child of his. When he was spotted, the father raced to his son’s side because he loved and missed him. As the younger son told his father how he had failed his father, the father spilled out his love for his son, but the older son heard the news and heard there was going to be a feast and was unhappy.
He probably stormed up to his father. “How can you do this, father? I have worked here faithfully and you have never thrown me a party. You have ignored all that I have done.” His father saw the pain in his older son who could not understand how he rejoiced. He told this son, “Look, all that is mine will be yours one day. Your brother was lost to us. He was as good as dead to us, but he has come home and is no longer dead to us nor lost to us. He has been found alive. I have missed him. His mother has missed him. Let us rejoice in the fact that he is home.”
Now what did the older brother do at that point? He may have refused to join in the celebrations. His father did not say, “Let this be a celebration about you also.” He made it clear that this was not a celebration for those who stay do not wander away. This is a celebration of who is lost and now found. Maybe the Pharisees did not like the ending of that story because when they questioned Jesus about why he hung out with the rift-raft they were showing their jealousy because we are better and should be the ones hearing you.
The prodigal son is a difficult parable, but is also a very simple tale of a father and his two sons. Jesus could have told the story simply from the younger son and the father, but he added the older son. I think his reason is that Jesus is trying to point out that just because a believer has always been faithful and never broke the big rules in life that they can also fall by the wayside in doing their duty day in and day out. The Prodigal Son realizes his mistake in not being with the father and knows he is lost and therefore understands more what he needs. The dutiful son does not understand this. He just sees that his father is being unjust to him.
Across time this story speaks to many of us. It speaks to those of us who like the Prodigal Son strayed. IT will speak to those of us who are the Dutiful Son but only if we listen to the undercurrent of the story. IT speaks of the Father’s love for all his children…those who wander and those who do not. He finds joy daily in the dutiful child but rejoices when that prodigal child returns home.
Prayer
Lord,
I am your Prodigal child returned. I understand your joy at my return to You. But as I grow older I also understand the heart of the Dutiful child. Sometimes we forget that your love is for us when we wander and when we return but it is also there always when we remain under your wings. Open my heart to rejoice more with you when one of your Prodigal children returns.
Ever in Christ’s Love,
MET