The Parable of the Lost Son Found has been called the greatest short story in the world. Barclay suggests we call it the "Parable of the Loving Father." (Barclay, DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES, LUKE, pp. 211 ff.). It has also been called the Parable of the Prodigal Son, The Parable of the Lost Son (New International Version), The Parable of the Two Sons [WESLEYAN BIBLE COMMENTARY, LUKE, by Ralph Earle, p. 294), and The Son Who Came Home Again [Ralph G. Turnbull, Gen.. ed., PROCLAIMING THE NEW TESTAMENT (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1961), THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, by Ralph Earle, ThD, p. 67]. The various titles represent different perspectives on the parable.
This parable is found only in Luke 15:11-32.
The Story
Jesus continued: "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. After he had spent 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.
"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! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.
"But while he was still a long 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.
"The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
"But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. `Your brother has come,’ he replied, `and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But 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. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
"`My son,’ the father said `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’" (Luke 15:11-32, New Inter-national Version).
Under Jewish Law, the eldest son received two-thirds of his father’s estate, the youngest son, one-third (Deuteronomy 21:17). The father could distribute his estate before he died. The hired servants were day laborers, the lowest rank of slaves who could be dismissed at a day’s notice. The ordinary slave was in some sense a member of the family. (Barclay, DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES, LUKE, pp. 211 ff.).
Earle gives an excellent outline of this touching story:
1. POSSESSOR (VV. 11-12). The father divided his inheritance between his two sons. The elder son received
twice as much, probably because he was obligated to care for his widowed mother.
2. PRODIGAL (V. 13). The younger son left his home and went to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance in
wild living. He went "hog wild." He was soon to live with the hogs!
3. PAUPER (VV. 14-16). After the younger son went broke, a severe famine came to the area. He finally took a job feeding pigs. Pigs were nonkosher animals and this was a demeaning and embarrassing job for him. He was so hungry that he would have eaten the carob pods that he was feeding the pigs. No one offered him any food or help.
4. PENITENT (VV. 17-19). In his moral and physical degradation, the Bible says, "He came to himself." An
objective assessment of himself and his condition gripped him. He then determined to return to his father and ask forgiveness, and ask for a job as a day laborer. So, he left and returned to his father.
5. PARDONED (VV. 20-24). His father saw him coming from a distance and ran to meet him. He joyfully welcomed him as his own son. His son confessed that he had sinned against God and against his father, and since he had disgraced his father, he was no longer worthy to be his son. The father had his son’s rags replaced with the best robe. He placed a ring on his finger—probably the family signet ring which gave him authority to do business in his father’s name. He was given shoes—slaves may not have shoes, but children did. The father ordered a choice calf (probably a penned and fed animal for superior taste) to be prepared for a feast. (Turnbull, Gen. ed., PROCLAIMING THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, by Ralph Earle, pp. 69-70). (WESLEYAN BIBLE COMMENTARY, LUKE, by Ralph Earle, pp. 294 ff.).
Notice that the father did not merely forgive his son, but he reinstated him to full sonship.
The elder son became angry that his father had received his lost son with such joy. He complained that he had worked hard and slavishly for his father. He had been faithful whereas his younger brother had wasted his father’s property on prostitutes.
The father replied to his oldest son that every thing that he owned belonged to his eldest son. Now was the time for rejoicing—"Your younger brother is alive and not dead, he was lost but is now found."
The Interpretation
Someone encapsulated this parable as, He went to the dogsand ate with the hogs.Now homeward he jogs!
This humorous look at the Parable of the Lost Son Found really puts it in a nutshell. But what a picture of the amazing grace of God that Jesus paints with words!
The characters and symbols of the story and the persons and things that they represent in reality are:
1. The father Our Heavenly Father
2. The younger son All of us
3. The elder son Specifically, the religious leaders of the day who criticized Jesus. It would include all their kind today as well.
4. He came to Holy Spirit conviction of our need himself for forgiveness and salvation.
5. The robe Christ’s righteousness.
6. The ring The authority Christ gives us.
7. The shoes Sonship (includes both genders).
This story is a story of the life Christ has given us. All of us have sinned against our Heavenly Father and wasted our talents. When we come to our senses by the aid of the Holy Spirit, and receive Christ, we are fully reconciled with our Heavenly Father. We were blinded by rationalizations that allowed us to wallow in the "pig pen" of this world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Sin is moral insanity—the mind continues to function, but one’s character is degraded and immoral actions follow that are self-destructive. When we are restored to moral sanity, we return to our Heavenly Father.
Not only does God forgive us, but he gives us the robe of Christ’s righteousness. The Father views us as having the right standing with himself that Christ does. The rags of self-righteousness and sin are replaced with the garment of Christ’s righteousness.
The Father places his ring of authority on our finger.
We now can "be about our Father’s business." We are led by the Holy Spirit who now lives within us to help extend the kingdom of God within the hearts of people. Christ gives us the authority to do the works that he did while on earth.
The Father gives us the shoes of sonship. We are his sons and daughters. We are no longer slaves to Satan and sinful habits such as drugs, lying, sexual immorality, etc.
We are brought to a banquet of joy. All the fruits of the Spirit are given to us. We are brought into fellowship with other sons and daughters of our Father. Greatest of all, we have fellowship with our Father. Once we were dead, but now we are alive. Once we were lost, but now we are found!
Central Truth
GOD LOVES THE SINNER.
Conclusion
This is the story of the redeemed. I was moved to tears at the grace of God to me as I wrote the material in the story above. God’s love for us is past understanding.
How can any Christian be like the elder son—devoid of love and compassion? If we are truly sons and daughters of God, we must partake of his love nature. His love in our hearts evaporates a harsh, judgmental attitude towards the lost.
Let us demonstrate our love for sinners by bringing them to the Savior.
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