The Parable of the Prodigal Son
The parable of the Prodigal Son is a wonderful lesson helps teach children about the love of a forgiving Heavenly Father who forgives us when we do things that are wrong. This parable explains grace and mercy in our lives. This parable also helps us to help us understand that no matter what we do or do not do we can always return to the LORD.
Luke 15:11-32
This parable that Jesus told begins by telling us there was a certain man who had two sons. The younger son asked his father to give him the portion of goods that belongs to him. The father divided the wealth between the two sons.
The younger son gathered all his belongings together and took a journey into a far country. He went away from the teachings of the father and into country that did not have any kind of rules. It was there that the younger son wasted his portion of goods that his father had given him by living a recklessly wastefully lifestyle.
The younger son wanted to live the kind of life that his father would never approve of. He wanted to be naughty. He wanted to fit in to the life style of the other country. He wanted to drink and have parties and gamble and chase after women. He wanted to live a riotous life.
When the younger son had spent all that he had there came a mighty famine in that land. The younger son started to want for food and a place to live and a nice warm fireplace. But he had spent all his money.
The younger son went and lived with one of the people from that country. That person sent him into his fields to feed the swine. The poor younger son was so hungry his stomach hurt for need of food.
The Bible tells us that he ate the “husks” that the swine ate because no one would give him any food. The “husks” is a name of the fruit, Ceratonia silqua or carob tree. This fruit was shaped like a horn and has a sweet taste; it was and is used not only for fattening swine, but as an article of food by the lower classes.
The younger son was eating the food that the pigs eat and was thinking how many hired servants his father had and they always had enough bread to eat and here he was perishing with hunger.
The younger son decided he would arise and go to his father, and will say unto him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you. And am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired servants.” That is exactly what he did.
And the younger son arose, and came to his father. When he was still a great way from his father’s home his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and hugged his neck, and kissed him. Oh what a reunion they had.
The father said to his servants, to bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. Then the father killed the fatted calf that was saved for a special guest. The father wanted everyone to eat and be happy because his son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.
And they began to be merry. The oldest son had been in the field and heard the music and dancing and asked one of the servants what was happening. When he found out his brother had come home and his father was honoring him he became angry and refused to go in and honor his brother.
When the father came out to see his oldest son and beg him to come join in the celebration of his brothers return. The oldest son said that the whole time his brother was gone he had not sinned against his father and at all time did everything he was asked to do. Yet the father never made a party for him.
The oldest son was angry because his brother had spent all his inheritance on the kind of life that his father would never approve of. He spent all his inheritance on drinking and harlots he lived a riotous life. Now he has a party made by the father.
The father told his oldest son that he will forever be with him, and all that he has belongs to the oldest son. It was right and proper that they should make merry and be glad because your brother was dead, and is alive again, and was lost and is now found.
What Can This Lesson Teach Us?
There are a lot of issues to look at in this story. First is to see that the father is this story is like our Heavenly Father. Since Jesus is telling this parable to the publicans and sinners. Publicans are like the tax collectors they were considered as being greedy and deceptive. They were detested by the Jews and other nations. This parable is to help us understand that no matter what we do or do not do we can always return to the LORD.
The youngest son in this parable represents all of those people who have been called by our Heavenly Father, the LORD God, and for whatever reason they chose to turn to the worldly life instead of following His teachings. The repented at the end of the parable and was sorry he had been disobedient to his father.
Just like the father in the parable our Father God has unconditional love for His children. Just like the young son who did not deserve being accepted back into the family, he received “grace”. Just as we receive “grace” from our Heavenly Father we do wrong and sin against our LORD.
The young son received “mercy” from his father that is withholding what the son actually deserved. We have such a wonderful loving Heavenly Father who forgives us when we do things that are wrong. All we have to do is to ask for forgiveness and then repent. Repent means to change the wrong that we had done and keep doing the things that we are taught to do. We are so blessed to be part of the family of the LORD God.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “The Parable of the Prodigal Son:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1908,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) “The Parable of the Prodigal Son:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1908,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “The Parable of the Prodigal Son:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1908, (accessed).
