Storytime With Jesus: The Prodigal Son

Rebellious Kids

Today’s topic is something almost universal to human experience.

Did any of you raise rebellious kids? Were any of YOU the rebellious kids? Young people seem to have within them an innate drive to experience everything Mom and Dad are keeping away from them. Because that situation is so common – to many of us who were the wild ones who went out, and to many others who were parents of the wild ones who went out – this story Jesus tells about the wild one who went out resonates with many, many people. In fact, it may be the most famous of all the parables.

A few weeks ago we began a new series highlighting the parables Jesus taught. We began in Luke 15 with the parable of the lost sheep, focusing on the shepherd who went out in search of the sheep to bring it home. Luke 15 actually contains three parables about lostness, and today we will look at the third one. It is similar to the previous two, but is much longer and more developed with more nuance for us to dig into. It is the parable of the lost son, better known as the prodigal son.

I looked through a number of Bible translations, and all the newer ones use the title “Parable of the Lost Son.” I’m sure this is because most people, including me, are no longer familiar with the meaning of the word “prodigal.” (“Prodigal” denotes a person who spends money in a recklessly extravagant way.)I always thought this story had to do with running away and leaving. Now I know better.

This parable has three characters, so we learn about a lot more than just the experiences of the prodigal son. The responses of the father and the elder brother also give insight into God’s heart and the hearts of prideful sinners. We lean about rebellion, repentance, restoration, self-righteousness, and resentment.

The Setup

Luke 15:11-12 – 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.”

The younger child was asking for his third of everything the father owned – while the father was still alive! This was not normal procedure!

When my grandma was alive, her kids and some of her grandkids (my cousins) started putting their names on tape and putting the tapes on items in the house. It was a bit off-putting to see people claiming her stuff ten years before she ever passed away!

This child in the parable wanted unfettered control of his own wealth. He wanted to be free from the confines of working the family farm. He wanted to be his own man! It’s a bit surprising that the father simply does what the child asks. One way or another, he divides his property and gives away items of value (or perhaps money) equal to the value of a third of his belongings.

Rebellion and the Result

Luke 15:13-16 – ^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.”

Son goes off and squanders his money. This is where the “prodigal” title comes from. “Wild living!” Without needing to give any specifics, I think we can imagine what this means. I don’t know about you, but I picture Las Vegas – like this kid took a wad of cash to Vegas and started tossing it around at casinos and strip clubs. He bought a fancy donkey and trendy robes.

OK – maybe not. But regardless of how we imagine the money was all spent, we see the picture of somebody trying to experience everything life has to offer – and life sucks him dry, leaving him with the pigs, wishing he could eat their food.

I doubt any of you have ever wished you could fill your stomach with pig food, but I’m guessing many of you can relate a bit to this “wild living.” There’s an old phrase “sowing your wild oats” – which is basically accepted as normal behavior. Young adults leave home and live irresponsibly, looking out only for their own selfish ambitions.

And guess where that leaves most people? At the bottom. This is one of Satan’s most popular traps. “Hey, young person – your parents . . . your family . . . your church . . . are all withholding the best parts of life from you. There is something out there so much better and more exciting that can fill your soul. The grass is greener on the other side; you just need to go find it.”

Young people across cultures often leave home in search of their happiness, and they often experience the same thing: drunken weekends, meaningless sex with strangers, perhaps numbing out with drugs or blowing money gambling with the hopes of winning big. It’s a pursuit of something “out there” that is better than what they already know.

But here is what older adults know: there is nothing better “out there.” There are illusions of happiness and grandeur. There are television images of a life we think we could only dream of, but it’s all make-believe.  Weekend parties and hookups just lead to loneliness and an empty wallet. This is why this parable resonates with so many people.

Repentance and Return

Luke 15:17-20 – ¹⁷“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants 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 your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰So he got up and went to his father.”

Son comes to his senses and returns. This is his rock-bottom moment when he finally gains clarity. He sees that life out there isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and life back home was actually steady and plentiful. He decides to return.

However, he also knows he did some relational damage, so he is already preparing what he will say. Does this sound familiar? Did any of you ever, as teenagers, go out and exercise some bad decisions and then, on your way home, practice what you were going to tell your parents?

More than just an apology is needed. This prodigal believes his leaving has cost him his sonship, and now he will have to work as a servant. Even that would be better than what the world had to offer him, and so he swallows his pride and begins his long trek him.

In my early twenties I lived a story not too dissimilar to the prodigal. I didn’t blow through my money, but I found the emptiness the world had to offer. I was raised in a home that gave me everything I could have wanted, but I believed there was something much more exciting out there for me to discover. There wasn’t. I didn’t have a single moment of clarity when I decided to go home to my parents, but I did have a series of moments that slowly led me back to a lifestyle that lined up with the one I was raised with – including a return to God.

Think about your story. When was your moment that you (or maybe your child) recognized that what you were doing wasn’t working and you finally decided to turn around and head “home”?

It’s interesting that in many, many stories this moment comes when the person feels he or she is at the bottom and has proven to be a total failure. People like this feel they are unique in coming to such a place of despair, but that was the Devil’s goal from the time he held out the lie! Also, it is the exact moment at which God is waiting to meet people.

Received and Restored

Luke 15:20-24 – “²⁰But 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. 

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 it 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.”

The father sees and runs and throws a party! Obviously, this father figure stands for God Himself. See how he spares no expense on this child who returns home.

Tim Keller wrote a book called “The Prodigal God” about this parable. I think that fits. In the parable, the father recklessly spends his money on restoring this son who has committed such a grave offense against him. In the same way, God pours out immeasurable grace on our lives for no reason we can earn. The extravagance He offers to us is outrageous to people who don’t understand God’s heart.

Look at this unexpected reception from the prodigal’s perspective. He expects to be met with bitterness, and he hopes to work as a servant. Instead, he is met with unconditional love and is given items of sonship and value: the ring, the robe, and a celebration in his honor.

Everything the father does is rooted in grace. He didn’t have to offer all this to the child who made such a miserable mess. Yet it’s in the father’s character. He is overjoyed to have his son back with him – that’s all that matters!

Verse 24 is the key here: For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. Just like the story of the lost sheep, there is celebration when the lost son is found, but this adds a new dynamic: he calls this son of his “dead.” That’s how it feels when you think you may never see a loved one again. The relationship is destroyed.

When we look at this reception and restoration from a spiritual standpoint we see, first, that since this is a parable it doesn’t get into every nitty-gritty detail. It does demonstrate that this son had a level of humble repentance. He knew he sinned; he knew he needed help; and he went to the one who could save him.

This also paints the glorious picture of God, who is ready to receive us back into the family of faith after so many of us walk away. He is watching the horizon, just waiting for us to come to our senses and return HOME; and when we do, we need not grovel and beg for mercy. No matter what you have done, He will open the floodgates of Heaven for you.

Self-Righteous and Resentful

Luke 15:25-30 – 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!’’”

Not everybody is excited about the prodigal’s return home! Now we’ve met the elder son, who resents what his brother did and refuses to join the celebration.

In this parable Jesus shows us the heart of the self-righteous – those who don’t think they need the grace of the father, but who think, instead, that they DESERVE the blessing of the father for all their hard work.

We see also that this son is in broken relationships with his father and brother and has no interest in reconciling. His words “this son of yours” point to his unwillingness to receive his brother back into his position in the family.

Talk about a contrast! The father unexpectedly welcomes the prodigal with open arms, while the elder brother does what the prodical expects. He is cold, resentful, and unwilling to receive him.

In this parable, who do you think Jesus is calling out as the “elder sons”? All of Luke 15 is in response to the grumbling Jesus hears from the Pharisees because He is willing to sit with sinners and tax collectors. I think it’s clear that Jesus wanted the Pharisees and religious leaders to see themselves as the elder brother who is none too pleased that sinners are coming home to God!

But who are the elder brothers today? I think there is still a contingent of Christians who have been raised in the church their whole lives and expect “new people” who come to the church to do everything right from their first appearance: behave right, dress right, and talk right. Otherwise, they don’t belong. Praise God I don’t see that from you people in this church, but it is a common issue in other churches. It causes the prodigals who are returning to feel judged and rejected – the very opposite of how God feels about them.

Rejoice over Revival

Luke 15:31-32 – 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.’ ” 

Notice how this phrase is repeated again. This is the clear point Jesus wants to drive home, and it is a fitting conclusion to this whole chapter about lostness and God’s heart for everyone to be found – even the self-righteous who don’t think they were ever lost.

Who Are You?

We’ve all been the prodigal to varying degrees.

I’ve briefly shared my story about looking for fun in all the wrong places. Maybe your story is less exciting than this story Jesus shared – no drugs or prostitutes – but maybe you had your moment of rebellion and looking for something MORE, apart from God.

Maybe you are the prodigal right now. Perhaps you are in a situation that feels bleak and is not at all where you thought you would end up. And maybe God brought you to church this morning or had you click on this message online because He is calling you to come to your senses, repent, turn to Him, and come home to Him.

We’ve all been the elder brother.

The elder brother gives off “you’re not part of us” vibes. We all can get judgy. We’ve all heard terrible stories of what happened at OTHER churches. Many of us have been on the receiving end of a bad brother attitude. I’ve heard of people extremely excited to reconnect with God who bravely attended church for the first time but were instantly met with judgment for not dressing right or for being covered in tattoos. We MUST understand: none of that matters to the Father! Therefore it can’t matter with us.

If you struggle with seeing people in church who you feel don’t behave right, dress right, or talk right, you need to repent of your self-righteous attitude. You were saved by grace, and God’s same grace is doing a work in other people. Join the rejoicing and trust God with their process.

Baptism is a Celebration of Death to Life

There is one time we as Christians celebrate people turning back to God: at baptisms. Baptism is a picture of dying to our sins and being raised to newness of life in God, just as the “lost son” in this parable comes back from “death.”

If you have never been baptized, maybe that’s your next step. Perhaps you have turned from your former life and joined the family of God. If so, He wants to celebrate this spiritual change in your life through your commitment to being baptized. If so, let me know.

Conclusion

Here are the three takeaways from the parable of the prodigal son.

• God is a prodigal God. His love for you is extravagant. From a human perspective He appears to be reckless in how He showers those who have abandoned Him with His abundant love.
• You have never strayed, and never can stray too far from God. No matter where you are or what you’ve done, you can always “come to your senses” and turn back to God.
• All of us who are part of God’s family should rejoice every time we see a sinner come home. Since God’s grace is available to them, so must ours be.