Luke 15v11-32, The Prodigal Son

In the parable of the Prodigal Son we are introduced to a farming family, a father and his two sons. The younger son decides to take his share of the property (about one third) and make his own way in the wide world of sex, drugs, rock-n-roll! The wayward son, now starving, has to undertake a job as a pig handler. He is so down on his luck he is willing to eat the pig slops to survive. He soon recognizes his sin, both against heaven/God and against his father.

The father welcomes his wayward son back into the family. The parable is not saying the father is, or represents, God, but the situation does illustrate the way God treats a repentant sinner. The father now rejoices because the "dead" son is "alive". The Jews called the ungodly "dead", but in the New Testament it applies to those who have not responded to the kingdom message (the gospel) and who therefore cannot share in the resurrection-life of Christ.

The elder brother's reaction is very bitter. He claims his father hasn't even given him a "young goat", a fairly worthless animal. Like the wayward son, the stay-at-home son is also lost, lost in himself.

In describing his wayward brother, the elder son calls him "this son of yours." His father describes him as "this brother of yours" - an interesting twist.

Irrespective of the elder brother's tantrum, the father does not withdraw his love from either son.

Repentance and forgiveness bring fellowship and joy, but sadly, to only one son.

The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of those stories which has a locked-in interpretation. The parable is often used to teach the truth that God welcomes the repentant sinner. The story of a loving, forgiving, accepting father, illustrates the way God treats those who turn to him for mercy. Indeed, this idea has a central place in the parable, but there is more.

As verses 1 and 2 show, the parable addresses the muttering of the Pharisees who cannot accept the way Jesus "welcomes sinners and eats with them." In the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin, Jesus makes the point that God joyously accepts those who come to him in repentance. In fact, he actively seeks after them and rejoices "over one sinner who repents." Jesus then goes on to tell the parable of the Prodigal Son so as to illustrate the way people respond to God's grace, his unlimited loving kindness. The wayward son repents and enters in to his father's joyous acceptance, but the righteous son stays aloof and so fails to experience his father's love.

So, some argue that the Parable is all about the elder son (the Pharisee, the self-righteous, rather than the younger prodigal son. It could be teaching us to accept the lost brother, the new convert, but rarely does a congregation not welcome a new convert. Some argue that it's all about welcoming the outcast, the poor, the oppressed within society and in the third world. For some the parable is all about forgiving and accepting a brother who has gone astray and may have hurt us in the process. 

In truth, this parable is all about the two sons. One son lost to his father in body, the other lost to his father in mind. Both had free access to the father's unlimited bounty, both needed to rely wholly on his kindness, but only one chose to do so, and this the worthless son. Reliance on the free grace of God in Jesus Christ is the only means of accessing the fullness of his promised blessings.  The rewards of eternity are wholly on the basis of God's freely given grace.

Lent 5 10th March 2013 Luke 15v11-32 The Prodigal Son

The Scribes and Pharisees grumble because Jesus is eating with sinners, in other words the ordinary people the hamarez the people of the land. Tax collectors were seen as collaborators with the Romans, while the term "sinners" was used for those who do not keep the Levitical law ie most people.

This is a story of a man who lost both sons. Although the selfishness of the older brother is less obvious than the younger son, he could not empathise with his father's joys and sorrows. So here is a story of two lost sons. Only one is found and experiences the father's joy.

 

A younger son said to his father give me my share of the estate so he divided the property. It would be unusual to divide an estate between the sons before the father's death, but it is only a story. It is, of course, possible that the son is taking a share of the family property (one third) and so foregoing his inheritance. The parable illustrates the father's generosity and leaves us wondering whether the younger son will show himself worthy of the father's trust. The root meaning of property is life, but here the word is being used in the sense of means of family income, that which gives life to the family.

After a few days later the younger son went on a journey to a distant country.  He squandered his inheritence in wild, reckless, and loose living. After he had spent everything he began to needy so he hired himself out to feed pigs. To fill his stomach, he ate pods possibly St. John's Bread, a sweet meal, but with little nourishment, or the wild carob, bitter with even less nourishment. These were used for famine food, or possibly corn cobs. No one gave him anything. When he came to his senses and had no food he decided to return to his father. 

 

So he got up and went home. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion and he ran, threw his arms around him and hugged him. He put on him the best robe, possibly the son's former robe or one of the father's robes, or a robe kept for an honored guest- a ring, possibly the father's signet ring, but at least a ring whereby the father bestows authority on his wayward son, sandals. The mention of sandals is somewhat strange, but, given that servants tend not to wear anything on their feet, the parable is probably making the point that the father is not treating his son as a servant. The fattened calf was killed. Meat was only prepared for extremely important (usually religious) occasions. This is about preparing a banquet in celebration for the lost son's return to the family. 

Meanwhile his older brother in the fields when he came near to the house on his way home, heard music and dancing. So he called one of the workers he asked what the commotion was all about. They told him and the brother got very angry. He is angry with the father welcoming back his waistral son, and possibly that he is about to commit usufruct, so the property that belongs to the older son is given to the younger son. He refused to go in so his father went out and pleaded with him to share the joy of his brother's restoration.

 

The elder brother is offended by the fuss made of the wayward brother, particularly as the elder brother regards himself as a faithful son and yet his father never gave him a feast and speaks of "this son of yours" - The language distances the elder brother from his brother who in his opinion is beyond redemption.

The father calls his son - my child. The words here describe an affectionate, but offended response by the father. How could the elder son think that mercy toward the wayward son has in any way affected the standing of the elder son? The father said "You are always with me. Everything I have is yours - everything of mine is yours". The elder brother's status is unchanged by the father's welcome of the wayward son. I thought your brother was dead - and he's alive. I thought he was lost - and he is found.

In Luke 15 the theme is lostness. The first two parables teach that being lost and found makes God very happy. In the third parable, the parable of the Lost Son or the Prodigal Son, Jesus makes the same point, but in this parable the focus shifts from the tax collectors and sinners to the Pharisees and scribes, those who have, for all these years been working like a slave for you, and never disobeyed your command-its about a heart attitude. The parable invites the religious not to be self satisfied but preoccupied by those who are lost and return to the fold.

We all have been given an inheritance, our faith is an inheritance and as God's people  we  can squander it; our society has been given an inheritance and we can end up selling off the silver or treat it wisely as one who has been entrusted with sacred things to pass on to our children and grandchildren. We need to choose wisely.