3 Powerful Lessons in The Parable of the Prodigal Son
The story of the prodigal son is perhaps the most famous parable that Jesus told during His earthly ministry. In the story, the Father represents God, the prodigal son represents sinners, and the older brother represents the Pharisees (religious leaders of the day).
Jesus tells this great parable to help us understand more about who God is as a loving Father and how He relates to us as His children.
THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON SUMMARY
Here is the way Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32…
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
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. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
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! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 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.
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. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So 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. 29 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. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 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.’ ”
POWERFUL LESSONS FROM THE PRODIGAL SON STORY
Lesson #1: GOD ALLOWS US TO PURSUE LIFE OUTSIDE OF HIM
When the younger son approaches his Father and asks for his share of the estate, he was basically saying, “Dad, you are dead to me! I want your stuff, but I don’t want you!” And the Father lets him have it and go his own way.
God knows that there is no real, significant, or fulfilling life found outside of a relationship with Him, but He will let us go chase after it anyway. Why?
Because His hope is that we will see it for ourselves. Jesus tells us that He came to give us abundant life in John 10:10. He even tells us that He is the Life in John 11:25 and John 14:6, but God knows that some of us will only figure this out from experience.
He will let us chase after whatever we think is going to satisfy us so that when it disappoints (and it always disappoints), we will turn back to Him to experience the abundant Life that can only be found in a relationship with Him.
Lesson #2: NO APOLOGY OR DEMOTION NECESSARY FOR RESTORATION
When the younger brother comes back home, his plan is to fall on his face before his father, beg for forgiveness, and take the role of a hired worker.
He is not expecting to be restored to the family. He knows that he has gone too far and sinned too much for that. He plans on just asking his father to hire him out as needed.
But before he can ever apologize, beg for forgiveness, or present his plan, the father runs to him, hugs him, and kisses him. Wealthy landowners didn’t run in this culture. It was undignified, but apparently, this father didn’t care. He ran to his son and welcomed him back into the family as is.
The son cannot handle the unconditional love; however, he tries to get his apology out and demand that he just take the role of a hired servant (Luke 15:21). The father just cuts off his speech though, and throws a big party for him!
A lot of popular Christian teaching today will try to tell you that God requires confession, a deep heartfelt apology, and a commitment to do things differently before you can be restored back into fellowship with Him.
We don’t see that here in the story of the prodigal son. Jesus tells a parable about God where He doesn’t even let this sinner apologize before He shows him that he is still part of the family.
Jesus took your sin to the cross. It’s been dealt with. You will feel bad about choosing to sin, but God wants you to know that you and He are ok.
Your status in the family has not been lost.
Once you are a son, you are always a son.
LESSON #3: SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS PREVENTS US FROM BEING A GRACE-GIVER
When the older brother heard what was going on, he was furious with his father. He tried to justify how much more he deserved over and above his younger brother.
That’s the thing with religion. Religion is about you. It’s about self. It’s a focus on what you are doing compared to others and justification of what you should get compared to them.
We get angry when “sinners” get blessed in some way by God and demand that we deserve more than they do because of our behavior and actions.
This self-righteous attitude keeps us from an intimate relationship with God. We view our relationship more like a transactional relationship.
But it doesn’t just affect our relationship with God, it prevents us from also being a grace-giver towards others.
The older brother could not bring himself to extend grace to his younger brother in the same way that their father was doing. He was angry. He was bitter. He was judgmental.
The same will be true of us if we pursue religion. We will not be able to give grace and celebrate with those who find Life in Christ until we realize that our own Life comes from Christ and is given to us by grace as well.
MAIN MESSAGE OF THE PRODIGAL SON
You are not defined by your past mistakes nor by your moralistic behavior.
The parable of the prodigal son shows us that you are defined by God’s grace and what He gifts to you as a part of His family.
Trust in Jesus and walk with Him by faith.