Parables of Jesus—
The Parable of the Lost Son
By Joyce Webb 2008
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
Jesus told stories so people could understand things about heaven.
Parable of the Lost Son
Luke 15:11-32
A man had two sons. The younger son came to his father and said, “Give me my inheritance now.” An inheritance is the money that the father leaves to his children after the father dies.
The younger son did not want to wait until his father died to get the money that would be his. He wanted his money now.
So the father gave him the money that would come to him.
The young son left home and went far away into a city. He had a happy time with drinking, having friends, having women, and spending money on whatever he wanted.
Finally, he spent all of the money. His friends all left him because he did not have money to spend on them any more.
The son was all alone. He had no money. He had no friends.
He was far from home.
He found a job feeding pigs. The Jewish people did not eat pig meat.
Long ago in the Old Testament they were told not to eat pig meat. The pig was thought to be a dirty animal.
So for a Jewish son to be feeding pigs as a job was very low.
It would be the worse job.
One day while the son was feeding the pigs, he was so hungry he ate some of the food that was for the pigs.
He sat thinking about his life. Here he was in a pig pen eating food for the pigs. He had spent all his money t hat was to have been used for his future to make a home and have a farm.
He began to see how foolish he had been. Then he thought about his home. At home the servants had a bed and food. He had nothing.
He thought “I would do better to go home and become a servant
on my father’s farm.”
So he got up and started to walk to his home. It was long way, so it took him a long time.
One day as he was getting near his home, he could see the house.
His father was there looking down the road. His father had been waiting day after day, week after week, waiting and hoping his son would come back home.
The father saw the son coming—while the son was still far down the road—the father ran to meet the son with his arms wide open to hug him.
The father hugged the son. The son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven (God) and I have sinned against you. I am not worthy to be called your son. Just make me a servant.”
The father was so happy to have him back. He told the servants to bring a robe (coat), he put a ring on the son’s finger, and shoes on his feet.
The father told the servants to killed a fat calf and make a big dinner.
The father said, “This my son was “dead“, and is alive again; he was lost and now he is found.”
(The son was not really dead–except that it was like he was dead because the father had missed him and did not know what had happened to him.)
So the father had a big dinner and a party and wanted everyone to be happy with him because his lost son was home again.
The older brother saw all that happened and saw how the father forgave the younger son so quickly.
This made the older brother very angry. The older brother had stayed at home and worked on the farm. He did what he was supposed to do.
He did not sin and do bad things. He had not spent all his money on foolish living. He could not forgive his younger brother so quickly. He thought his younger brother should have some punishment for being so foolish.
The older brother would not go into the party. The father tried to get the older brother to come in and be happy. The father said, “You should not be angry. You should be happy that your brother had finally understood how foolish he was and is now back home doing what is right. Do not be angry. Forgive him.”
The older brother said, “All these years I have stayed home and done what was right. I did not live a sinful life. I worked and saved my money. I did not have parties and waste money. You never even gave me a goat for all my faithful work.”
The father said, “ You are with me always. You work beside me and do what is right. You could have a party with as much meat as you wanted.
All that I have, you could use and enjoy. But today, it is a day to forgive someone who did wrong and now wants to do right.”
Jesus was trying to show the people how much God cares about the person who turns to sinful living and goes his own way.
That person is very foolish. He will lose everything. He will end up in a low dirty place with no respect or honor.
That person needs to see how bad things are for him. He needs to see that if he goes back to God, the father, that his life could turn around and be better.
That person needs to understand that God is waiting and looking—just like the father in the story. God is waiting for the sinner to turn to God.
God is not like the older brother. The older brother would put his hands on his hips and say, “It is about time you got some sense. You can wash dishes and clean the floors and clean the barn for the next 3 years for being so foolish. I stayed here and was a good person, living right all that time. I should be treated with a party.”
God is like the father in the story. He is so happy when the sinner comes to Him. He gives him a hug. He gives him a welcome home. He blesses his life with good things. He is forgiven and immediately belongs to the family (not a servant), but a son again.
Some Christians who have been faithful to God and not lived foolishly and sinned, have a hard time forgiving others. They see people who have been very bad sinners come to Jesus. Then God blesses them with money, family, and a ministry and many good things.
The people who have been Christians for a long time and have worked for Jesus are still having money problems, they still do not have much ministry. They do not see God giving them all those same blessings. They have troubles and sickness and problems to learn to live through. They feel angry that the person who was such a sinner could be forgiven and blessed with so much so quickly.
God would say to these Christians, “You are always with me. You walk with Me everyday. All that I have you could use and enjoy. Don’t be angry about my blessings on the forgiven sinner. Forgive the sinner, be happy he has come to God.”