If you grew up in church, like me, chances are you are very familiar with the parable Jesus told in Luke chapter 15 about the prodigal son. For many, this story is a beautiful illustration of God’s love for sinners, his grace, and forgiveness for a wayward child returning home. And while it is that, there are so many more rich layers to this short but beautifully complex story.
If you are not familiar with this story, welcome! I’m so glad you are here and it’s my joy to share with you my very favorite of Jesus’ parables! In this post, we’ll focus on the younger son and what we can learn specifically from him, whether we’ve grown up in church or not.
The story of the Prodigal Son: Overview
In Luke 15:11 Jesus tells the story of a man who had two sons. The younger son asks for his share of the inheriance early, then leaves home and squaders all he has on wild and sinful living. When he had spent everything he had, a famime came upon the land and the son found himself in poverty. He found a job feeding pigs for one of the locals, but when he found himself so starving that he actually envied the slop the pigs were eating, he realized that even the servants in his father’s house lived better than this. He decided to return home and ask his father’s forgiveness, and beg for a low position among the servants.
When he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming, ran to him, threw his arms around him and rejoiced at his return. He had his servants prepare a feast and dress his son in his finest robes and threw a massive celebration.
When the older son came in from the field and heard the party, he learned from a servant that his younger brother had returned. Angry, he stayed outside and refused to join the party. But his father went out after him and pleaded with him to come in. The older son said to 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. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!”
His father answered him: “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 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.” (Luke 15:11-31 paraphrased).
What is the main message of the Prodigal Son?
The main message of the prodigal son is commonly thought to be about the repentence of sinners and the forgiveness of God, and although that theme is definately there, I believe the truer and deeper meaning of the parable is actually about extravagance.
What does “Prodigal” mean?
The word “prodigal” actually means “spending money or resources freely or recklessly; wastefully extravagant; Having or giving something on a wreckless scale.” Some dictionary definitions use the term “lavish.” (dictionary.com)
Based on this definition, the parable of the Prodigal Son could also be called, “The Parable of the Extravagant/Lavish Father,” since it describes not only the younger son’s extravagance with himself but also the way the Father receives him home at the end.
The three characters
Younger Son
The younger son asked for his inheritance early. He left home and squandered it on “riotous” living. The greek word used here is “astos,” which means “dissolute.” A “dissolute” person is unrestrained, indulging in things like gambling, drugs, drinking, sex, etc. and doesn’t care if other disapprove. (Italics mine).
The younger son is extravagant with himself in that he has no moral boundaries, no standard of what is right to which he holds himself. In addition, he has no care or regard for how his actions impact others. He lives only for himself and what will satisfy him in the moment.
The Older Son
The older son is the complete opposite. He lives his life under the heavy burden of a high moral standard. He works hard, cares deeply about what is “right,” and does not allow himself to indulge in any kind of pleasure. The older brother lives in a scarcity mentality. He is not extravagant with himself at all, and therefore cannot be generous with others either.
The Father
The Father is both extravagant and wise. He enjoys the fruit of his labour, but does not squander it. He has worked hard, but also appreicates pleasure. Because he lives with a mentality of abundance, he is full of grace and generosity. He is extravagant with others.
What Can We learn from the Younger Son?
Entitled
The younger son had a sense of entitlement. He asked for his inheritance early because he believed it was owed to him. He had no appreciation or reverence for the fact that the inheritance was a gift from his father, a result of his father’s work and provision and given out of love, not an obligation.
Extravagant
The younger son was extravagant with himself. Careless with the feelings and well-being of others, he lived only for himself and what brought pleasure in the moment. He thought nothing of the pain his choices caused others, either the family he left, nor the people he used. He lived and thought only of himself.
Empty
Living in extravagance with himself led the younger son to a place of emptiness. Eventually, the money ran out, the people left, and the pleasure dried up. He found himself in a state of famine. The land was empty, his pockets were empty, he was empty.
Lessons from the younger son for our lives today:
We often think of the younger son as a cautionary tale for those who stray from God and righteous living, but the truth is, we can all find ourselves in the younger son in some way, at some point. Every time we make excuses for our sin or categorize and measure our sin as “not as bad” as the sins of others, we are being extravagant with ourselves and wasteful with grace. In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul writes:
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may abound? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Romans 6:1, NIV)
Both the desire and the apathy to continue in sin shows a profound misunderstanding of the nature of God’s grace towards us. It also has a devastating impact on our relationships, not only with our heavenly Father, but with others in our lives as well.
Extravagance with ourselves leads to:
Dissolution
When we live “unrestrained,” without a moral compass or standard for righteousness, our resources will run out. Our resolve will wear thin. We will find ourselves far from home and empty.
Dissatisfaction
When our resources run out, and we find ourselves living far from the home of God’s will for our lives, we will find ourselves dissatisfied. The world will never be able to offer us what we can only find in Jesus. The world may be able to meet our basic needs for survival to sustain us, but it can never truly satisfy the deep longings of our souls.
Disillusionment
When the younger son found himself starving and penniless, he was disillusioned. The shimmering opulence of greener pastures away from home was not all he believed it would be. This is the moment he realized the true value of what he once had and had left behind. The disillusionment is what brought him home.
Believing that the something-out-there that we don’t have is better than the thing-right-here that we do have is part of the human condition. We all feel this at some point in our lives. This deep longing for something else or something more is a longing only heaven can fill. Real satisfaction is found in Jesus’ presence alone.
The parable of the prodigal son is far more complex than simply a rebellious child returning home. Digging a little deeper into all three members of this family shows not only the extravagance of God’s love and grace for all of us but also how we steward that grace for ourselves and others. The extravagance of our Father’s grace, when grasped genuinely and stewarded appropriately, is transformative. Its purpose is to make us more like Him, regardless of which brother we are.
Questions for reflection
- Which brother most accurately reflects me?
- How do I spend grace? Do I believe that grace is owed or earned?
- Do I truly understand my value and position in the family of God?
What Is The Parable Of The Prodigal Son Really About? Part 2: The Older Son
What Is The Parable Of The Prodigal Son Really About? Part 3: The Father
[…] This is part 2 of a 3 part series where we’ll dig a little deeper into what we can learn from the older son in the parable. You can read more about the younger son in What Is The Parable of the Prodigal Son Really About? Part 1 […]