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.’”
When all the tax collectors and sinners approached Lord Jesus to hear his preaching, the Pharisees and the scribes talked privately that this man received sinners and ate with them, then Lord Jesus taught three parables, the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the prodigal son. The parable of the prodigal son tells us that the younger son went to a distant country to squander his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, he took refuge in a citizen of that country, and even wanted to eat the pods eaten by pigs in order to satisfy his hunger. At this time he woke up and wanted to return to his father. Here the father represents God the Father, and the younger son represents the people in the world, the sinners. The younger son confessed his sins and repented and returned to God. He humbled and repented and said that he had offended the heaven and his father, and was not worthy to be called the father’s son. The father didn’t blame him, he forgave him. When he returned home, he was still far away, his father saw him, he moved with compassion and ran to hold his neck and kissed him, put the best robe on him, put the ring on his finger, put the shoes on his feet, killed the fattened calf, had a feast and celebrate. But the elder son was not happy. The elder son represented the Pharisees and scribes. When they saw sinners listening to Lord Jesus’ preaching, they talked about Lord Jesus privately. In the end, the father said “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.” This is the heart of the heavenly Father, when a sinner repents, the heavenly Father rejoices for him, and the heaven rejoices for him. May God bless you and your family. 😊
