Parables Of Jesus Christ

Parable of the lost son

Luke 15:11-32 (NLT)
"To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
"A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything."When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."' "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son."
"But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 'Your brother is back,' he was told, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.' "The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, 'All these years I've slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!' "His father said to him, 'Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'"
The Parable of the Prodigal Son was told by Jesus in right after He had told the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin and His audience were the scribes and Pharisees who were complaining to Jesus that He associated with tax collectors and sinners and so this parable was not necessary intended for the disciples alone but it appears that this parable was directed to the religious, self-righteous leaders of the Jews. It is important to know to whom it was spoken to. Can you imagine the setting, pompous , confident pharisees who were all about outward appearances with their fancy longwinded public prayers and the outward perfection and jesus who had just eaten with the bottom tier of this jewish community. Sinners, tax collectors, gentiles and the like. So shocking. Who did this jesus think he is you can hear them gasp. I remember once hearing the pharisees being described as the "baddie " in a panto.they were feared but inwarded jeered at their entrance. I found this amusing but can visialize that easily. The most amazing thing about this paul would be one of leaders who frowned on the lord. He was a panto " baddie". So this was jesus's audience. So who was the prodigal son? I believed as many others, it is a Christian who falls away from the truth and then later returns after repentance. Then i looked further and this doesn't seem to fit to whom this was written too or the story itself. None of these religious leaders were saved...at least not yet. None had fallen away from the truth coz the truth was sitting in front of them. What is the parable teaching us? For one thing, this youngest son came to his father to ask for his inheritance. He was not just asking for his inheritance, which is normally divided after the father dies, he was basically telling his father to drop dead, I am done with you and I'm gone. He went to a "far country" meaning that he wanted to get as far away from his father (God) as possible. The father seems to be symbolic of God the Father as we will see more clearly later in this parable. The son finally spends all of his inheritance in sinful activities and finds himself in a pigs sty, feeding the pigs, who ate better than he did. He then began to think of his father whose servants had it better than he did and so he "came to himself" and said "How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants." The son rehearsed what he would say to his father long before he would arrive and so he arose to go to his father . God often waits until we are broken so that we will have only God to depend upon and how many people turn to god when they are broken. How many times i have called out "please help me god" What is amazing his father had been waiting and watching for his return because he saw him and recognized his son, "while he was still a long way off." Just like our heavenly father does. Is this not like God the Father desires that none should perish but that all would come to Him through Christ ? What is more amazing is that the father runs to great him and when he reaches him, he kisses and embraces him a son that was in a pig's sty and so was likely covered in filth and wouldnt smell too good. This was not just filth but pig filth, an animal that was detestable to the Jews and this son had even been feeding pigs.
Another interesting point is that the father runs to greet him. The Jewish culture of that day had disdain for any father that ran and since what they wore were long robes, the father would have had to tuck in his robe into his belt, which would have exposed his legs. Take about undignified. This was disgraceful in that culture because a father never ran, especially to a son because the son was to honor the father. Can u imagine the horror on the faces of the pharisees as jesus teached his parable!!! The son acknowledges that he is unworthy to be called a son of his.mmmm sound familar? Are any of us worthy to be the son or daughter of our creator. I know i am not but but this doesn't stop the father from commanding the servants to bring a robe for the son . My interpertation is this represent being clothed in the righteousness of Christ or symbolize the wedding garment at the wedding feast of the bride of Christ during the marriage supper, put a ring on his finger (symbolic of being a member of the family of god), and finally to bring him shoes for his feet (since being in God's presence is holy ground, we must take off our shoes but when we are born again we are a child of God and can walk with God and be in His presence due to Christ's allowing us access to the throne). Finally, the father says to bring the fattened calf and kill it (representative of Jesus' giving up His life as a sacrifice that satisfies the Father) Then they can eat and celebrate because this son was lost but now he is found. This is why it appears that this pictures a person coming to faith and not one that fell away and came back. It does not say the son was found, then lost, and then found again. This is a first time event.
The older son resented the younger son being treated like this. To me the older son seems to represent Israel and the religious leaders of the Jews during that time. They despised the fact that anyone but themselves could come to God and they considered anyone not Jewish as sinners, just as the old son did his younger brother .The elder son said that he had been with the father for so many years and he had never had a celebration over him. The Jews of the day believed that they were entitled because of their heritage as Abraham's children. What they didn't understand is that only if you are Christ's are you really Abraham's seed. It is grace and not race. The younger brother was lost and dead - in his sin but now he is alive in eternal life and is found - saved. As one of the most famous hymns say." I was lost but now i found "
God calls those who come to Christ . This prodigal son was who I was and who every Christian was before being saved. I lived a life of filthy sin (and still do sin but not willfully) because i was lost but God the Father drew me to Christ. I didnt come by yourself. It was the work of the Holy Spirit who drew me to see my need for a Saviour, convicted me of my sins and regenerated you. I pray that has happened to you but if not, you are still in your sins and presently you have no peace at all with the Father.
To me this parable was a parable of forgiveness. The symbol of our heavenly fathers forgiveness against us. By grace and mercy he celebrates a child turning to him and through our lord jesus christs sacrifice we are forgiven. When jesus spoke in parables it wasnt to confuse the believer it was to make the non believer realise who he was. He used common things of the times ie sheep the fatten calf etc. But today these things are still relevant. Especially this parable, we all can place ourselves in this fathers shoes.we have daughters sons sister brothers or even parents or grandparents who want nothing to do with the family . If not our direct family we have friends in this situation. Jesus said"Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand (Matthew 13:13)"
Jesus spoke in parables - earthly stories with a heavenly meaning. He did so that his disciples would comprehend his teachings and that unbelievers would be without comprehension. Those interested in understanding the truth of his message would understand while those not interested would remain without understanding.
I thank the lord for his word.