There are many lessons to be learned from the parable Jesus tells of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32. This parable tells the story of a father and his two sons. The younger of these sons asks for his portion of his father’s estate, and when he receives it he packs his bags and leaves for another country (Luke 15:12-13). This son goes on to spend his money recklessly and is eventually left with nothing, making him the prodigal son. The older son stays with his father and continues to do all that is asked of him in his father’s house. Important lessons can be gleaned from analyzing the actions of both sons Jesus tells about in this parable. In this post the focus will be on the actions of the younger son and the destructive nature of sin. In subsequent posts I will focus on the lessons of repentance, humility, and God’s desire for a relationship with us. I believe that Jesus told this parable to open our eyes to the love of a very patient and enduring Father, which is the ultimate takeaway from this teaching.
After the prodigal son had wasted all of his money, a famine hit the area in which he was living. He had no money so he had to hire himself out to a citizen of that country who sent him into the fields to feed pigs (Luke 15:15). In Luke 15:16 (NKJV), Jesus says about the prodigal son, “And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.” In the Old Testament God had declared that swine were unclean to the Jews, and the fact that this son now had to feed pigs and even longed to eat their food indicates that he had truly hit rock bottom. Sin had led the prodigal son to death’s door. God’s Word makes it clear that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Finally though, the prodigal son came to his senses and realized that even the servants in his father’s house had more than enough food to eat and that there was no reason that he should be suffering to the point of death (Luke 15:17). One tactic used by Satan is to blind the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see how their sin is affecting their lives until it is too late (II Corinthians 4:4). It is a deception that will lead to destruction. Often though, it is the tragedy of hitting rock bottom that leads people to their senses and to the realization that they need God’s help.
The prodigal son, after coming to his senses, started the journey back to his father’s house. In Luke 15:20 it says, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” This is the portrait of our merciful and loving heavenly Father. When we fall to sin, He will always be waiting to pick us up. Even if we are still a long way off, even if sin still has a grip on us, we can still come to our Father and enjoy His loving embrace. We can simply come to Him exactly as we are and He will welcome us with open arms.
The story of the prodigal son shows that sin will ultimately lead to death. Sin separates us from the love of God. However, even in our sin God patiently waits for us to return to Him, and when we do He compassionately embraces us and fills us with His love. This is one important lesson from the parable of the prodigal son, but there is much more to learn from this parable. Look for my next post to learn more of what Jesus was trying to teach us from this parable.
The Truth in Action: Deception is a tactic of the enemy to get us to unwittingly fall into a pattern of sin, or to get us to not trust in the Word of God. In what ways do you see this deception in your everyday life? Knowing the Word of God will help you to not be deceived. Speak God’s truth over the deception. Example: Say out loud, “it may look like…..(insert your circumstances here), but God’s Word says…(insert Scripture here).” Meditate on that truth.
Meditate on Scripture: Luke 19:10 (KJV) – For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Further Study: Read and analyze the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7) and the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10). What is the lesson being taught in these parables? How is the lesson being taught in these parables similar to the lesson being taught in the story of the prodigal son? How is the lesson being taught different?