Father of a Prodigal Son Luke 15:11-32

The parable of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32 is a widely known and highly esteemed passages of scripture found in holy writ. This parable is one of the passages of scriptures circulated in the International Sunday School Lessons and the International Bible Lessons for Christian Teaching. The parable is frequently preached to emphasize the moral failings of the younger of two sons. At times the parable is preached in a way that emphasizes the attitude of the older son found in verses 25-32. Although there are good lessons to be taught when talking about the prodigal son, Jesus does not tell this parable in order for His listeners to analyze the younger son. Rather, Jesus tells this parable so that we can learn what the father of both sons is like. Thus, the purpose of this article is not to teach the reader much of anything about the prodigal son. Rather, we want to learn something about the father of the prodigal son and his older brother. Before we begin let us look at some key words and the background of this parable.

First, let us look at the word parable. According to W. E. Vine the Greek word parabole “denotes “a placing beside” (akin to paraballo, “to throw” or “lay beside to compare”), (W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 457). Jesus tells parables so that the listener can hear the earthly story and by using comparison understand the spiritual or heavenly meaning; and things about the Kingdom of God. Thus, we must take into account what is taking place when Jesus tells a parable. With this in mind, let us look back at the situation when Jesus tells this parable before us.

Luke begins by telling us about the religious leaders. He writes, “Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, ‘this man receives sinners and eats with them. So He told them this parable, saying,” (Lk. 15:1-3, NASB). Jesus tells the parable of a man that finds and rescues a lost sheep (vv. 4-7). He tells a second parable about a woman that searches her house to find a lost coin (vv. 8-10). The third parable is about a man. This man has two sons. The younger son leaves home, and the older son stays at home. All three parables are lessons that teach us about how God deals with those persons that the religious leaders call sinners. The purpose of the parables is to teach us what our attitude towards the lost and those persons that are not part of the religious community should be. The Pharisees that Jesus tell these parables to be very similar to many of us in the Christian community today. With this in mind let us examine the attitude and the behavior of the father; the attitude of God toward sinners.

Luke tells us that the younger son ask his father to give him his inheritance before he is due to receive them. After the father divides his wealth between the two sons the younger son leaves home. He travels to a far country and waste his money on loose living. After the son looses everything he works feeding swine. The son is hungry and thinks about his father. Luke writes, “‘But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger’” (v. 17, NASB). Now, for me, this raises two questions. First, what kind of senses does the son come to? What are the standards and expectations that the father has taught his son? What was his relationship with his father like before he left home? When this son thinks about his father what kind of a person does he see?

The second question is this? Why does the son think that his father will allow him to come home? There must be something about the father that makes the son believe that he can return home? Yes, we can see the ill advised way the son left home. We are not told the particulars that cause him to want to leave home. The good life and the hard times that the son endures are secondary to the attitude and behavior of the father. Jesus tells this parable because He wants to show them the attitude and behavior of God towards sinners.

Let us look closely at verse twenty. “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (v. 20, NASB). Well now, the father is looking and waiting for his son to come home. Regardless of the reason that his son leaves home, the father wants his son to come home. You see, sometimes a father has to allow his son (or daughter) to leave home so that life can teach them some valuable lessons. Do you think that it was easy for the father to see his son leave home? Can we see that this father anticipated his son’s return? This father knows his son, and he knows that he will need to return home some day. The father does not go to the far country looking for his son. He does not rescue him when he is living in the hog pen. He does not beg. He does not fuss. He does not ridicule. He does not judge. This father simply watches and waits for his son. The father wants his son to come home, but he will not try to force him. He will wait until his son has learned the errors of his ways and some valuable life lessons. He will wait for his son to decide for himself that he should go home.

The son returns home and the father give him proper clothes and give him a welcome home party. Everyone is happy, right? No, the older son learns what is taking place and becomes upset. Yes, the older son has the same attitude toward his younger brother that the Pharisees and the scribes have toward the tax collectors and sinners. The father reassures the older son. He is not loosing anything. His place and position is secure. He should be happy to see his brother regardless of the reason that he left home. It does not matter where the younger brother has been and what he has done. The only important thing is that a lost son is found; and a dead brother is alive again. Here are some things that we can learn from this father.

1. This father is not controlling. He respects his son’s right to choose his own life.

2. This father does not close the door on his son; rather he waits to receive his son.

3. This father does not fuss out the son when he returns.

4. This father restores his son to full status that he had before he left home.

5. This father has joy, and he want to extend his joy to everyone in his household, including family, friends, and slaves.

6. This father celebrates his son’s return by having a party.

7. This father is a good example for all fathers on this Father’s Day because this father represents our Father; our God in heaven. We are created in the image and likeness of God. This means that we should seek to be like our Father. God is not reactive, rather, God is proactive. God does not wait to see what we do and then make up His mind about what He ought to do in response. God is proactive. God has already determined what He will do. God’s actions are not based primarily on our behavior. Rather, God’s actions are based on God’s attributes and His will. God welcomes all people in His creation because all people are His children whether we think they are good or bad.

8. This father consoles his older son that feels mistreated. He seeks to bridge the gap of the relationship that exists between his two sons.

9. Let us not be like the older son. Let us not find reasons to condemn people and exclude them in our church communities. We will lose nothing when the tax collectors and sinners come into our churches. If we welcome them we will be like our Father, showing love manifested in our joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23); mercy, grace, and goodwill to all people.