Celebrating Grace: Lessons from the Parable of the Prodigal Son
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is about three characters that reflect who we are and God’s nature. In this blog, we explore the transformative journey of the younger brother, the unwavering love of the wonderful father, and the pitfalls of legalism in this timeless story.
Scripture: Luke 15:11-32 ESV
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The Parable of the Prodigal Son
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to[a] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’[b] 22 But the father said to his servants,[c] ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”on text goes here
Most people mistakenly think The Parable of the Prodigal Son is mainly about the worst sinner ever, but it’s actually a story about the best Father ever. In fact, our brothers and sisters in Scotland refer to this story as The Parable of the Wonderful Father.
The story has three main characters: a younger brother, an older brother, and their father, who truly is the only one who is wonderful in this story. Let’s examine each character to see what they reveal about us and, more importantly, about God.
What Do The Characters of the Prodigal Son Parable Say About Us & God?
The Younger Brother
The Younger Brother acts like a giant brat. Jesus paints a picture of him as the worst sinner ever—the dumb dumb of all sinners. This guy is at the bottom of the barrel, as low as you can go. He would have to reach up to touch the bottom. He despises all his father has offered him and squanders it.
“Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.” Luke 15:13
He threw away all he had been given on prostitutes and partying; He blew it. He wasted it, which is what “prodigal” means. This younger son is so wrapped up in himself, in self-centeredness and reckless choices, that he couldn’t care less about a relationship with his father.
He lets his pride and desire to live independently distance him from his father. He wants nothing to do with his father or family. Give me what I want, and leave me alone. I want a life of no responsibility, curfew, accountability, or no limits on my credit card.
That’s the spirit of the world—addicted and abducted, seduced and sedated by selfishness and stuff that might fill our lives but can never fulfill them.
This young man got what he asked for and what he wanted (freedom of the will), but it sent him to the bottom. He lost it all!
It’s not always good for us to get what we want! The greatest blessing is to be free from the everlasting burden of having to get our way.
The younger son goes so low that he is forced to get a job on a pig farm. He became so hungry the text says, “he was longing to be fed” what the pigs ate.
My grandfather was a breadman for more than 40 years, and he also raised pigs on the side. He delivered fresh bread to many restaurants and would swing back by in his truck after work to pick up 55-gallon drums of slop, which was the leftover human food all mixed together to take home for the hogs. I can still hear the slosh of the slop hitting the sides of the drums in the back of the truck as Pawpaw made a turn, and I can still smell the stench of the slop!
C.S. Lewis said, “The true Christian’s nostril is to be continually attentive to the inner cesspool.” Sin stinks, and it fails to satisfy our hungry hearts.
Our Heavenly Father is so wonderful that He doesn’t want to leave us with the taste and smell of slop—He has a heavenly feast for us and a heavenly scent for us. He makes us “the pleasing aroma of Christ.”
The text says, “But when he came to himself,” and the NIV says it like this, “When he came to his senses.”
This is an excellent way of describing repentance, changing the mind and heart, and turning to God. We can’t leave the message of repentance out of the Gospel. This parable teaches us that we have a role in responding to the Wonderful Father.
Dr. Billy Graham said, “We are dangerously near to saying to the lost son, ‘It is not necessary to return to your father and home; we can make you comfortable in the pigpen.” It’s a blessing when we are not comfortable in our sin but disturbed by it until we make a turn. We serve a God who knows how to comfort and disturb us depending on our needs.
The younger son began to think of home and his father differently than before, and he began to long for home. He remembered his father’s compassion for the poor and how good his father was, and we know he does repent.
“Father, I have sinned against heaven (I have piled up my sins as high as heaven), and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired hands.” Luke 15:19
He fully expected to be hired back as a slave, not be taken back as a son.
The Father (The Wonderful Father Offers His Love)
Jesus paints a picture of the amazing grace that flows from His Father’s heart. What an amazing turn in the story that reveals how God treats someone at the bottom who repents.
The Scripture says in Luke 15:20, “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
The Father “saw him” indicates that he was looking for his son to return. This picture is of an eager father who seldom takes his eyes off the road as he sees his son off in the distance. The Father searches, seeks, pursues, and longs for us. He will do anything to help us come home and rejoice when we do.
The Father “felt compassion” for his son. This speaks volumes to the love for his son and the pain of watching him leave.
The Father “ran.” He was willing to leave all his comforts to come after his son. The Lord is our Shepherd who always searches after His lost and downcast sheep. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, left His home in glory to come to earth and take us back home with Him.
The Father “embraced and kissed.” In the Greek, this action is continuous. He kept on embracing and kissing his head all over. He lavishes because His joy is uncontainable. Grace is God’s Embrace! “God was in Christ hugging the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19, The Cotton Patch Gospel).
The subtext of what Jesus is telling the Pharisees is, “If that’s not your God, you don’t know God.”
Finally, in his excitement, he hosts a giant celebration. We have to imagine he made all of his son’s favorite dishes. Jesus tells us that he adorned him with new clothes, including the father’s robe, a ring, and a new pair of shoes (of peace).
“For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10c-d
This celebration is not just in honor of his son but in honor of the Savior who has done the unimaginable by forgiving and restoring the son.
The Older Son (The Older Son’s Anger)
Despite what the Younger Son did, the Older Son is the saddest character in the story. Jesus paints a picture of an angry, legalistic man who can’t rejoice or celebrate with his brother or father when he hears the music. He refuses to go to the party. He is so angry because all he knows is legalism. He has worked so hard, yet it was all about work for him.
“Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends.” Luke 15:29
He has no joy. Legalistic Christianity is full of angry people who have no joy and lots of resentment because Jesus is spending His time loving sinners. He wanted his brother to get a beating, not a blessing, a kick rather than a kiss, a hit rather than a hug. Legalists hate grace. They can’t appreciate what they have or want anyone else to have it, either.
The absence of repentance should trouble us in the modern church, and the absence of celebration when someone’s life is restored. If heaven is celebrating, we should be, too.
The reality is when we know God, we are overflowing with His grace, and grace makes you gracious. It’s impossible to know Jesus’ sacrifice as a believer and not find yourself humbled in adoration for Him.
“The more we immerse ourselves in grace, the more likely we are to give grace.” Max Lucado, In the Grip of Grace
We are all invited to this table of grace—it is for you and everyone you might be tempted not to bring with you.
TL;DR
The Parable of the Prodigal Son reveals valuable insights into the characters of the younger and older brothers, as well as the central figure, the wonderful father.
The story underscores the importance of repentance and the boundless grace of God, while also shedding light on the destructive nature of legalism.
It's a narrative that teaches us about humility, redemption, and the ever-welcoming embrace of a loving God.
