Jesus is a Master at captivating and holding the curiosity of the crowd. Some loved Him and accepted His teaching as Gospel, however, the religious elite, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees, hated him. They used Jesus’ words as evidence against Him in their campaign to have him executed as a treasonous criminal. Whether they loved or hated Him, they were all intrigued and pulled in by His skilled storytelling.

Jesus’ parables were far more than “once upon a time” stories. He stitched together images, historic settings, symbols, and people from the fabric of their daily experiences to teach new and complex biblical principles. They were earthly allegories with a heavenly meaning. Of Jesus’ 37 parables, today we land on one of the most well-known and used in sermons to instill family dynamics, forgiveness, and redemption: The Parable of the Prodigal (Lost) Son.

The Lost Son had an identity crisis. As Christians, an identity crisis could look like a significant life change that triggers disciples to question who they are. In the full throes of identity crises, the lost don’t calculate the immeasurable pain their impulsive and irresponsible decisions cause nor do they count the cost of the consequences when they crash. Whereas a healthy identity is spiritually resilient with a firm foundation in Christ. They are morally responsible to those around them as well as to the Sovereign God (Galatians 2:20).

For the Lost Son, he longed for more than his dull farm life. Surely, the fields are greener in the foreign land where he could indulge in nightlife with his purse filled with 50% of his father’s estate. However, going bankrupt and getting on welfare during a nationwide famine wasn’t part of his grand plan (verse 14). His rebellion and setting his own rules created a fragile life of loneliness, desperation, and brokenness. He was even willing to eat carob pods and the food of pigs – a life of shame and uncleanliness.

When the Lost Son returned home, his heartfelt apology wasn’t met with rejection, “I told you so’s”, “I want my money back with interest,” or terms of his punishment. Rather, his father waited patiently, looking in the distance for his return, and when he did return, he welcomed him with the finest robe and a grand welcome home party (verses 22-24). The father’s gospel identity was baked-in with compassion, repentance, and reception. Have you experienced how hard it is to cross a burned bridge when the person on the other side has an unforgiving attitude? Not so with those bearing the gospel identity. Like the Father, they are waiting for reconciliation (verse 20).

However, not everyone is eager to welcome the Lost Son. His older brother who had been obedient and dutiful was resentful. He felt his faithfulness had been overlooked and under-appreciated. With traditional identity, believers use their service and faithfulness to measure up or feel good about themselves, becoming a workhorse for the Kingdom of God. But our identity is not about what we do, but about who we are (1 Peter 2:9).

The Father told the Older Brother he was always with him and all he had belonged to him (verse 31). Sometimes our Heavenly Father allows us to experience a tremendous fall because that’s what it takes to open our eyes to our true identity. When we come to our Father destitute with nothing to offer but our desperate need for compassion and forgiveness, this parable gives us a beautiful picture of our identity in Christ, our restoration, and our salvation.

The parable ends there. We don’t know how the brother responds to his father’s counsel. Did he join the party? In a full-blown rage, did he confront his brother? Did he sulk and return to the field? The audience doesn’t get the ending because Jesus is intentional with this cliffhanger. He wants them and especially the Pharisees to ask themselves what they would do.

Reflection:

• Which character in this parable do you most identify with: the Father, the Lost Son, or the Older Son?
• Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your compassion and Your forgiveness for my sins. No one understands better the complexities of being human than You. At the foot of your cross, I lay myself open and ready to receive Your gifts and blessings. Use me as a vessel for Your ministry to advance the Kingdom. In Your precious name, Amen.

Family Application: Luke 15:11-31

Author: Cindy Ogilive

We have been going over the parables in the Bible for a while now. If you’re like me, you may have had to look up the definition of parable and what it means in the Bible. According to definitions from Oxford Languages, “parable” means a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.

Today we read Luke 15:11-31 which is the story of the Lost Son. A father had two sons. The younger one wanted his part of the inheritance which means the money that his father put aside for his sons. The younger brother took his money, packed up his things, and moved far away. He spent all of his money and became broke. He got a job working with pigs and didn’t have enough money to eat a good meal, so he decided he was going to go home to ask his father if he could be a servant for him. His father was so happy that his lost son came home that he gave him the best robe and got the biggest cow from the field to eat. They even had a party to celebrate his coming home. The older brother saw and asked their father, why? Why does he get a party for leaving and spending all his money when the oldest brother stayed and worked every day and never even got a little goat to celebrate with friends? The father replied that what was his was free for him to have whenever he wanted. But his youngest brother was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is now found.

The spiritual lesson of the Parable of the Lost Son is that no matter how lost you get or how far away from Jesus you get, you can always come back to Him and He will welcome you with open arms.

• When was a time that you felt far away from Jesus but then Jesus welcomed you back when you needed it the most?
• Prayer: Lord, I pray that if I ever grow apart from You that I will come back and You will love me entirely and welcome me back with open arms. I pray that I have You always looking out for me no matter what happens. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.