Lent 4C - The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)

Luke 15:11 “And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.”

Two paths

Luke 15:12 “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.”

Kenneth Bailey — “No father would do such a thing!”

I’m not sure what it means that he divided his property between them. Is there significance here?

Luke 15:13 “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.”

Cf. Nouwen, Looking for Home

In some ways, we have to guess more at the younger son’s motivation in leaving home. His psychology is closed to us. He behaves as a fool, but why? And why does he go to such a far place?

Luke 15:14 “And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.”

interesting that the famine comes after he has bankrupted himself; but isn’t this the progression of wantoness? At some point, the bottom falls out.

Luke 15:15–16 “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.”

He hits rock bottom

Luke 15:17 ““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!”

Came to himself is an interesting phrase. He had lost himself. His running away had consumed him.

Luke 15:18–19 “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.” ’”

Keller comments that this hired servant is an artisan. The point is that he can repay the debt...somehow.

The son has found that he is an incredible distance away from God. He can never again be a son, but maybe he can convince God to feed him if he contributes to society.

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.”

How can the father see except that he was looking? How great the price of mercy! The Father absorbs the loss and RUNS to the son.

BOCK: The grammar emphasizes the distance.

Keller: The Kiss does not follow the confession, it facilitates it.

The second shocking motion. The father Runs. The first thing he feels is the force of the Father’s body crashing into him, shielding him from pain or fear.

The son should have expected a stoning.

Luke 15:21–24 “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.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”

The Father is not interested in the Sons bartering or his confession. He is not waiting to see if its good enough, or honest enough. There is no probationary period. What the boy needs is to know that he is a son. And so the Father will put a ring on his finger and his own robe upon his back. He will hold him and kiss him. You are my boy! This is the only way for him to come home.

The Gospel of Luke Notes

At the words “father” and “son,” the parent moves into action!

The Elder Son

Luke 15:25–26 ““Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.”

The Elder son is far from home. What has he been doing?

Shouldn’t the Elder son have also been looking for his brother?

Luke 15:27–28 “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.’ But he was angry and refused to go in.”

The harsh, discordant juxtaposition of rejoicing and anger is the first sign betraying the legalist. The legalist can appear moral in many ways, but they cannot experience Joy. It is beyond them, alien to their whole orientation.

Luke 15:28 “But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,”

The movement of the Father out of the house.

The Gospel of Luke Notes

Luke shows considerable psychological sensitivity here. The elder son’s anger is expressed by the refusal to go in; the father’s love is expressed by his coming out also to meet this elder son.

Luke 15:29–30 “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. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’”

Resentment.

Notice the rage spilling forth from someone who is morally perfect.

Note the Logic that is betrayed. We may not know the younger sons motivation, but here we see perfectly the Elder Sons.

He has orphaned himself. I am not a son but a slave. I have no brother, and therefore no father. This other is your son. Both boys have gone far from home.

His righteousness has killed him.

The Gospel of Luke Notes

But notice as well that he wanted it to celebrate with “his friends”—not with his father. He is alienated even though he never left home!

Luke 15:31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”

“Teknon” — the Father once again reaches out with sonship. My little boy. 1 John 3:7 “Little children...”

The Father reverses the sons logic. The thing you have been desiring: significance, validation, inclusion, it is yours already.

Luke 15:32 “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ””

This Your Brother — relocation within the family

Lost and Found motif calls back to the preceding two parables.

It’s worth thinking about who is the main character in this story. We’re tempted to think it’s the younger brother. However, then we discover that the story is really about the older brother. But then again, as we come to the end, the one who continually surprises us is the Father. And he is the one whose verdict ultimately matters. He has found his son.

There was already a deep black wordless conviction in him that the way to avoid Jesus was to avoid sin. - Flannery O’Connor WiseBlood