Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!
The Prodigal Son
Finding our Eternal Father
In Luke 15:11–32, Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son. Scholars debate whether its focus is the younger son’s rebellion or the older son’s self-righteousness. Yet at its heart, the story reveals God’s love, grace, and forgiveness.
I once heard a pastor say that no one should teach this parable until they’ve studied it for years, because of its depth. While I’m not sure that’s entirely true, I hope to highlight its meaning as best I can.
The Meaning
The central theme of this parable is God Himself—His love, grace, and forgiveness toward us. Both sons misunderstood their father’s love: one squandered it by leaving, the other stayed yet failed to value it. Without God, both were lost. As Romans 6:23 reminds us, “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Neither son understood what they had in God—one left Him easily, while the other stayed close physically but was just as far from Him spiritually
Many argue that the parable is mainly about the older brother, showing how Jesus was pointing to the Pharisees and their self-righteousness. Like the Pharisees, the older son believed he deserved his father’s blessing because of his obedience and hard work. Others say the focus is on the younger son, who represents those living in open rebellion and sin, apart from God. This is why people often say, “My child is being a prodigal.”
But Jesus wasn’t speaking to just one group. His audience included both tax collectors and sinners as well as Pharisees. His message wasn’t aimed at one side—it was for everyone. Both kinds of people need to see the same truth: God is life. Whether you ignore Him in rebellion or try to earn His love through religion, without Him you are lost. The heart of the Father’s message to both sons—and to us—is this: I love you. Come home. Stop striving to earn my love, stop searching for it in yourself, and realize that without me, you are dead
Every person who tries to live apart from God becomes a prodigal. Even those who remain near Him must learn to treasure His presence above all. Like Adam and Eve, we often doubt God’s goodness and seek our own way, only to find death apart from Him.
God’s Grace
No matter how far we stray—physically or spiritually—God longs for our return. His grace is greater than our sin. As Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
God’s Love
God loves us with a love beyond comprehension. Of all creation, we are His treasure. He proved His love by giving His only Son so that we might return to Him (John 3:16). His love is not based on who we are, but on who He is—for “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
God’s Forgiveness
The father didn’t rebuke his son—he ran, embraced, and celebrated. This is the picture of God’s forgiveness. The older son resented this, but the father reminded him that his brother “was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:32).
The lesson is clear: simply being near God is not the same as truly knowing Him. Both sons needed to discover that real life is only found in the Father.
The Moral
The parable teaches that God is the source of life, and apart from Him, everything is temporary—like a sandcastle soon washed away. Yet no matter how far we fall, God waits with open arms. He runs to us, just as the father ran to his son. And Christ Himself came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).
What greater love could we seek than this—that our great God runs to us, and Jesus humbled Himself to save us?