The Prodigal Son

Much of Jesus’ teaching came in the form of parables. These had the power of appealing to his audience on a visceral level, while concealing his message from the “wise”.

The most enduring of his stories is that of the prodigal son. Heir to an estate, he asked his father to just go ahead and give him his share now. Which one can easily imagine would have been a deeply disrespectful request. His father nevertheless gave him what he asked, and the son went off and spent it all on wild living. He became essentially homeless, eyeing enviously the food given to pigs.

The thought occurred to him that his former servants lived better than he was now doing, so he returned home with the thought of pleading for mercy and a job. But his father saw him coming, came out to meet him, welcomed him with open arms, and held a feast in honour of his returned son.

The other son was not pleased. “All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.” The father seeks to appease his son, but we never find out if the son relented.

Jesus’ stories can generally be read on many levels. Most people probably see themselves as the prodigal son, and welcome the indication of the Father’s willingness to forgive. And this representation of God’s grace is correct.

But the story was given in response to the “the Pharisees and the teachers of the law [who had] muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” (Luke 15:2). Most of us are as likely to be Pharisees as we are to be the Prodigal Son. Jesus’ call to holy living included a call for us to recognise that his grace extends to those of whom we might disapprove, and to extend to others the grace God has extended to us.