The Parable of the Prodigal Son
By: Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy
Luke 15:11–13; 17–24
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 (Deut. 21:17) the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided (ver. 30; Mark 12:44) 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 [Eph. 5:18; Titus 1:6; 1 Pet. 4:4] reckless living.
17 “But [1 Kgs. 8:47] when he [Acts 12:11] 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, [Ex. 10:16] I have sinned against (Matt. 21:25; John 3:27) heaven and before you. 19 [ch. 7:6, 7] 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 [James 4:8] ran and (Gen. 33:4; Acts 20:37) embraced him and (2 Sam. 14:33) kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. [See ver. 19 above] I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ (Some manuscripts add treat me as one of your hired servants) 22 But the father said to his servants,(Or bondservants) ‘Bring quickly (Zech. 3:3–5) the best robe, and put it on him, and put (Gen. 41:42; Esth. 3:10; 8:2) a ring on his hand, and (Ezek. 16:10) shoes on his feet. 23 And bring [1 Sam. 28:24] the fattened calf and kill it, and [ch. 12:19] let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son (ver. 32; [Rom. 11:15; Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13; Rev. 3:1]) was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016. Print.
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15:11. A man … had two sons; the contrast between his sons is the point of the parable.
15:12–20a. This section of the parable describes the actions of the younger son. He requested an unusual thing when he asked his father to give him his share of the estate. Normally an estate was not divided and given to the heirs until the father could no longer manage it well. This father acquiesced to his son’s demand and gave him his share of the inheritance. The younger son took that wealth, went far away, and squandered it in wild living, involving himself presumably, as his older brother said, with prostitutes (v. 30). The hearers immediately would have begun to understand the point of the story. Jesus had been criticized for associating with sinners. The sinners were considered people who were far away from God, squandering their lives in riotous living. In contrast with the younger son, the older son continued to remain with the father and did not engage in such practices.
A famine occurred and the second son ran out of money so that he had to work for a foreigner feeding pigs, something detestable to a Jew. Perhaps the far country was east of the Sea of Galilee where Gentiles tended pigs (cf. 8:26–37). In his hunger he longed for the pods—the food he fed the pigs. As a Jew, he could have stooped no lower. The pods were probably carob pods, from tall evergreen carob trees.
In this low condition, he came to his senses (15:17). He decided to go back to his father and work for him. Surely he would be better off to work for his father than for a foreigner. He fully expected to be hired by his father as a servant, not to be taken back as his son.
15:20b–24. The third section of the parable describes the father’s response. He had been waiting for his son to return, for while he was still a long way off the father saw him. The father, full of compassion for his son, ran to him, and hugged and kissed him. The father would not even listen to all of the young son’s rehearsed speech. Instead the father had his servants prepare a banquet to celebrate the son’s return. He gave the son a new position with a robe … a ring … and sandals. Jesus intentionally used the banquet motif again. He had previously spoken of a banquet to symbolize the coming kingdom (13:29; cf. 14:15–24). Jesus’ hearers would have easily realized the significance of this feast. Sinners (whom the young son symbolized) were entering into the kingdom because they were coming to God. They believed they needed to return to Him and be forgiven by Him.
Martin, John A. “Luke.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985. 244–245. Print.
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