Luke 15:11-32
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! 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. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Jesus teachings and Parable are lessons and teachings for everyone...If we study the Parable of the Lost Son and focus more on the elder brother as a representation of the people of Israel, we can see the Parable as having a dual meaning...We know that Jesus being Universal helped Samaritans, Romans, Canaanites, a Greek woman, born in Syrian Phoenicia, and all those in need...
We might suggest that the parable has a twofold meaning: it not only illustrates the restoration of the prodigal son (representing the church) but also highlights the continuing relationship between God and Israel...
If we focus on the Elder Brother as Israel we can see the older brother as having more meaning, because he sometimes get overlooked by his younger brother in the story...The older brother's reaction to his brother's return reflects the attitude of some within Israel who were resistant to the inclusion of Gentiles in the church...While the Parable of the Prodigal Son doesn't explicitly state that the younger son is a Gentile, there are a few interpretations that suggest this could be the case...We can believe that Jesus is giving us a Universal Message...So if the parable is looked at as a universal story and that the Parable applies to all people, regardless of their cultural or religious background, we see this connection...The younger son's journey of repentance and restoration can be seen as a metaphor for "anyone" who has strayed from God's path...The early church was increasingly inclusive of Gentiles, and the parable may reflect this shift...It's possible that the younger son represents the Gentiles who were once estranged from God but are now welcomed back into the family of faith...If we read the Parable as a universal one, we see the Father's LOVE for all of His children in the world, and not just for the Israelites...The Father's LOVE for both sons emphasizes God's enduring covenant with Israel and His welcoming embrace of the Gentiles...
Looking at the Parable in this Light we get a fresh perspective about the Parable, inviting us to consider its broader implications and the nuances of God's relationship with both Israel and the church...It's a valuable contribution to understanding the richness and complexity of the gospel message...
Jaroslav Jan Pelikan Jr. an American scholar of the history of Christianity, Christian theology at Yale University writes this about the Parable of the Lost Son: “One example is the familiar parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), which in some ways might be better called the parable of the elder brother...For the point of the parable as a whole - a point frequently overlooked by Christian interpreters, in their eagerness to stress the uniqueness and particularity of the church as the prodigal younger son who has been restored to the father's favor - is in the closing words of the father to the elder brother, who stands for the people of Israel: 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours...It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'...The historic covenant between God and Israel was permanent, and it was into this covenant that other peoples too, were now being introduced...This parable of Jesus affirmed both the tradition of God's continuing relation with Israel and the innovation of God's new relation with the church - a twofold covenant.”...
The parable affirms both the historical covenant and a symbolic representation between God and Israel and the new covenant established with the early and new Christian Church, which would later include the Gentiles, with Jesus using Paul as His vessel to have Gentiles become followers...This highlights the continuity and innovation within God's LOVING plan of salvation for all of us...The prodigal son can be seen as a symbol of humanity as a whole, all lost in sin and separated from God...This interpretation suggests that the parable applies to all people, regardless of their specific religious or cultural identity...