Parable of the Prodigal Son

[michael_legna]

I thought I would start a thread for once rather than just respond.  In fact I don't think I will respond to any of the posts in this thread as I really want to know how other people see this parable.

To at least provide some perspective I will say that I think the parable speaks of the possibility of the loss and regaining of salvation.  All the key words are their, father, son, inheritance, repentance, lost found, dead, alive again etc.

I would really like to see your interpretation though.  How does this fit in with the doctrine you espouse.

Here is the scripture so you don't have to look it up.


Luke 15:11-32
11And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again;  he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 27And he said unto him,  Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. 29And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

[Jabez]

Did you ever think the story is about the elder son?

[michael_legna]

Did you ever think the story is about the elder son?

Now see you are making me respond and I didn't intend to.  

Yes there is something in it for him too, but I think it is mostly about the younger son and his relationship with the Father.

[JudgeNot]

Wow – I could write pages about what this parable means, and what it means to me personally.  Let me see if I can sum my feelings (thoughts) into one sentence:

It means the Father will never turn away a repenting heart; that it is ‘never too late’ to come home, and that those of us who have been home a long time should rejoice with the Father for each returning brother.  

To me it is the most comforting parable Jesus spoke.  
Praise the Lord!

[cris]

It's a parable about the right use of possessions.  It's also about GREED - both sides of the coin, ie. the prodigal and the elder son - both greedy.  It's a parable about selfishness.  It's a parable about inconsideration, anger and meaness.  It's about restoration and the inability to be restored.  It's about disordered thinking and about a liberal, forgiving parent.  It's about life.

[Petro]

I will say that I think the parable speaks of the possibility of the loss and regaining of salvation. All the key words are their, father, son, inheritance, repentance, lost found, dead, alive again etc.

michael,

I think, you think wrongly.

You have already lost the meaning of the parable before you even posted it (by your thought), and its not as though you are posting it, to consider it, nor even to be taught by it, but to simply critique it.

This parable is one of a relationship, which endures whether a son, obeys His father or not, the faithful Father granting to the son his request, and then the son who knows he has not done right, leaves to live a life of sin and debauchery out of sight of his father, and after he squanders all, and hits bottom, remembers the good life which he lead under his fathers roof and desires it again.

In recognizing his sin of unfaithfulness to his father he decides to return to his father and ask to be forgiven.
It is not a teaching that buttress's loss of salvation, at all, since if you read the parable carefully, you would see, that inspite of his froward nature and lose living which took its toll on his body, he remained a son of His Father.

Our God never disowns his children, Christians will be justified in the end inspite of many offenses. (Rom 4:25;5:16-18)

You have a distorted sense of understanding concerning Our God, I say it is because you do not know Him, but it doesn't need to be this way.

The teaching one can gather from this parable at its least is this;

Those who are saved are children of God, and regardless of how unfaithful sons are or become, He remains faithful to His Son, who was obedient unto death even death on the cross.

Christians are not saved for what they have done, but because of what God the Son has done for  them.
It is His righteousness which is imputed unto us, who know the truth of what God has done.

We KNOW, and this is why, we are able ministers of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, seeing we have His Spirit.
If you place your  trust in God's Word, and lean not unto your own understanding,  you too,  could understand these things..

Blessings,

Petro

[rurounidisciple]

While there are obviously diffrent views here it goes to show that there are and have been many sermons preached over this parable taught by Jesus..but how did Jesus really mean for this to be taken? Focus not on this particular passage but on the other two parables along with this one..each refers to being lost and found again..the lost sheep...a shepard loses one sheep out of many and goes to find it...the woman loses a coin and seraches for it endlessly..then finaly we come to the parable of the prodigal son..who leaves home with his share and spends it all on stuff...later he realizes that he had it better back home with his father...these have a common thread that tie them together..all were once lost and now are found...though diffrent meanings of lost and found...when a person commits thier life to Christ they are not only found they have found God..he has been there the entire time but like the prodigal son who thought he could have more happiness with worldly possesions and money and friends he didnt realize until he had hit rock bottom that his life back home was much better...this can be taken also as a belvier that has backsliden to an old life style realizing that God's way is the only way...and new beilver coming to Christ is just realizing this...sorry if this sounds choppy and out of order...the other parables speak almost the same...God will not give up on a fallen beliver..he is always searching for a way to call them back..to "find" them if you will...once God has found them again he calls them back...by that point it is up to the beliver or non-believer to go back to God..but whether or not they refuse...God will keep calling..even to the point of a dull whisper...

             God Bless.....

[Sower]

To at least provide some perspective I will say that I think the parable speaks of the possibility of the loss and regaining of salvation.  All the key words are their, father, son, inheritance, repentance, lost found, dead, alive again etc.

Michael:

You have a profound lack of understanding about salvation.  

Salvation is God's unmerited gift to undeserving hell-bound sinners [which includes you and me]. Salvation is JESUS -- the Bread of Life -- to souls that are hungry. Salvation is the HOLY SPIRIT -- the Water of Life -- to souls that are thirsty.

Would you take away bread and water from famished and dehydrated souls after freely offering it to them? Then how could the God of all grace do such a thing?

The three parables of Christ which deal with the lost and the found all illustrate one FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH -- "The Son of Man is come to SEEK AND TO SAVE that which was lost [the human race]" (Luke 19:10).

Because of Adam we are all "lost".  Because of Christ, some of us are "found". However, God is not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance.

[Tibby]

To at least provide some perspective I will say that I think the parable speaks of the possibility of the loss and regaining of salvation.  All the key words are their, father, son, inheritance, repentance, lost found, dead, alive again etc.

Michael:

You have a profound lack of understanding about salvation.  

Right back at you, sower  

[Petro]

To at least provide some perspective I will say that I think the parable speaks of the possibility of the loss and regaining of salvation.  All the key words are their, father, son, inheritance, repentance, lost found, dead, alive again etc.

Michael:

You have a profound lack of understanding about salvation.  

Right back at you, sower  

I third that one,    

It goes even beyond that................


Petro

[michael_legna]

Well I guess no one wants to study scripture here, or else no one knows how to do it.

I ask for participation in a scriptural study of a parable and I get three summary responses and the rest are ad hominen attacks (not counting your Tibby).

To study a parable one must identify those mentioned in the parable and find their corresponding groups or individuals in real life.  One must do the same thing with the symbols or symbolic language.  Even Matthew Henry recognized that much though he stopped short of recognizing that the younger son was alive, then dead and then alive again.

Isn't there anyone here who does that type of deep Bible searching or at least someone who can cut and paste something from all the sources you rely upon?

[cris]

Well I guess no one wants to study scripture here, or else no one knows how to do it.

I ask for participation in a scriptural study of a parable and I get three summary responses and the rest are ad hominen attacks (not counting your Tibby).

To study a parable one must identify those mentioned in the parable and find their corresponding groups or individuals in real life.  One must do the same thing with the symbols or symbolic language.  Even Matthew Henry recognized that much though he stopped short of recognizing that the younger son was alive, then dead and then alive again.

Isn't there anyone here who does that type of deep Bible searching or at least someone who can cut and paste something from all the sources you rely upon?

All bible study groups NEED a leader who responds, guides and directs the study.  

I have several books on the parables and all (most) discuss coming from the eastern (customs of those times) viewpoint.  

I know what the traditional interpretation is.  The father represents God.  But coming from a western viewpoint my first thought was that the father was very irresponsible.  He obviously knew his son (the son lived with him all his life) and the father had to have known how immature his son was.  Then for the father to cater to his son's wants was just unthinkable.  If you knew YOUR son was disrespectful, etc., would you give him his inheritance knowing he was just going to squander it?  I think not.  I guess no one addresses this point of view because, then, the father would not represent God.
 
Get involved in the study Michael.  Maybe you'll have better luck.




 

[michael_legna]

Well I guess no one wants to study scripture here, or else no one knows how to do it.

I ask for participation in a scriptural study of a parable and I get three summary responses and the rest are ad hominen attacks (not counting your Tibby).

To study a parable one must identify those mentioned in the parable and find their corresponding groups or individuals in real life.  One must do the same thing with the symbols or symbolic language.  Even Matthew Henry recognized that much though he stopped short of recognizing that the younger son was alive, then dead and then alive again.

Isn't there anyone here who does that type of deep Bible searching or at least someone who can cut and paste something from all the sources you rely upon?

All bible study groups NEED a leader who responds, guides and directs the study.  

I have several books on the parables and all (most) discuss coming from the eastern (customs of those times) viewpoint.  

I know what the traditional interpretation is.  The father represents God.  But coming from a western viewpoint my first thought was that the father was very irresponsible.  He obviously knew his son (the son lived with him all his life) and the father had to have known how immature his son was.  Then for the father to cater to his son's wants was just unthinkable.  If you knew YOUR son was disrespectful, etc., would you give him his inheritance knowing he was just going to squander it?  I think not.  I guess no one addresses this point of view because, then, the father would not represent God.
 
Get involved in the study Michael.  Maybe you'll have better luck.
 

I was refraining from getting involved because I wanted to hear others point of view first and not just let them attack mine without ever offering something themselves.  But maybe you are right maybe I was expecting too much.

[JudgeNot]

From ML:

I ask for participation in a scriptural study of a parable and I get three summary responses and the rest are ad hominen attacks (not counting your Tibby).

You are right ML.  I’m definitely guilty of a much too short ‘summary’ response.  I should take more time in the future to study the issue and respond thoughtfully, with insight directly from scripture.
Thank you for pointing it out, partner.
Your rebuke is well taken by me.

Proverbs 9:8-9
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;
rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.

God Bless,
JPD

[michael_legna]

From ML:

I ask for participation in a scriptural study of a parable and I get three summary responses and the rest are ad hominen attacks (not counting your Tibby).

You are right ML.  I’m definitely guilty of a much too short ‘summary’ response.  I should take more time in the future to study the issue and respond thoughtfully, with insight directly from scripture.
Thank you for pointing it out, partner.
Your rebuke is well taken by me.

Proverbs 9:8-9
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;
rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.

God Bless,
JPD

I look forward to your post.