IBhayibheli

 

Luke 15:11

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11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:

Amazwana

 

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

This painting depicts the father's joyful embrace of his son's return in the famous parable of the prodigal son.

The parable of the prodigal son tells of the story of a father and the different tracks taken by his two sons. Both sons make mistakes, and their actions offer valuable lessons we can learn from.

The older son stays on the family farm, works hard, and dutifully serves his father.

The younger son asks to receive his future inheritance early, and then proceeds to waste away this money in extravagant living. As a result of his shortsightedness, he soon finds himself penniless and hungry. In desperation, he decides to return to his father and to admit to his poor behavior.

The younger son's desperation represents the spiritual emptiness we feel when we ignore spiritual things, and indulge in pleasure or more base desires. While such activities often feel good in the moment, they do not lead to long-term happiness, and instead leave us dull, desperate, and hungry for something meaningful.

When we finally realize our mistakes and decide to give up purely hedonistic pursuits for a more spiritual life, we're also going back to the father who rejoices and celebrates our return.

The older son, too, has some spiritual work to do. Upon seeing his father's compassionate embrace of his prodigal brother, he becomes indignant. He is so annoyed that he refuses to take part in the celebratory feast.

This stubbornness signals a lack of appreciation and self-righteousness for what his father has provided him and by extension what the Lord provides for us. We always have the opportunity to take part in the feast, but it is up to us let go of our ego and be thankful for our blessings, instead of thinking we deserve more.

For a more in-depth explanation of this story, check out Rev. Ray and Star Silverman's commentary on Luke chapter 15 here.