The True Meaning of The Prodigal Son

 The Gospel for Sunday was Jesus story of the prodigal son. A story that has long been intriguing to we who desire to follow Jesus’ way of living.

At first reading, it is a story about an ungrateful, younger, son who wastefully squanders his share of his inheritance on loose women and loose living.

People often just hear the part about the attitudes and action of the two sons. 

We tend to get wrapped up in the fairness of what has happened.

The younger son, who wasted away his father’s hard earned fortune , gets the fine robe, ring and extravagant party.

The older son, who has stayed faithful to his father; and work hard all his life to do everything ‘right,’  seems to get basically nothing for his faithfulness.

Most people would see that as not fair.  Right?

We need to remember this is a story told about an ancient culture that lived by an entirely different set of rules.

First of all, if a son asked a father for his inheritance, while his father is still alive, was like saying I wish you dead so I can have what is due me.   It would have been seen as disrespectful and totally unacceptable.  And culturally not right.

An action that could have, according to traditions, gotten him stone to death.

Secondly a father would never had acted like this father did if the son decided to return to the home.  The son had broken too many rule not to deserve harsh consequence. But more to the point, would not have been welcome back into the family.

Beside the family feelings, there also would have been the shame and unacceptable behavior of the father upon the son’s return.  An attitude and behavior, totally against cultural traditions.

The point being missed, when we just focus on the sons, is the father’s actions and feelings.

How many father do you know who would have left the younger son actions uncensored?

How many fathers, do you know who, would have just handed the son half of his hard earned fortune? 

Let a lone thrown him an extravagant party upon his return; regardless of the breach of traditions and unacceptable behavior.  When you think about how many cultural rules and traditions had been literally fractured by this son’s behavior.  Not to mention the father’s behavior and reactions.  

Just a simple reading of the parable at face value deletes the deeper, more crucial meaning of the message.

To quote Michael B. Curry:  "As this story unfolds, it is clear that the parable is more about the determined, compassion, infinite providence of God than it is about the ways of God's prodigal children."

More another time.