Scripture Notes: The Prodigal, Part 1 (Luke 15)

The parable of the prodigal son, as we often think of it, is one of Jesus’ most famous stories. It is a familiar tale, perhaps too familiar, for we tend to glide over the top of it rather than plumbing its depths and drawing out the rich meanings waiting for us.

Jesus begins by telling us, “There was a man who had two sons” (Luke 15:11). This is a family, a group of people bound by blood ties, by spiritual ties, who are supposed to work together for their own good and the good of those around them. But this family has a problem.

The younger son apparently wants to explore the big, wide world. Perhaps he is tired of being under his father’s thumb (for in that culture, the father is head of the family, and sons obey him no matter how old they are), and he wants his independence. In any case, he does something that is almost unthinkable: he demands his share of his family’s property. Essentially, he is telling his father that he wishes the old man were dead, but since he is not, he wants what is coming to him, right now.

This is probably the most offensive thing a son could say and do. It reveals a deep selfishness, a lack of compassion for his father and brother, a complete disregard for the life and unity of his family. The younger son is thinking only of himself and his desires.  

We might expect the father to say something like, “Tough luck, kid. I don’t have to give you anything.” But he does not. Instead, he gives his younger son exactly what he asks for. He lets him have his inheritance early. Why? Because sometimes selfish, stupid people have to learn the hard way. The father here represents God, and God never forces us to choose Him. And when we choose something other than Him, He often lets us have it. He lets us experience the consequences of our bad choices because that is often the only way we learn exactly how bad they are. 

Interestingly, there are two Greek words used to describe the property requested by the younger son. The first is ousia, here translated as property or wealth or goods. It derives from a word that means substance or being or existence. The son is asking for material stuff, but deeper down, it seems that he wants to be in charge of his own existence. He wants to be on his own. The other word is bios. We learn that the father divided the bios between them. Bios actually means life, but here we can take it as the resources of living, the stuff needed for life. Yet there is something deeper; when the younger son leaves, he takes a piece of his father’s very life with him. The father sends it along because he knows that his son will one day need that life.