* Waiting and Welcoming (15:11–24)
It is significant that the father did not go searching for his son, but waited at home for the boy to come back. When the boy did come back, the father ran to meet him. Like sheep gone astray, some sinners are lost through their own stupidity; and, like coins, some are lost by the carelessness of others. But the son was lost because of his own willfulness, and the father had to wait until that will was broken and submissive.For the younger son to ask for an early inheritance was like asking his father to die! It must have broken the father’s heart, but he gave the boy his share of the wealth! God likewise has shared p 184 His wealth with a world of lost sinners, and they have wasted it (Acts 14:15–17; 17:24–28). It was not the badness of his life that brought the boy to his senses but the goodness of his father (v. 17; Rom. 2:4).In the East, it is unusual for older men to run; but the Father had to run because of his compassion for the boy. Also, the son had disgraced his family and his village and could have been stoned to death (Deut. 21:18–21). If they threw any stones, they would have to hit the father! The best robe would be the father’s expensive festal robe; the shoes indicated that the son was not a servant (in spite of his request); and the ring was the proof of sonship. Again, there is joy, for the lost has been found!
* Pleading (15:25–32)
The elder brother is the forgotten person in this parable, and yet he is the key to the story. If the prodigal son symbolizes the “publicans and sinners,” then the elder brother represents the scribes and Pharisees. There are sins of the spirit as well as sins of the flesh (2 Cor. 7:1). The religious leaders may not have been guilty of the gross things that the younger son did, but they were still sinners, guilty of a critical and unloving spirit, pride, and an unwillingness to forgive.Because the younger son had received his inheritance, the estate belonged to the elder brother; but it was run by the father, who benefited from the profits. If the younger brother came back home, it would confuse the inheritance even more, so the elder brother did not want him back, nor was he looking for him.Now we discover that the elder brother had a “hidden agenda” of his own, a longing to have a big party for his friends. He was angry with his brother for coming home and with his father for welcoming him and forgiving him. Like the scribes and Pharisees, he stayed outside the joy and fellowship of those who had been forgiven.By staying outside the house, the elder brother humiliated his father and his brother. The father could have commanded him to come in, but he preferred to go out and plead with him. That is what Jesus did with the Jewish religious leaders, but they would not be persuaded. They thought they were saved because of their exemplary conduct, but they were out of fellowship with the Father and needed to repent and seek forgiveness.
Man, I really feel for some parents I meet who have suffered a lot due to arrogant, selfish, greedy, disrespectful children, even if they raised them much differently than that.
The waiting period for them to come to their senses and get right with God through Christ can last some years. That period of time is basically Mercy for the sinner who keeps straying and putting off his decision to return, to repent and to believe in Jesus Christ of the Bible.
- Hope for Parents: I do want to encourage parents of wayward (adult or younger) children to do what? To never stop praying, or advising (when they're open, if they ever get that way). What do I say" This: "Your child can run away to escape your delegated authority and presence like for all of their life if they want to, but they can never escape your prayers". Sometimes it's only due to the fact that you were the delegated authority placed over them. It's often that parents see their growing kids hastily ditch the little hammer of their parents' authority, so to speak, only to run off to a bigger hammer in the military. Not that any parent wants to hammer them. One day we all will face direct Authority -- God at His Judgement Seat.
- The "Two" Prodigals: Allow me point out that the older brother is also a full prodigal, representing dead legalism, while the younger brother represents open rebellion.
- Rebellion from a Good Home: Please note that the prodigal sons were raised in a good and decent home, demonstrating that a rebellious child does not automatically mean there's a failure as a parent. God the Father is perfect and He's had a whole lot of prodigals.
- A "Prodigal" Season: Some have a long lapse in judgment. It's like a "prodigal phase" until they learn some more through trial and ERROR. And that might not mean a total loss of faith, but rather a temporary, disobedient season that leads to a deeper commitment to God.
- I too was a real Prodigal in my own life, wandering far from my own father, Kim. Yes, that was my story too, so I want to extend a personal invitation, an opportunity for you to hang a 180, and "come home" to God, or come back to God. My dad and I became best of friends after I came to Christ. He is a real Christian, too.
My granddaughters have a pet pig, and they named him Sunday. He sounds like a pig, he looks like a pig, and if he were given the choice, he would like to be back in the mud like a pig. That’s because a pig is a pig.
Jesus told a story in the gospel of Luke about a son who ran away from his father, went to a far country, and made a mess out of his life. But then he came to his senses and returned home, and his father welcomed him and forgave him. We call him the prodigal son. And a prodigal always will come back home to the Father.
So, are you a prodigal son or daughter, or are you a pig? I don’t mean that as an insult. You decide which one you will be.
The Bible teachrs us, It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: ‘A dog returns to its vomit.’ And another says, ‘A washed pig returns to the mud’” (2 Peter 2:21–22 nlt).
When people make professions of faith and then fall away, the question is not whether they lost their salvation. The question is this: Were they Christians to begin with?
You know whether you’re a believer by where you end up. If you end up returning to your commitment to Christ, it shows that you’re merely a prodigal. If you’re a prodigal, then you will want to come back to God.
But if you’re a pig, then you will go back to the way you were living before because you never believed.
You see, not everyone wants to change. God offers us forgiveness, but we have to be willing to do our part.
Come home to the Father—not on your terms, but on His: through true repentance, living faith, and humble obedience to His Word (Luke 15:17–24; Acts 3:19; James 4:8).
The gospel does not flatter our wandering; it calls us back from it. Like Prodigal Son, many have tasted the far country—empty promises, fleeting pleasures, and the slow famine of the soul—only to discover that the Father’s house still stands open, arms wide, mercy ready, truth unchanged (Luke 15:20).
Yet the road home is not paved with excuses but with repentance. “Let the wicked forsake his way… and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy” (Isaiah 55:7). Returning means turning—away from sin, self-rule, and selective obedience—and toward Christ with saving faith that submits to His Lordship (Luke 6:46; John 14:15).
Consider the prodigals God restored: David wept over his sin and found cleansing (Psalm 51); Manasseh humbled himself after years of rebellion and was graciously received (2 Chronicles 33:12–13); Peter denied the Lord yet was restored by grace and recommissioned to feed Christ’s sheep (John 21:15–19). Their stories shout that no distance is too far when repentance is real and faith is sincere.
But Scripture also warns: many wander and never truly return (Hebrews 3:12–13). The difference is not how loudly they feel remorse but whether they bow to Christ as Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9–10). God does not negotiate holiness; He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
Here's a sobering statistic: It's Research from George Barna has repeatedly found that a significant percentage of those raised in church drift away in young adulthood, yet a notable portion later re-engage with faith—often after crisis, conviction, or rediscovery of Scripture. The lesson is clear: wandering is common, but coming home requires a decisive, grace-enabled turn back to God.
God Makes a Loving Appeal to All Prodigals
You may have church memories but a distant heart. You may speak of God yet resist His commands. Hear this: the Father welcomes repentant sons and daughters, not self-directing ones. He receives those who come empty-handed, trusting wholly in Christ’s finished work (John 6:37; Ephesians 2:8–9).
Come as you are—but do not stay as you are. Saving faith yields a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 2:11–12).
“The door of return swings on the hinges of repentance.” — Charles H. Spurgeon
“God never turns anyone away who wants to come home.” — Billy Graham
“The Father is always ready to receive the prodigal, but the prodigal must be willing to leave the pigpen.” — Greg Laurie
“Repentance is not merely feeling sorry; it is turning around and going in a new direction.” — A. W. Tozer
Return to the Lord now.. on His terms, not on yours: repent of sin, believe the gospel, and submit to His Word. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). The robe is ready, the feast prepared, and the Father is watching the road—but the step home must be yours (Luke 15:20–24).
Tell me about the “prodigal-type” figures you've known—those who strayed from the Father (God) in heart, behavior, or calling.
Let's group them by outcome: returned/restored vs. remained estranged (or Scripture gives no clear repentance). Counts reflect what the Bible explicitly records, not later tradition.
Hey Prodigal, Repent, Returned and Be Restored to God Your Father. Here and Now is good. Return as You Are.
- David – Fell grievously (2 Sam 11) yet repented deeply (Ps 51).
- Manasseh – Idolatrous and violent, later humbled and restored (2 Chr 33:10–13).
- Jonah – Fled from God’s call, then returned after discipline (Jonah 1–3).
- Solomon – Drifted into idolatry (1 Kgs 11); Ecclesiastes reflects late-life repentance (Eccl 12:13–14).
- Peter – Denied Christ yet restored by Jesus (Luke 22:61–62; John 21:15–19).
- Prodigal Son in the story – Jesus’ paradigm of repentance and return (Luke 15:11–24).
- Israel (corporate, collectively) – Repeated cycles of wandering and returning (Judg 2:16–19; Neh 9).
- Hezekiah – Pride corrected; humbled himself before God (2 Chr 32:25–26).
- Samson – Wayward life; final prayer shows returning faith (Judg 16:28–30).
Count clearly restored: 9
What other prodigals will you find and tell me about?
Remained Estranged With No Clear Biblical Repentance Spoken Of
- Cain – Departed from God’s presence after sin (Gen 4:13–16).
- Esau – Reconciled to Jacob (Gen 33), but Hebrews portrays spiritual loss without recorded repentance (Heb 12:16–17).
- Saul – Rejected God’s word; no true repentance recorded (1 Sam 15:22–23; 28).
- Absalom – Rebelled against his father and died estranged (2 Sam 15–18).
- Jeroboam – Led Israel into lasting idolatry (1 Kgs 12–14).
- Ahab – Momentary humility (1 Kgs 21:27–29) but no enduring repentance shown.
- Judas Iscariot – Remorse but not saving repentance; died in despair (Matt 27:3–5).
- Demas – Forsook Paul, loving this present world (2 Tim 4:10).
- Rich Young Ruler – Walked away sorrowful; no later return recorded (Mark 10:17–22).
- Pharaoh – Hardened heart despite repeated warnings (Exod 7–14).
- Korah – Rebellion against God’s appointed leadership (Num 16).
- Lot's Wife – Looked back in disobedience (Gen 19:26).
Count remaining estranged (or no clear repentance): 12
Ambiguous. Is The Scripture Silent On Their Final Spiritual State?
(They drifted or resisted God, yet the Bible does not explicitly state final repentance or continued estrangement.)
- Ishmael – Outside covenant line; personal repentance not addressed (Gen 16–21).
- Uzziah – Pride led to judgment; no clear repentance recorded (2 Chr 26).
- Ananias and Sapphira – Judged for deceit; no chance to demonstrate repentance (Acts 5:1–11).
Summary Tally (based strictly on explicit biblical record)
Returned and then restored people?: 9
Remained estranged (no clear repentance): 12
Ambiguous / not explicitly stated: 3
Any Insights In There?
Scripture repeatedly shows that wandering hearts can truly return (e.g., David, Manasseh, Peter), yet it also soberly records those who persisted in their sin of unbelief and estrangement (e.g., Cain, Saul, Judas). What's the consistent biblical pattern?: true repentance leads to Jesus Christ and then restoration in Him; refusal to apply the word in obedience, or to appropriate grace.. hardens the heart unto distance.
Hurtful Words, Attitudes, and Actions Directed At The Father in This Parable (Luke 15:11–32)
From the account in the Gospel of Luke, both sons wound the father deeply—one through open rebellion, the other through cold self-righteousness. Here is a comprehensive list of the insults, aspersions, and dishonoring attitudes implied or expressed:
From That Selfish Know It All Younger (Prodigal) Son
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Demanding his inheritance early (Luke 15:12) – Essentially saying, “I wish you were dead so I could have what is mine.”
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Rejecting the father’s authority and household – A declaration of independence that rejects relationship for autonomy.
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Publicly shaming his father before the community – In that culture, such a request disgraced the patriarch.
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Valuing the father’s wealth more than the father himself – Loving gifts more than the giver.
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Leaving the father behind without regard for his grief (15:13).
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Squandering the inheritance in reckless living – Treating the father’s lifelong provision with contempt (15:13).
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Aligning himself with a foreign citizen and feeding pigs (15:15–16) – A humiliating descent that reflected disregard for his father’s heritage and values.
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Cutting off fellowship and communication – No concern for the father’s sorrow during his absence.
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Returning only because of hunger, not initially from love (15:17) – Self-interest precedes repentance.
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Preparing a reduced-relationship speech (15:18–19) – Willing to be a hired servant rather than restored son, minimizing the father-son bond.
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Confession that admits sin yet assumes loss of sonship – Implicitly doubting the father’s grace (15:21).
From the Self-righteous Elder Brother
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Refusing to enter the celebration (15:28) – Publicly dishonoring his father’s joy and authority.
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Anger toward the father’s mercy – Resenting grace shown to the repentant sinner.
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Speaking to the father with accusation and entitlement (15:29).
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Viewing obedience as slavery – “These many years I have served you…” implying resentment, not love.
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Claiming the father never rewarded him – Charging the father with unfairness.
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Disowning his brother – “This son of yours…” (15:30), refusing familial unity the father cherished.
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Accusing the father of celebrating immorality – Suggesting the father approves of sin.
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Self-righteous comparison – Elevating himself while condemning the father’s compassion.
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Resisting reconciliation – Refusal to share the father’s heart for restoration.
Any Insights?
What have you had to endure with rebels? What did this father in the story have to endure?
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Rebellion (from that know-it-all, selfish younger son)
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Waste and disgrace (younger son)
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Cold, puffied up disrespectful criticism (from the self-righteous elder son)
Both of the prodigal sons in that story, in different ways, wounded the father’s heart—one by reckless sin, the other by loveless religion.
