The Prodigal Son
“The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. This was very unusual, but well within the realm of possibility, and it gives insight into the character of both the selfish son and very generous father. The younger son demands his share of what would eventually be his in his father’s estate. He is so selfish and audacious that he goes to his father and brazenly asks for his share of the inheritance before his father has died.
According to the laws of inheritance in Deuteronomy 21:17, the oldest son gets a double portion, so this son would inherit one third of his father’s estate. Normally, an inheritance is not received until the father’s death, but a father could give gifts to his children before he died, though usually a transfer of land would be the title only with the income from it still coming to the father until his death. In this case, the son is after complete control before his father had died.
Amazingly, the father yields to his son’s selfish demand. No explanation is given for why he would do so. The text just states that the father divided his wealth between the two sons. The older son would have received title to two thirds though the father would have continued to received the income from it until his death. The younger son received title to one third of the estate. Verse 13 tells us what he did with it.
13 “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.
It appears that the younger son was given a clear enough title to what he received from his father that he was able to liquidate the assets into money or other form of transportable wealth. Animals could have been sold and any land leased out for the years remaining until Jubilee when it would have to be returned to the family (Leviticus 25). He then took his all of his wealth and traveled to a distant country were he “wasted his possessions with foolish living”.
First, he did not leave anything behind to serve as a reserve. He was short sighted and failed to make any long term plans. Second, he traveled to a distant country where he would be alone and subject to being easily swindled in another place and culture. Though the text does not state this directly, it is safe to assume that he went far away on purpose so that he could pursue whatever he desired without anyone he knew trying to stop him, but that also meant he could not get their good advice even if he wanted it. Third, he squandered his possessions. The word here means to spend foolishly and to no purpose. He lived without thinking or being concerned about the consequences.
14 “Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 “And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.
17 “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” ’
It was not until he came to a situation of utter poverty that he finally “came to himself” and recognised his foolishness. His father’s hired servants were better off than he was, so he resolved to return home and humbly confess his sins and ask to be such a servant. Significantly he recognises that his sin is first against heaven. He has failed to keep God’s commandments. This is the first step of repentance.
20a“So he got up and came to his father.” This is the second step of repentance. When there is an actual change of mind, there has to be a corresponding action. 20b “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” This is very significant for it indicates that the father had been watching for his son. When he did see him, he felt compassion and ran to him. Despite his son’s foolishness, the father still loved him. The father’s excitement is demonstrated in his running to meet him. Running was considered beneath the dignity of older men, but his joy outweighed any consideration of dignity.
When his father met him, 21 “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” The son begins his confession with a very humble admission of his sin against God and his dad concluding that it was so serious he no longer had the right to be considered his son. This is the third step of true repentance. Humble confession of sin and acceptance of the full consequences.
False repentance may admit a failure, but it will not accept the responsibility of the consequences for the failure. It will find someone else to blame and try some way to avoid the consequences. True repentance admits the guilt when confronted, takes responsibility for the sin and casts themselves upon the mercy of God as did David in 2 Samuel 12.
However, the father acted before the son was able to get to the second part of what he planned to say to him about requesting to be a hired servant. 22 “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
The older son is angry and refuses to even go into the house where the celebration is taking place. When his father comes out and earnestly appeals for him to come join them, the older son’s bitter resentment of his father and his brother spills out in a torrent. This son is selfish and self-righteous.
First, he claims to have been the perfect son who always obeyed his father. While he was certainly much more obedient than his younger brother, his claim to have never neglected or disobeyed a command of his father is obviously false. Other than Jesus, no such human has ever existed.
Secondly, he accuses his father of being stingy with him. That is why he makes the comparison of not getting a young goat to celebrate with his friends while his immoral brother gets a fatted calf to celebrate. It is not actually an equivalent comparison since one is a private party for him and his friends for his own enjoyment while the fatted calf is used for a public celebration of the father over his joy of having his lost son return for the enjoyment of all. In addition, I am sure the older brother was part of many celebrations held by his father that included a fatted calf.
Thirdly, he resents his father’s generosity to his younger brother who wasted that wealth. Perhaps there is some legitimacy to this or perhaps jealously for the younger brother who did what he wanted and he was stuck with dad who was still living with him. He also seems to have forgotten that his father was twice as generous to him.
Fourthly, he resents both calling his brother “your son” instead of “my brother.” He then accuses his brother of fornication. Whether the accusation is true or not is unknown. Brothers often know more about each other than parents know, but he brings it up here to support his accusation of his father being unfair. He is the good son and his brother is immoral, so it is unfair for a fatted calf to be used to celebrate him while he does not even get a goat.
The older brother resents his younger brother. He resents his father. He resents the celebration. The father’s response demonstrates his patience, mercy and graciousness. 31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’ “
The father was treated very rudely, yet his own character is revealed in choosing not to respond in kind, but to instead first reassure his older son that there is no threat to his inheritance. All that the father owns belongs to him. The younger son had wasted his wealth, but he would not waste the older son’s wealth.
Next, he carefully explains the reason for the celebration. It is not a party for the younger son’s enjoyment. It is a celebration because the son that had been lost and considered dead to them has been found and returned to life. Repentance is a wonderful reason to celebrate.
Jesus ends the parable on the theme of celebrating repentance, but He leaves unsaid the final response of the older brother. Does he listen to his father and come join the celebration? Or does he refuse and continue to harbour his resentment? The listener would supply his own ending reflective of his own heart.
Those who understood the point of these parables would want the older son to repent of his self-righteousness and rudeness to his father and join the celebration of his younger brother’s repentance. That would be the response of the godly in reflecting the joy in heaven over a sinner that repents. In reflection of God’s own character, it should be our desire to see sinners repent and to be joyous when they do.
That includes those that have done the most horrific things to you personally. While it is right to desire justice to be carried out, the desire for revenge must be given over to the Lord as stated in Romans 12:19. Our own hearts need to become tender in pity for those who are used by Satan for such evil, for according to Ephesians 6:12, Satan is our true enemy and not other people. People are the mission field and we ought to pray for their conviction of sin and repentance.
Those that are self righteous will miss Jesus’ point and desire that the older son remain firm in his righteous stand against his immoral brother and refuse to join the unjust and unfair celebration. They will maintain their false understanding of God and believe that He is only approachable by those that meet their standards of behaviour.
How you would like the story to end reveals your own heart. May you be as forgiving as the father and learn to celebrate when a sinner repents.