Who Is the Real Prodigal?

If you’re like me, you’ve heard some sermons on the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). This is one of my favorite parables, but not for the reasons you may suspect. In many discussions of the parable, the focus is on the younger son and his redemption, but there is much more going on in the parable. For starters, there is the peculiar behavior of the father, who surrenders a third of his estate to the younger son just for the asking. If the meaning of “prodigal” is “extremely generous,” who is the real prodigal in the story? Another aspect of the parable that is often overlooked is the reaction of the older brother, who withdraws from his father after he receives his younger son back with open arms.

Both sons seem to be less concerned with loving their father than their personal desires. The older son ends up grieving his father as much and the younger son. Yet the father doesn’t give up on either of his children. For folks like me who are already in the Father’s house, it is important to consider what Christ is saying to the older brother. His character represents a lot of us who are already in churches, who may think we’re more deserving of God’s love because we’ve been obeying God all along. But are we?

During October, we’re going to explore this fascinating parable in worship and some special small groups, using some materials from Timothy Keller, a pastor in New York City. I invite you to participate. We’ll host some small groups you can join to consider and discuss this parable in greater depth. And you won’t want to miss our sermon series! If you’d like a preview, I invite you an introductory meeting on Monday, September 21 at 6 p.m. here at BUMC. I’ll show you an intriguing DVD message from Tim Keller.

Please share your insights on the parable, and let me know if you are interested in leading or participating in a small group. Thanks so much!

-- Pastor Thomas