Many well-educated scholars debate the primary meaning of the parable Jesus told in Luke 15:11–32. Some argue that the story centers on the prodigal son’s departure from his father, while others believe the emphasis is on the older son’s self-righteousness, particularly in light of Jesus' response to the Pharisees' complaints.

I once heard a pastor suggest that one should not attempt to teach this passage until they have studied it for years, due to its complexity. While I’m not certain if that is entirely true, I intend to do my best to explain this parable.

I’ve often heard people, especially parents, describe their child as a “prodigal” when the child lives far from God. I’ve also read a book focusing on the older son, arguing that Jesus’ main point was to highlight our tendency toward self-righteousness. It seems we often turn the story into something about ourselves.

The Meaning

The central theme of the parable is God’s boundless love, grace, and forgiveness toward us.

Understanding that the parable is ultimately about God is crucial for interpreting the Bible as a whole. The story highlights the father’s love for his sons and reveals how both sons fail to grasp the true significance of God’s presence in their lives.

Neither son fully understood their father’s love. One squandered his life by leaving the kingdom, while the other stayed but failed to appreciate the riches he already had. Both had to learn that life without God leads only to death.

Every person who tries to live apart from God is a prodigal, and those who remain with Him must recognize just how immeasurably important He is. Adam and Eve embody both the prodigal and the older son. They lived in God’s presence but failed to appreciate that He provided everything they needed. Like the prodigal son, they questioned God, sought their own way, and ultimately chose to leave His side.

God’s Grace

No matter how far we stray, whether physically or mentally, God longs for our return. Regardless of our wickedness, corruption, or descent into darkness, God waits with open arms.

God’s Love

God loves us deeply. Out of everything He created, we are the most important to Him. His love surpasses our understanding. He loved us so much that He gave His only Son so we could return to Him. God’s love is inherent to His nature—He is love. He demonstrates this love by going to great lengths to find His lost children. He loves us because of who He is, not because of who we are.

God’s Forgiveness

God not only forgave the prodigal son but also ran to him, showing the depth and extent of His love. He did not condemn or rebuke him but celebrated his return with joy.

The older son was upset that his father celebrated the prodigal son’s return. The father explained that he should rejoice because his brother was once dead but is now alive, was blind but now sees, and was lost but is now found.

This lesson was also for the older son, who was blind and lost, teetering on the brink of spiritual death. Simply being in God’s presence does not equate to being truly with Him. Knowing the Father is not the same as believing in Him—something both sons needed to learn.

The Moral

The parable teaches that God is the source of true life, and apart from Him, there is no life. No matter how impressive a life you build or how badly you falter, it is ultimately empty without God. Anything created apart from Him is like a sandcastle—temporary and destined to be washed away by the tides of time.

However...

No matter how hard we try to live apart from Him, how we mistreat ourselves without His love and guidance, or how deeply we fall into darkness, God is always waiting with open arms for us to return. Those who belong to Him will, in time, hear His call and come back to His embrace, and He will run to them.

Isn’t it incredible that our great God runs to us and that Jesus humbled Himself to come and save us? What greater definition of love could we possibly seek than this?