The Parable of the Prodigal Son is probably the best known and best loved of all Jesus parables. Yet some maintain that it is an unfair story. They feel sorry for the older son, convinced that he got a raw deal. Some think the younger son should have been punished. He should have been taught a lesson. Let’s see if such an attitude is justified.
The younger son was determined to have his fling. He set out for a city where appetites of every kind could be satisfied. But when his money ran out, the bright lights faded, and all doors were closed against him. He felt sorry for himself. His own pain made him realize the pain he had caused to his father. So he said to himself: “I will go back to my father and tell him I’m sorry.” It was a brave decision, and it took a lot of courage to carry it out. It’s not easy to say ‘sorry’ even over a trivial matter.
The journey back was a sad, lonely, fearful one. It’s easy to come back home when you’re a hero laden with trophies and glory. But the prodigal son had no trophies to show his father, no achievements with which to earn his praise, his welcome, and his love. He was coming home empty-handed. Worse, he was coming home laden with shame and disgrace.
Everything was out of his hands. Suppose his father didn’t accept him back. What would he do then? He deserved to be punished — and he knew it and even asked for it. Yet punishment was the last thing he needed. In any case, he had already been punished. He didn’t have a good time. Maybe he had pleasure, but he certainly had no joy. He had suffered a lot — hunger, loneliness, degradation of soul, the pain of remorse, the sense of betrayal. Each sin of his had brought its sure, swift penalty along with it. To sin is to suffer. He didn’t need more punishment.
Nor did he need to be taught a lesson. He had already learned a lesson — something which is far more important. He had learnt some very painful truths about himself, about others, and about life. He had eaten forbidden fruit, and far from being satisfied, he was left with a bitter taste in his mouth. If he had met with rejection it would have destroyed him.
What happened? When the father saw his lost son coming towards him, his heart went out to him, and next minute they were in each other’s arms. The father didn’t just accept him back. He welcomed him back. All was forgiven.
The biggest discovery the younger son made was that he was loved in his sins. The father never stopped loving him. It doesn’t do one much good to be loved in one’s goodness. But it is an extraordinary experience to be loved in one’s sinfulness. Such love is like a breeze to a dying fire, or rain falling on parched ground. This is what grace is about. Those who have experienced this kind of love, know something about the heart of God.
God’s forgiveness is not a cold, half-hearted forgiveness, but a warm and generous one. God doesn’t just forgive us; he loves us, and lets us know it. The story doesn’t give us a license to sin. But it does show that if, through human weakness, we do sin, then we can come back. Our past can be overcome. We can make a fresh start.