
Day 327 - The Prodigal Son
Julie Austin
“And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that is coming to me.’ And so he divided his wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his estate in wild living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began doing without. 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 pigs.16 And he longed to have his fill of the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving him anything. 17 But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired laborers have more than enough bread, but I am dying here from hunger! 18 I will set out 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; treat me as one of your hired laborers.”’ 20 So he set out and came to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed 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.’ 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 finger and sandals on his feet;23 and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let’s 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.” - Luke 15:11-24 NASB
When Jesus told the story of the prodigal son, He left out a few details that forced the imagination to fill in the gaps. For example, I wonder what type of child this younger son was. I imagine him to be self-centered and entitled, probably a bit rebellious. He was most likely the kid who thought he knew everything and shunned his parents’ and older brother’s advice and counsel. It is not a stretch to assume he was narcissistic and was unwilling to take responsibility for how his actions impacted those who loved him.
I imagine that this father was a good man. He had accumulated property and took care of his family. When the son made his request, there was most likely an argument. The father would have tried to reason with his son. Hurtful words were probably exchanged. This father eventually relented and granted the boy’s request. Jesus doesn’t tell us why, but a few days later, this young man gathered his things and left. Perhaps anger and bitterness had taken root and drove him away, or maybe it was the lure of worldly pleasures and perceived freedom.
The father was left to mourn the loss of a wayward child. He may have heard rumors of the son’s lifestyle and reckless living. People may have talked about how this once privileged young man was eating the food meant for pigs. I imagine he was embarrassed by the choices his son had made. He went through cycles of anger, shame, and grief. At some point, he reached a point of forgiveness and longed for restoration. He was watching and waiting for his son to return.
This father saw his son coming far off in the distance. Imagine his excitement and joy when he realized the figure walking toward him was his child. Have you ever had so many emotions happening simultaneously that you laughed and cried at the same time? Did it make you want to jump up and down and shout? He ran, not walked, to his son and hugged him. He didn’t care about the angry words they exchanged. He didn’t care about the time that was lost. He didn’t even care that he was filthy and smelled like pigs. His son was home!
The son asked his father to forgive him. The father had already forgiven. Now, they could both enjoy the fruit of that forgiveness. The son was not only forgiven but elevated. He was given far more than he deserved: a robe, a ring, shoes, a feast, a celebration. All of this joy was only possible because the father found room in his heart to forgive.
Next Steps
- Think about it: Are you holding onto hurts preventing you from enjoying life to its fullest? God wants you to forgive so that you can experience true joy.
- Action Step: Forgive that person who has hurt you. Then, wait for God to bring healing. Pray for the person who has hurt you. Prepare yourself so you are ready for the moment when God will restore that lost relationship.