Unwrapping the meaning of Biblical Parables

The Perfect Parable: The Prodigal son

Luke 15: 11-32

In no other parable does Jesus lay out the perfection displayed by God the Father in his unconditional Love for the Prodigal Son.  It is a love that does not count the inheritance squandered by the son, nor does He question how it was spent.  The Father's focus is entirely on fact of the return of the Prodigal Son.  The Father's Love for His son is perfect.

  Likewise, the Son has reached a point, finally, when he can completely abandon himself to the Father, without any reserve.  He now knows he has no other options.

  The Prodigal Son loses his inheritance, innocence, and life with his Father, by wasting them, but finds himself, a party, and his Father's love.

  The elder son, however, who has squandered nothing, now has a mindset that is unable to realize his dependence on his father's love, is disgusted by having a sinner for his brother, and although invited, is unable to enter the banquet.

The Prodigal Son's abandonment to the Father's Will (and Love) has become perfected, not by his work, virtues, schooling, or by his intelligence, but by his recognition of his failure. It is this recognition by the son of his weakness, that releases the strength of his Father's love, giving the son, the humility to see himself as the Father sees him.

  This is the same kind of recognition and humility, that enabled the  Good Thief to ask Our Lord to remember him in His Kingdom.

Truly, now a little child, it is only by the Son's recognition of the futility of other options, that the Prodigal son can be received by his Father into His Kingdom.

  For our part, our own efforts at virtue, risk pride of ownership, which can destroy the very path we have chosen to follow, for our effort is in fact a poor substitute for that instant of understanding of our relationship to the Father.

  This Parable is the complete commentary on the Our Father (Matt 6:9);  Here we learn what kind of Father, God the Father is, and the depth of the Father's goodness.  We, having squandered our share of His Kingdom, lacking our daily bread, learn the Father still has a Kingdom, a ring and banquet to give, and how unconditional is His forgiveness.

  And finally we discover how God the Father uses and leads us from the most abject evil, because he loves us so very much, feeding us, and covering even our nakedness.

  The Prodigal Son ("I will return to my Father's house"), the Good Thief ("Remember me Lord, when you come into your Kingdom"), and the Blessed Mother (Be it done unto me, according to your word"), all after recognizing their relationship to God, speak out on how the reign of God belongs to the poor in spirit (MT 5:3).

 The Bible Facts