While He Was Still A Long Way Off
Understanding the context and culture of the society in which Jesus lived greatly aids our ability to make sense of what He taught. Jesus taught often in parables; even those around Him could barely understand some of His teachings. How can we expect to understand them? We must be willing to invest some energy into the reading if we can expect to benefit from it. The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is a well-known story and appears easy to comprehend. Perhaps with a little background we can gain even more from this story.
A man has two sons and the younger son is an obnoxious kid. He wants to celebrate worldly pleasures in the big cities of the Roman Empire so he asks for his inheritance early. He takes it and squanders it; when a famine hits he is in need. He hires himself out to be a pig farmer. No Jew would ever take the job of a pig farmer; pigs were unclean. This seems like a nasty job for anyone, but for a Jew this was almost unthinkable. Jesus was telling this story to the Pharisees who had complained that He spent too much time with sinners (Luke 15:1-2). Who in the story spent time with sinners? The young son did. We all typically associate sin with sinners. If you hang out with sinners, you are probably sinning. The Pharisees were no different.
Jesus continues the story. The young son comes to his senses and realizes that his father has slaves who are better off than he is. So he decides to go home and live as a servant to his father — at least he would have something to eat. Typically, the focus of this parable is on that section of realization the young son has. It is the repentant attitude that we zero in on. He literally turns around and goes home. We focus on that. But I believe this parable is about a whole lot more. Verse 20 is amazing.
Luke 15:20 — And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
R. C. Sproul suggests the possibility of renaming this parable the “parable of the waiting father” instead of the “parable of the prodigal son.” Why? While the repentance of the son is important, it is more crucial for us to notice the forgiveness of the father and the unexpected actions he performs. Aside from verse 20, the father does some other things in verses 22-24.
Luke 15:22-24 — But the father said to his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe and put in on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” And they began to celebrate.
If we read these verses and see nothing extraordinary, then we are missing the point. To Jesus’ audience, these things would have been highly unexpected. First, we see the father waiting for his son. In the Jewish culture of the time, if a son was displeasing to his family, the family and the town had a couple of options. One option would be to stone him to death, as you can read about in Deuteronomy 21:18-21. A second option was banishment. If a son was a disgrace to his father, ran away, and then returned, the city elders could take the son to the village center and break a pot at his feet. This broken pot was a symbol of banishment. What we see this father doing, though is anticipating his son’s return and running out to meet him. Some believe that this was symbolic of the father trying to save his son from death or banishment. As a side-note, it was considered undignified for an older Jewish man to lift up his robes and run.
Second, we see that some certain items are bestowed upon the son. He is given a robe, a ring, some shoes, and a fattened calf. To us, these might seem ordinary. But they are not. A robe — especially “the best robe” — was a mark of distinction. This was not simply an effort to clothe the son; it was to distinguish him. The ring was a symbol of power and authority. Slaves did not wear shoes; by providing his son with shoes the father makes it clear that his son is a free man. And the fattened calf was reserved for very special occasions. All of these items point to a priority for the younger son. It is refreshing to think about the distinction, authority, freedom, and celebration that we have as children of God, through Jesus.
The third item of remark has to do with the conclusion of the story. Here we meet the bitter older brother who is upset about the unfairness of it all. This character in the parable quite accurately reflects the Pharisees who were bitter about Jesus hanging out with sinners. But don’t stop there. Notice what happens in verse 28.
Luke 15:28 — But [the older brother] was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him.
Notice that the father, once again, takes steps to restore the relationship. The love of God is not based on good works, but entirely a gift of grace. The theme of this parable is not solely about the son who repents. It is a larger picture of God and His sovereignty. God is so loving that He actively seeks out unworthy sinners — even those who do not seek Him.
Luke 19:10 — For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Praise God that He has sought you out. Even in your unworthiness, His grace abounds. Read the whole parable again. This time focus on the father figure and reflect on your Abba father in heaven — God — who loves you so much.
Thanks for making history interesting and providing a different perspective on God love and compassion. God’s amazing!