Father help us to come back to you when we fall, and help us to help others.
Almost every Bible I've ever seen gives this parable the name of 'the parable of the prodigal son', yet this title does not point to the real reason why Jesus gave it.
We know the story. The youngest son leaves home with his share of the family inheritance, spends it, the after realising his mistake goes home to ask for forgiveness.
In some ways it took courage to admit for him to admit his mistakes. He wasted the money in prodigal living. As we've read it before, we jump straight to the conclusion the elder brother made ("which hath devoured thy living with harlots"), but what does 'prodigal' actually mean?
From the world reference web site it means "lavish, munificent, overgenerous, prodigal, too-generous, unsparing, unstinted, unstinting". It simply means that the thing given did not make any profit or benefit. So, for example, giving money to charity can be classed as prodigal.
I don't think he did that, but the elder brother has already made up his mind. He has judged his brother and without any evidence has condemned him. It is something that we must avoid doing. God is the judge. And if someone asked for forgiveness then we must forgive them. (Can you find where Jesus just how many times we should forgive, and just what he meant by it?)
The elder brother had stayed at home, he had worked hard and done what his father wanted, but he did not show any sign of forgiveness.
The parable could be called 'the parable of the unforgiving brother'.
But to me the main hero of the story is the father. He is the one who is looking for his son to return. He is the one who brings the younger son back into the household and he is the one who explains the importance to the elder brother.
The parable should be called 'the parable of the loving father'.
Like all parables this is one that applies to us. Sometimes we sin, and God wants us to come back to him. Sometimes we see others sin around us and won't forgive them, but it is God who is there to help us as well. We have this parable to show that God is always ready to help those who ask him.
Can you find where Jesus said how many times we should forgive or brother?
Did he mean only 490 times and then stop?
The younger brother's attitude is very important. What were the step involved?