7 Powerful faith lessons from the prodigal son

In this post we will dig into the lessons from the prodigal son. Have you ever felt lost in your faith? Then you can relate this story.

This story was told by Jesus. It follows two similar stories, one about a lost coin and the other about a lost sheep. 

Although we know it as “the story of the prodigal son”, the account was not really named by Jesus himself. So be aware that this.

If anything, the most appropriate title should follow the essence of the first two stories, that is, “the lost son”. Later in this post you will see why this makes sense.

The prodigal son summary

The parable of the lost son is recorded only once in the Bible and can be found in Luke 15:11-31. It’s a short story. Here is the account from the NIV.

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

The meaning of the parable of the lost son

Remember, this is a made-up story that Jesus told. These events did not actually happen but they hold deep, meaningful lessons. That’s what a parable is: a short story with a lesson.

Jesus knew his audience very well and understood exactly what would appeal to them.

As we dig into the story, we will pay attention to some background information and how these details would have been received by Jesus’ audience as he spoke.

Lessons from the prodigal son

Lesson #1: God does not always get in the way of our sinful desires

For us to really understand the lessons from the prodigal son story, we have to do some time travel.

We will do a lot of that in this post.

This son was the younger of two sons. In Jewish culture, there were rules for distributing wealth among children.

If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, 16 when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him. (Deuteronomy 21:15-17)

The thing is, this distribution did not happen until the father was ready to retire and no longer desired to manage his estate or when he was going to die. Outside of these two criteria, children were not entitled to anything.

The fact that this son asked for his share was extremely disrespectful. His request kind of suggested that he wished his father were dead. Interestingly, his father did not fuss with him. He just gave him what he wanted. 

Isn’t that so much like God? He’s such a gentleman. He does not always prevent us desiring those things that are not good for us.

No matter what, you still have free will. You are free to want and pursue whatever comes to your mind and heart. It is up to you to decide what you will do with that freedom.

You might also like: Jesus and the rich young ruler – 7 modern lessons from an old Bible story

Lesson #2: Sometimes we want things before we are ready

In the story, Jesus said this son “squandered his wealth in wild living”. He was not at all ready for the blessing he was asking for. 

One of the more powerful lessons of faith from the prodigal son is this: God will sometimes give us what we ask for, even if we do not have the tools to handle it.

The word wild in the passage is not as we know it to mean today. At that time, it meant that the way he lived put him beyond being saved.

In essence, Jesus was describing someone who had abandoned everything he knew. Everything he had been taught.

His behavior shook the very foundations of the God-centered principles on which he was raised.

It is nerve wracking to think that God would allow us to have blessings were are not ready to receive. But here is the thing: if He allows it, He knows what he is doing.

Have you been praying to God for some things but they have not been coming? Ask yourself if you truly are ready to receive them?

It would not make sense to waste the resources and opportunities. As you approach your heavenly father, pray to be ready for those things you pray for.

Lessons from the prodigal son’s brother

Lesson #3: Not everyone is happy about your spiritual growth

Jesus represented his listeners in the characters of the parable. Among those present were the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. They were represented in the prodigal son’s brother. 

The  Pharisees were faithful Jews. They kept every letter of the law perfectly (or so they thought). In their eyes, everyone who was not a Jew was a sinner without the hope of salvation.

To put it mildly, they did not believe God gave his attention to anyone one else. Afterall, they (the Jews) were the chosen and they did not think they needed to be saved.

Jesus’ talk about salvation and repentance was not received well. 

This explains the behavior of the older brother in the story. He could not be happy about his younger brother’s return because of his personal beliefs about the value of his brother’s soul.

Not everyone will rejoice about the positive spiritual changes you have made. Some people might be saddled by all the details of your sins or they might be obsessed with whether or not you are worthy to receive grace.

Whatever the case, they have no control over you and your decision to press forward in Christ. Once the Father has received you, your new life is ready to be lived.

Lesson #4: The journey of faith can be lonely sometimes

 Watch the language of the older brother. He never owns the prodigal son.

But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

He never says “my brother”. The truth is, returning to a relationship with God can be met scorn and rejection. Even in the body of Christ, people might not embrace you. It can get pretty lonely.

But not to worry, God promises to be a friend and he promises to give you what you need to make your faith journey a successful one.

Your job is to accept God’s show of love and grace, just like this young man did.

The main message of the story of the prodigal son

Some people have named this story “The Parable of the Loving Father”. I think this very much appropriate. Even better than “The Parable of the Lost Son.” Why?

Because the entire meaning of the parable of the prodigal son comes down to what the father did. This character in the story represents God. 

Lesson #5: God is always looking, waiting, watching for you to come.

Many people struggle in faith because they wonder if God cares. Sometimes it can seem like God is far away but I assure you, God never moves.

In the story, it is the son (who represents us) who removes himself from the Father’s presence and protection.

Yet, the father (God) never gives up on the possibility of his son returning home. Jesus said

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The father saw the son before the son saw the father. The fact that he saw him while he was still far away shows that he had been looking down the road.

Gazing into the distance every single day. Waiting. Watching. And preparing too! But we’ll get to the preparation in a minute.

Lesson #6: God does not care what other people think about him or about you

Jesus said the father ran to his son. Remember, every detail in the story is important!

The Jews listening to this would not have found this funny or touching. In fact, they would have felt nothing but shame for this father. 

Why? Dignified men do not run!

You see, in Jewish culture a man of his estate would never run. That was beneath them. The fact that Jesus tells them that this father runs his son who disgraced him.

That means something significant. This was completely against the culture of the time. 

Just like this father did not care what the members of the community thought, so God does not care what others think.

When He sees you make the right decision to give yourself back to him, he is so happy that He throws caution to the wind to receive you to himself.

Think of what Jesus did. Giving up heaven to live on earth among us. Would you give up your humanity to live as a pig?

Well, that’s a little like what Jesus did. And He did it because He cares about you and not about what people think.

The same idea applied when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well.

Lesson #7: When God forgives, He restores completely

Many people struggle in faith because they do not believe that God could ever forgive them. They tend to think that God keeps score of all they do and treats them in a manner that equals all they have done wrong.

Not so!

Let’s examine how the father responds to his son at his homecoming.

We have already seen that he ran and hugged and kissed his son. The next thing he did was to dress him. 

Some of the most absolutely powerful lessons from the prodigal son comes from this party scene.

The robe 

It wasn’t just any robe that he received. Jesus said the father called for the “best robe”. Those listening would know that clothing was very much a representation of status. Think about Joseph and his coat of many colors. 

When this father calls for the best robe in the house, this was his way of saying “I am restoring my son to the original position as though he never left home.”

Jesus wanted to tell his listeners that when we return to God, we are fully restored as though we have never sinned. 

Notice in the story that this boy’s filthy rags were taken off and replaced. God does that for us: taking away everything that represents an old life.

He does not cover the old life. He replaces it all together with the best He has to offer which the best anywhere in the whole entire universe. 

The ring 

The prodigal son received a ring. Jesus’ listeners would know that a father’s ring carried the family signet. This ring represented authority.

It was used to sign documents. Anyone having this ring held the power of attorney. 

Say what!

After all this boy did. Going off to waste the entire share of what belonged to him. His father was going to give more things to manage?

Well, that’s who God is. When he restores, he restores completely. It does not matter how far we have gone and how much we have squandered.

Once we have returned in full repentance, God will trust us with His name, his authority.

He will again give us another opportunity to be stewards of all that belongs to Him.

The shoes 

Did you notice that the prodigal son arrived home without shoes on his feet? Now who likes to walk barefooted?

Nobody, I think. Not unless you are walking on some cool smooth grass.

Chances are that his son was walking with his head held down. Rehearsing the speech he had so carefully created in his mind. Preparing to swallow his pride and submit himself to a life slavery.

Here is the thing: Slaves do not wear shoes. The fact that he was asking his father to make him a slave meant he was asking for permission to continue going barefooted.

But his father would have none of that. And so God will not have it either. You do not have permission to live beneath the privilege you have been given by God.

The Party

Finally, the father threw a party for his lost son who had returned.

Wait! Throw a party?! A party for a son who dishonored and disgraced his father? Now this was absolutely a no no for Jews.

Such a son would have been shunned by his father or stoned to death.

Check out what Jewish law said:

If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid. (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)

But no! This boy got a homecoming party of the best kind.

It seemed like his dad had been preparing for him too. Jesus said the father called for the killing of the fattened calf.

In Jewish culture, they celebrate alot which means they are always preparing specific animals to be slaughtered for meat.

This father had been preparing this calf for this specific occasion: the return of his son.

Know that God has something prepared for those who return to him. There is a blessing in store.

But it can only be received if one requirement is fulfilled: returning to God.

Final words on lessons from the prodigal son.

So what is the impact of the parable of the lost son on you?

The story that Jesus told about this lost boy is one of love, grace, forgiveness, and salvation. You and I. We are the prodigal in this story. We are the ones who are lost.

Whether we believe it or not, there is nothing we can do that will stop God from loving us. So what should we do with this information?

We accept it. We walk boldly in the freedom we have in Christ because we have been restored through His forgiveness. And we live free of the burden of our past.

Other Bible stories you might like:

• Naaman
• The Rich Young Ruler
• Joseph in the Old Testament

Terms of Use: The contents of this blog post are restricted to your personal use only. If you are a Bible study teacher, you are free to allow this content to influence the lessons you teach or the sermons you present. However, the contents of this blog post may not be modified, compiled, combined with other content, copied, recorded, synchronized, transmitted, translated, formatted, distributed, publicly displayed, publicly performed, reproduced, given away, used to create derivative works and otherwise used or exploited (including for-profit or commercial gain) without the creator’s expressed permission. If you want to share this resource with others, please share the link to the blog post.