I love this story. I have always felt empathy for the Son left at home. There he was - working, holding the farm together, and then the wayward brother comes home and he is sort of shoved in a corner.

The one I have least respect for in this story is the father. Sure, he was happy the Prodigal was home full of remorse - hat in hand, but  he was an uncaring, father who seemed could only think of one son at a time. They were not treated,imo, as two equal offspring. We see this in families all the time - one child raised up over the other.

Just a few random thoughts.

Yes, it seems to be true, the father does seem to be a bit of a non entity in the story.  All he did was a) tick off the older kid by throwing a party for the returning runaway and b) give the older brother a good talking-to.  Did the good talking-to take?  Would the older have continued to badger the younger about the past?

Hi redbaron338

I find myself wondering more and more about who the actual prodigal son is and if prodigality vs frugality is the actual intent of the parable.

At the end of the day the one who seems to understand the character of the father is not the son who remained on the farm.

And while the Father does spend time waiting and watching for the younger son to return it is the older son that he goes out to.

I think the parable may be more profound than we have been lead to believe.

Grace and peace to you.

John

and I always wonder what happens when the father dies.

Does the son who stayed home keep everything or does he share with his brother?

And did the brother after coming home and being reunited fall into his old ways and run off again?

I often wondered if there were sisters and mother? What did they think?

My brother and I had a mild prodigal son situation when we were young adults.  I worked during high school and saved money for university; he didn't work at all, nor did he work his butt off for a scholarship or anything like that.  When I started university, I wrote a cheque and parted with $1000 (Aside:  I wish it was still that cheap to go to university!).  When it was his turn the next year, my grandmother gave him money to go because he didn't want to go to school anymore and she was trying to make him go.  I was very angry and bitter for a long time because he managed to get by without having to work for a penny of his education and I spent a fair bit of my own money plus I had a small debt after I was done. 

Later, I realized that I was the one who got the real gift.  I learned to work and I valued my education more than he did.  At 25, he had still never held down a job...not even just for a few shifts part time.  He eventually got his act together, but it wasn't easy.  I suspect that the other brother might have learned to see this side of things in the end.

The way I heard this parable explained is that the older brother is the person who stayed in Church while the "younger" brother is the one who partied and and then "got saved" in his/her 30's/40's.  Then this "younger brother" comes into Church and is all excited and is really annointed and "oh no!!! Starts NEW MINISTRIES!!!  The old Church members get jealous and think that there should be a "proving time" so they can trust the "younger brother again"....."he/she should know his/her place"  etc.

This is my favourite parable.   It strikes me as new today that  the father never went "out evangelizing" like we did in Church.  The father never searched for his son.  He watched and waited for his son but never went looking for him.  The father certainly had the means to do so.  The father did not find him in the pigpen and rescue him.  He waited for him to come home and then embraced him.

We are also not told if the son said "goodbye" and the father said anything like "you know the door is always open"

I have heard stories in sermons about the "Prodigal Son's Older Brother" and how the "Brother had to wait and then even got MORE blessed than his little brother....who only got a party you know" but that is I think trying to explain something that cannot be explained.  Like why does the family whose mom and dad never went to College have more money than the family whose mom and Dad went to College and go their degrees.   It should work out that the people who got the degrees have more money because "they did what they were supposed to do" Sometimes that works out....sometimes it does not. 

Maybe the older brother decided to sell the farm and abandon his family.  His younger brother did and he got a party so why not?  Maybe the older brother became very bitter and hated his father for being unfair and disowned him?  Really, the father had never had a party for the faithful son so maybe the story is saying that God does not like you if you are faithful?

I wonder of Dad was ever tempted to re-do the will, in favour of the son who actually learned something in  life, instead of the one who, apparently, never understood things like compassion, forgiveness, tenderness, etc etc

Hi RevJohn,

Yes, I think the parable does go deeper than wastefulness and running away.  It seems to end rather abruptly with the conversation between the father and the older son.  I see it more as a story about, and an invitation to, nutual acceptance and forgiveness, i.e. reconciliation.  I think the reason the parable doesn't go on is because the 'story' was being written in the hearts of the church that first heard it; whether that be a Jewish Christian vs. Gentile Christian, or receiving graciously someone who has returned after some, ahem, questionable activities. 

I think the story is still being written in the hearts and minds of people today.  There are still things for us to learn from it.  Make sense?  (gotta admit that this is one of my favourite stories)

Peace, RB

That's what it is to raise boys.  They're trying to show the old man just how well t hey can do on their own.  He had a father and an older brother to be in the shadow of and he wanted to  show what he could do.  Unfort unately, he obviously lacked the maturity and judgment skills to pull it off, which suggests he was less than 25 years old. Judgment skills in guys don't usually kick in until the mid to late twenties.  He didn't plan to fail but he failed to plan.  The older brother was rightfully ticked off because this little twerp comes back, kisses up to dad, and is allowed back in.  Forgiveness is one thing, holding someone accountable is another.  Welcomed home, yes, but with the realization he was 'starting over' to build up a new inheritance.  When the father dies, the younger one should receive half of the estate minus the monies already received.  The elder son should receive the balance because he  had to stay and run the affairs of the business while the younger guy was off partying.

The nature of parables is to radically challenge our worldview - they are in part reversal stories - so every one would be affronted by the injustice - the destruction of the honor/shame system of the time - just as we are challenged by the story - it is unfair.

I remember one time when Seelergirl was a teenager or young adult.  We were discussing this passage in a study group and wondering how it applied in our own families.  Seelerboy was living in another province at the time - probably while he was doing his masters in London at Western. 

Seelergirl said something about "You should see Mom when my brother is coming home. Rushing around, cleaning the house, getting all his favourite foods ready.  I'm like the older brother, always around so I don't get the special treatment."

"Yes, you are home.  Every day we enjoy each other's company, while we miss your brother.  And every time I buy groceries or plan a meal I'm thinking about what you like or don't like and working it into my menu."  

I think in every family children vie for their parents attention.  Sometimes one is getting more than the other, sometimes another.  It balances out.  One enjoys the comforts of home, the other is welcomed back.  And the parents love them both.

ps:   I wonder if the younger son got bored with the quiet life at home after having so many adventures and if in a short while he was ready to head out again - perhaps better prepared the second time around.  And did the older boy miss him or rejoice to see him go, so that he could be the 'good son' again.

 i think one thing I use to overlook in the story, was it's context. It was a world where people did not live as long as we do. It was a world there was no mass communications. it would take awhile for news to travel.

So me the father was overjoyed at the fact that his returning older son was still alive. Not just that he had returned.

We also are not told what happened before or after.

What happened before is also important.  It could also account for the difference reaction of the brother and the son.

Perhaps the older son had been sexually abused by his uncle. Perhaps he had witness his mother being murdered by roman soldiers. etc.  Something like this might have really screwed up  the older son.   The younger son would not be as likely to remember these events and link them with his brother's attitude to life.  While the father would remember his older son as a child, before being injured, and saw the changes in him that lead him to leaving.

Perhaps the father felt some guilt in either not protecting his eldest son, or for not being a good enough father.  I have often heard people say they are better parents to children after learning from their mistakes with their first child.

Anyways the story for me is of a man being overjoyed at the news that his lost son is still alive and healthy. 

Many thing could happen afterwards.

Imagine today, having your 17 year old getting involved in heavy drugs, and then leaving home because he can not live under the house rules.   He is gone for a long time. You do not know if he is dead or alive.  You regret some of the things you have done.   Then your son returns.  You had worried that he was dead, and this was the first you had heard from him.

Not everything is great. Your son might need to recieve treatment for addiction. The treatment, might or might not work. Even it it works it might not solve other problems.

However at least you have hope. Your son is alive! You have a second chance.

The younger son would only remember what a jerk his brother was.  He would not remember his brother when he was a child. He would not remember the joy his father felt at his older brothers birth. He would be less likely to link this brother's behaviour, with other events.

                                                    The Older Brother

After the party the son went back to his job as a farm hand.  The oldest son was the foreman of the farm so was always telling his younger brother to work harder, and giving him hard jobs.  For a couple of weeks the younger son took this meekly and then the brothers clashed.

Older brother "You are just not pulling your weight around here"

Younger brother  "In two weeks you have given me no days off and I have worked 12 hour days"

Older Brother "What did you expect that you would come home and resume your usual 3 hr day because of your nightly hangovers"

Younger Brother   "I stopped drinking that is better than you...at least one hour late every day and two hours off for lunch"

Older Brother "I only got drunk once and slept until noon how many times have you done that?"

Younger Brother  "Many times but..."

Older brother "but nothing...you broke our dear mother's heart....how many prostitutes did you sleep with?"

Younger Brother  "You slept with one too..."

Older Brother "Oh so because I slept with one that excuses your dozens, you lazy good for nothing.."

The Father witnessed the exchange and broke in at this point    "My dear sons.   Whether you have sinned one or many times is irrelevant.  You have both fallen short and I love you both equally in spite of that.   My dear oldest son....you have such a great life...not suffering the abuses that the life of sin gives.  If you could only see how blessed you are instead of spending your time cursing your younger brother's many shortcomings.  He is trying his best at this time and that is more than I can say for you"

WOW!!!! ...what a great discussion!

This is why I come here .... thank you!

Hugs

Rita