The Prodigal Son
Joy in Heaven over Sinners that repent. The Lost Sheep. The Piece of Silver. The Prodigal Son.
(The Gospel History, Section 110)
And he said, A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of thy substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country; and there he wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that country; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have been filled with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. But when he came to himself he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and make merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called to him one of the servants, and inquired what these things might be. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. But he was angry, and would not go in: and his father came out, and intreated him. But he answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, and I never transgressed a commandment of thine: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but when this thy son came, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou killedst for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine. But it was meet to make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
Commentary by J. R. Dummelow
Lk 15:11–32. The Prodigal Son (peculiar to Lk). ‘This parable, like the two preceding, is intended to show what joy there is in heaven at the conversion of sinners, and, therefore, how wrong the Pharisees were to murmur, because Christ consorted with sinners to convert them’ (Cornelius a Lapide). The father is God; the elder son is just persons, or rather those who think themselves and are thought by others to be such, here, in particular, the Pharisees who ‘trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.’ The younger son is all penitent sinners, here, in particular, the publicans and sinners of vv. 1, 2. The portion of goods (v. 12) is the whole of a man’s faculties and powers, which he ought to exercise and enjoy in his father’s house, i.e. in dependence upon God and in His service, but which the prodigal son demands to have under his own control, to use according to his own will and pleasure. The lack of love and apostasy of heart shown in this demand is soon followed by apostasy of life, for not many days after (v. 13), he gathers all together, i.e. deliberately resolves to devote his whole fortune and all his powers to the pursuit of pleasure, and journeys into a far country, i.e. into the world of sin where God is not, or rather where He is forgotten, and wastes his substance in riotous living, i.e. throws off even the semblance of piety and respectability, and ruins not only his soul, but his health and fortune in extravagance and debauchery. Presently there arises a mighty famine in the land, i.e. his pleasures pall, his friends prove false, his animal indulgences fail to satisfy him. In his distress he goes and joins himself to a citizen of that country, i.e. at first he seeks relief by plunging deeper into sin, selling himself to Satan to kill regret. But he finds no relief. Satan is now his master, and shows his contempt for him by using him as a drudge and a slave. Finding now no pleasure or satisfaction in his sin, and the hunger of his soul remaining still unappeased, he determines to return to his father and to say ‘Father, I have sinned … Make me as one of thy hired servants,’ i.e. place me lowest in thy kingdom. His father sees him a great way off, and goes to meet him, for God meets, nay, almost anticipates, the first efforts of sinners to return. He falls on his neck and kisses him, the kiss signifying the reconciliation between God and man brought about by Christ. The son makes his confession of sin, but does not add ‘Make me as one of thy hired servants,’ because he now sees that God wishes to restore him to his full privileges. Then the father says to his servants (the ministers of His Church), Bring forth the former robe, and put it on him (i.e. restore him to his former privileges as a Christian by the ministry of reconciliation), and put a ring on his hand (a symbol of rank and honour), and shoes on his feet (symbolising spiritual freedom, for slaves went barefoot), and bring the fatted calf and kill it (signifying the joy there is in earth and heaven over a repentant sinner, perhaps also the spiritual nourishment which the hungry soul will find in the ordinances of religion which have been so long neglected); for this my son was dead (in sin) and is alive again (by repentance). And they begin to be merry, i.e. to rejoice over the penitent, and to treat him with as much honour as if he had never sinned. The conclusion of the parable graphically traces the character of the elder brother, who represents the Pharisees and persons of their spirit. He is busied in the field (v. 25), i.e. in a round of regular, but loveless, religious observances. He shows anger and jealousy, and that in spite of the affectionate entreaties of his father, who invites him to the festivities, and shows him equal honour and love (v. 28). He shows himself, like the Pharisees, quite unconscious of his own failings, and arrogantly boasts, ‘I have never transgressed a commandment of thine’ (v. 29): see on v. 7. He puts the worst construction on his brother’s past sins, perhaps exaggerating them (v. 30), and shows himself incapable of forgiveness (v. 30).
The parable may be suitably applied to illustrate the relations of Jew and Gentile (the Jew being the elder, the Gentile the younger son), but this is not its primary meaning.
Lk 15:12. Give me the portion] according to Jewish law, one-half of what the eldest received (Dt 21:17). He may have had a right to demand his property before his father’s death. ‘We have here perhaps a survival of that condition of society in which testaments “took effect immediately on execution, were not secret, and were not revocable,” and in which it was customary for a father, when his powers were failing, to abdicate and surrender his property to his sons: cp. Ecclus 33:19–23.’
Lk 15:15. To a citizen] i.e. Satan, or some companion more wicked than himself. 16. He would fain have filled] i.e. and did so. Husks] i.e. the pods of the carob-tree, eaten only by the very poorest people. And no man gave unto him] food of any kind.
Lk 15:19. Hired servants] i.e. imperfect Christians, who perform their duties to God in the spirit of hirelings rather than of sons.
Lk 15:22. The best robe] or, rather, ‘the former robe,’ i.e. the state of grace in which he was before his sin. In its Christian application the robe of baptismal innocence, because in baptism we ‘put on Christ’ as a garment (Gal 3:27).
The Prodigal Son
(The Saviour of the World, Vol VI Book IV Poem LXXII)
We know the tale by heart,—
The wondrous tale!
The son’s unthankful part,
His pride and bale:
And how came want and shame;
Fond memories;
Intolerable blame
In his own eyes!
How recollection dwells
On the old days,
And every memory swells
His father’s praise!
How, help from fickle friends
He’s fain to ask;
To feed his swine, one sends,
Repulsive task!
They feed and are at ease,
The very swine!
How the poor wretch ’twould please
On husks to dine!
And while the grovelling beasts
He sees devour,—
“Each hired servant feasts
At this same hour
“In that fair home I left—
Ingrate as these—
Where Father sits, bereft
Of joy and ease;
For well I know his love
Remembers still,
The while I heedless rove
At my vain will:
Ah, knew he all I felt,
No more austere,
How would his bowels melt,—
My Father, dear!
“I will arise and go,
And at his feet
Confess my shame and woe:—
‘I am not meet
Henceforth to be thy son,
Now let me be
Of thy hired servants one,
To work for thee!’”
He rose and went his way
With many a sigh,—
“E’en thus and thus I’ll say
When I come nigh.”
And lo, his father saw,
A long way off,
The tardy pilgrim draw
Towards his roof:
He waited not to hear
The prodigal’s prayer,
But ran, ere he came near,
Embraced him there,
And cried to those at hand,—
“Here is my son,
Returned from far-off land!
Go, haste ye, run,—
“Bring hither the best robe,
For his hand a ring,
Shoes for his wayworn feet,
See that ye bring!
The fatted calf, go, kill,
To-day, we’ll feast;
My son is with me still,
Not last nor least!”
The elder brother heard
With sudden wrath
His father’s generous word;
Sore envy hath
Possession of his heart:
“These many years
Have not I ta’en my part,
Through hopes and fears,
To serve thee in my ways?
What hast thou done,
What lamb hast slain in praise
Of faithful son?”
“Nay, son, thou art with me
Through all thy days;
My wealth is shared with thee,
Behold, thy praise.”
That tender Father ran,
With eager love,
Ere his poor son began
His grace to move:—
Ah, what an image, this,
Poor men to cheat,—
The Father’s loving kiss,
Embraces sweet!
Abashed, my heart declines
To entertain
The hope it yet divines
In blissful pain!
Ah, who shall certify
If heavenly truth
In this sweet story lie,
Of tender ruth?
Who dares my God impugn
Of piteous art,
Such tenderness as soon
Must break my heart?
I have the word of One,
Alone can know:
The sole begotten Son
Hath told me so!
St. Luke xv. 11–32.
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