Mike Walsh

The story of the prodigal son is a story that most have heard from the time they were very young. Jesus told this parable to the Pharisees (who were criticizing him for eating with sinners and tax collectors), about two brothers and their father. 

The younger brother decided that he wanted his portion of the inheritance and he went out and squandered it on loose living. After he had spent it all, he took a job on a pig farm just to survive. He found himself starving and decided that his father’s servants lived better than he did.

As he was heading home, his father saw him at a distance and ran to meet him. The father called for his servants to bring the best robe they could find and some slippers. He called for them to bring the fattened calf and to butcher it and to prepare a party.

His brother heard about all that was going on and decided he didn’t want anything to do with it. The older brother saw this as unfair. He had never left, he had always done what was right and his father had never thrown him a party. He was very unhappy!

The father went to the older brother and told him that he had always had his blessing and he shouldn’t feel offended that he wanted to throw this party for his brother. This part of the story almost seems unnecessary if we don’t understand the context: Jesus was taking a swipe at the Pharisees’ self righteousness, and we can all be guilty of self righteousness at times.

When most people read this story, all they can usually see is that God is a God of great mercy and grace. Most people don’t understand the context of this parable.

Just before Jesus told them this parable, he told two other shorter parables about the lost coin and the lost sheep. Jesus wanted the religious men of his day (the Pharisees and Sadducees) to see that they were as guilty as the one who had wandered away — they had the attitude of the older brother. They had been critical of Jesus for spending his time with sinners and tax collectors, as if they weren’t worthy.

Jesus wanted the self righteous to see that sometimes, they are worse than the worst sinner because they were placing themselves above other people. What they didn’t see was because of that attitude they were crippling themselves. 

In Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of a Pharisee (who saw himself as righteous). He said, “God, I thank you that I’m not like these sinners.” Then Jesus talked about a tax collector, who couldn’t even look up to heaven because he knew he was a sinner. Jesus said in Luke 18:14, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

I love the fact that God is a God of second chances. He loves the sinner and one who has lost their way, and those who have not yet found their way. As believers, we must be super careful never to elevate ourselves in our own minds. We must never place ourselves above others (especially those who are lost in sin).

This parable is a great reminder to all of us that we should never elevate ourselves and look down on others in judgment. The true judge will sort all of that out someday.

I thank God every day for his grace in my life! May we never forget where we came from and where God is taking us. God has grace for the greatest of sinners. His mercies are new every morning!

(Mike Walsh is the pastor at Glad Tidings Assembly of God.)