The Parable of the Lost Sons
Category:ThoughtsI was thinking about Jesus’ parable in Luke 15:11-32 this morning.
The title given by the different publishers varies:
- The English Standard Version gives it the traditional title of
The Parable of the Prodigal Son - The New English Translation gives it a better title of
The Parable of the Compassionate Father - The New International Version has a good title,
The Parable of the Lost Son
Based on a message I heard awhile about I think the best title might be, The Parable of the Lost Sons because both sons were lost for different reasons.
| Younger Brother | Older Brother |
| Loved the Father’s stuff | Loved the Father’s stuff |
| Hated the Father (Lost) | Hated the Father (Lost) |
| Rebelled to get the stuff sooner | Followed rules to get the stuff |
| Returned and repented | Never repented and remained lost |
The parable is being told to and about the religious leaders – “rule followers” and therefore the main character in the story that most of us need to identify with is the older brother. How often am I following rules so God will bless me and give me what I want? It’s like an agreement or formula: I do A, B, C and then God, if He is good, has to give me X, Y, Z!
The correct take-aways from the parable are that God is loving and compassionate, He wants a close and loving relationship with us, He wants to bless us, and our love for Him should be our motive to doing everything.