Importance of the parable of the Prodigal Son

Comparing Luke 16 : 14-16 with the parable of the Prodigal Son we can see that the Father mentioned here is the Heavenly Father.

A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me, and he divided unto them his living.

Not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into the fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him.

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father; I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of your hired servants.

He arose and came to his father. But when he was a great way off, his father saw him, and had 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 your sight, and am no more worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry; for this son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Now the eldest son was in the field; and as he came and drew nigh to his house, he heard music and dancing,
And he called one of his servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, your brother is come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.

He was angry and would not go in: therefore came his father out and in treated him.

And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve you, neither transgressed I at any time your commandment: and yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends;

But as soon as this your son was come, which hath devoured your living with harlots; you hast killed for him the fatted calf.
And he said unto him, Son, you art with me, and all that I have is yours. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this your brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost and is found.

 Now that we have seen that the Father mentioned here is the Heavenly Father, Jesus is the Elder Son to whom the property of the Father belongs fully and the Spirit of Truth is the younger one who has nothing of his own, you start asking questions.

– Who are the servants loyal to the Father? And the servants loyal to the Elder One?

 – Will the servants loyal to the Elder Son accept the Younger one when the elder son himself is standing outside?

– Why did Jesus leave this as an incomplete parable? There is no mention whether the elder son comes into the house after the return of hid brother.

 – What is this property that is mentioned here?

 The servants loyal to the Father are the Jews and Muslims while the servants loyal to the Elder Son are the Christians.

 This is an incomplete story because this is going to be unfolded in front of our eyes now. When the Spirit of Truth comes to this world empty handed, depending on the property of the Jesus will the servants obey him?

 How will the Father deal with the servants if his instruction to accept him is not heeded to?

 To understand more about the property mentioned here let’s understand the Father first.

Who is our Heavenly Father?

Before proceeding further let’s understand what Jesus meant when he said that only those who accept the Kingdom of God like a child could enter it. He also said that the Father reveals the secrets not to the wise and the learned but to the little child. 

Be like a child

Let’s see the qualities of a child that makes him great in the eyes of Jesus. Luke 8:15 says that those with an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruits with patience. An honest and good heart can undoubtedly be attributed to a child. But does that alone make them unique from the wise and the learned?

Childhood is the time when a person registers whatever he sees and hears in his mind. The set of references and standards against which he evaluates whatever come across him later in his life is formulated in the brain during the childhood days.

Infancy is the time when the brain has the maximum number of neurons and with age the interconnection between neurons develops but the number decreases. That is the time when we learn fast, accept new ideas, ask questions and seek the answers. That is the time when we knock at the doors of the elders with doubts and pester them with questions until the doubts are clarified. Once the doubts are cleared and a fact is registered it will remain in his mind forever.

On hearing Jesus’ words ‘Simon, Simon, behold Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat’ only a child would ask whether he let Satan to sift Simon or not. And only those who ask that question would find the answer on why Jesus asked his disciples to sell their garments and buy swords and why Simon denied knowing Jesus that night.

Whoever seeks will find the truth, to whoever knocks the door shall be opened and to whoever asks it shall be given.  A child seeks, knocks and asks.

A child imitates its elders. Anyone who wishes to enter the Kingdom of Heaven should imitate Jesus like a child. The Heavenly Father has given Jesus as a role model for the mankind to imitate, who prayed even for his adversaries and who submitted himself to the wishes of the Father wholeheartedly. He taught the world to love and trust each other, to be magnanimous, to love and bless your enemies so that everyone can be called the children of the Heavenly Father.

As we age the ability to learn new things and to accept new ideas diminish. People cease to gather new information; most of them simply shut their minds to new ideas, because it may not be consistent with his existing set of references.  New ideas make them uncomfortable, resistant and repulsive. They tend to remain as firm as a mountain in their beliefs, unable to cast that mountains into the sea even if proven wrong.

They are old wine bottles into which new wine can’t be poured. If anyone attempts it the bottle will be broken and the wine will be lost. (There can be new wine bottles who are seventy years old and old wine bottles of twenty years. You, being receptive to new ideas, are independent of your age)

A child conveys to others what he hears without altering its essence. The wise and the learned will assess what they hear from the Spirit with their own judgment and interpret it with their wisdom. If the truth were revealed to them the world would receive it only in an altered form. That’s why the Father prefers a little child rather than the wise and the learned to reveal the truths.

Now you are ready to learn more about the Heavenly Father.