Luke 15:28-32 28His father after coming out encouraged him, 29but answering he said to his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, and you never gave me a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has devoured your property with prostitutes came, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31And he said to him, ‘Child, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32It was necessary to celebrate and be rejoice, for this your brother was dead, and is alive, and was lost, and is found.’ ”
The parable next gets deeper into the anger of the older son. There is something special about the father who attempted to calm his son down. The word encouraged (parekalei) has the basic meaning of call alongside. As one does this, one can be a comfort, encouragement, and help. The father saw his older son struggling with the situation and came alongside him and tried to help him understand the situation. This is what Jesus was doing to the Pharisees and religious Jews. He was showing them a better alternative that would bring greater peace and joy.
Verses 29-30 show the deep thoughts of the older son and what was at the basis of his emotional struggle. He starts off by attempting to justify himself. He was viewing the situation from his own view, which is typically what most people do. We tend to see things from our perspective, especially if we have been faithfully doing as we think we should be doing. The older son was indeed faithful and obedient. He served his father well. The word for served (douleuō) can actually mean “slaved,” which has a stronger nuance in some cultures and contexts. His father could and should be proud of him. His complaint shows his jealousy. His father never gave him even a small goat for a party with his friends. He was comparing himself to his brother. The son was basically throwing an adult tantrum. From a human perspective, the older son has a point. He worked hard but never got any reward. His brother went and spent his money on women and now gets a celebration.
The real problem with the older son is that he misunderstood what his father was doing. Even deeper, he did not know his father well. Likely, his world revolved around himself. There was no sign of love or compassion. He cannot even call the other son his brother but only the impersonal this son of yours. The Pharisees could not also recognize the tax collectors and sinners in their community as brothers who were part of the family of Israel. As their name indicates, the Pharisees had separated themselves from those who needed forgiveness.
The father’s response in verses 31-32 shows the depth and breadth of the father’s love. The first verse focuses on the older son. It addresses person and possession. The older son was always with the father, which indicates relationship and proximity. The younger son had been away with a broken relationship. What mattered was being with the father. From the father’s perspective, what mattered was being together as a family. The older son also could have asked for anything, and the father would have provided it. This father was quite generous because he allowed the younger son to have his inheritance early. The older son could have asked for anything also. The issue of his misunderstanding the grace of the father is implied in these verses.
The second verse focuses on the younger son. The theme of celebration from the earlier parables comes out again. The two comparisons each have deeper meanings in the larger context of Jesus’ teaching. Moving from death to life represents receiving the salvation of God’s kingdom. The father thought his son was dead. In modern terms, his son never wrote home, and his father never heard from him. The only conclusion was that the son had died. Death can be represented not only physically but emotionally and relationally. To be alive meant reconciliation and restoration into the family. Being lost means no contact, and thus no hope. The younger son was wandering in the darkness of fleshly and selfish living. The verb is found (eurethē) is in the passive voice, which gives the interesting nuance that someone was seeking him. Theologically, we would say that the Holy Spirit was convicting him and drawing him back to the safety of his family.
This parable has many lessons and messages for us. Every section has a different but related application. The father clearly represents God, and the two sons represent the different Jews Jesus encountered in his ministry. We learn much about God in this parable, such as his generosity, grace, patience, and unconditional love. We also learn much about human nature and how we seek to live for self, both from libertine and legalistic positions. Both sons were lost in a sense and needed to repent and be restored to wholeness. Jesus offers both perspectives new life.
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