Transitions: Transitioning Home: The Prodigal Son's Story

Last week, we looked at Naomi’s story in the book of Ruth. We thought about how we, like Naomi, can transition from the losses we experience in our lives and receive the gains that God has in store. This week, we’ll return to the New Testament and take a look at one of the most famous stories that Jesus taught in the Bible: the prodigal son. Of the three characters in the story: the father, the prodigal, and his older brother, which do you think you’ll relate to the most?

How to Use This Guide 

Thank you for taking the time to do this Bible study. When we dig deeper into God’s word, He promises to bless us. We follow in the footsteps of King David, who wrote in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

This guide will provide a weekly framework for spiritual conversations with friends or family. We encourage you to reach out to a friend or two, pick a time to get together each week, and work through this guide together. This Bible study can also be a good tool for families, perhaps coordinated with mealtimes.

What does the Bible say?

We will focus on the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15. But, as we begin, it is important to observe the context in which Luke places this story. Each tale tells a different story about what is lost and found. In the first story, a shepherd loses and then finds a sheep. In the second story, a woman loses and then finds a coin. And in the final story, a father loses a son and then is reunited with him.  

Read Luke 15

In verse 1, Luke tells us who was in the audience as Jesus spoke. These are two groups with very different attitudes. Who was gathering around to hear Jesus in verse 1? Who is in the other group in verse 2, and what was their attitude toward Jesus?

The first two stories in Luke 15:4-7 and 15:8-10 are short and to the point. They are parables, which are stories designed to teach a lesson. We can already see that part of the crowd listening to Jesus was open to His teaching, but the religious leaders were not. The Pharisees and scribes had hard hearts and refused to repent of their pride. They criticized all that Jesus did and the people associated with Him. Jesus did not meet their Messianic expectations, and so they rejected Him. 

The first two parables that Jesus tells were likely agreeable to both groups. Most people could imagine losing something important and then rejoicing when it was found. But, they may have wondered what Jesus meant by the closing words of these two parables. In both, the shepherd and the woman find what they lost and gather their friends and neighbors together to rejoice. Jesus then gives the lesson in his own words, and it’s the same: there is rejoicing in heaven when even one sinner repents of their sin. The joy of finding something that was lost is similar to the joy of heaven when a sinner repents. How do you feel when you finally find something you have lost? Now imagine that kind of experience in heaven.

The third story about a father and his two sons begins to hit closer to home for both groups in Jesus’ audience. The tax collectors and sinners likely related to the prodigal son. As you read through the story, try and hear it through the eyes of those who had made mistakes and were sorry. Do you personally relate to the prodigal son? How so? In Jewish thought, a sinner was an impure person. This is why the Pharisees had many rules about hand washing and diet, all meant to keep the people pure in God’s sight. But, Jesus preached about being clean on the inside, in the heart (e.g., the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7). This teaching would be fulfilled at the advent of the Holy Spirit, who makes us clean from the inside out. But, in order to receive Him, we must admit we were wrong, as the prodigal did, and ask for forgiveness. Have you received forgiveness from our good Father?

Let’s look at the prodigal son’s transition back home and note his steps. What was his first decision in Luke 15:12? What did he do next in 15:13? The next few verses describe how this young man hit rock bottom. What happened to him, and what were his realizations in 15:17? What did he determine to do next, and what were the three things he planned to say upon arriving home (15:18-20)? 

Have you ever hit rock bottom like the prodigal son? If you are there now, it is not too late to come home to those who love you. We can learn from the prodigal who returned to his father, humbled himself, and asked forgiveness. We can also follow this process as we return to God, our Father, and humbly ask for His forgiveness. Read 1 John 1:9. In this verse, we, the ones who have been unfaithful, are the ones who confess. Our Father is the one who is faithful, and He forgives. 

We next hear again from the father in the story. What was his response when he saw his son return in 15:20-24? How is the celebration similar to the endings of the other two stories in this chapter? 

Who was not present when the prodigal son returned home and where was he, according to Luke 15:25? When the older brother heard what had happened in Luke 15:26-27, what was his response in 15:28-30? 

In Jesus’ story, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law are reflected in the prodigal son’s older brother. It is clear that the prodigal son was a sinner in the eyes of all who heard the parable. But the sinner could be found again, and the rejoicing could begin. The older brother would not join in, and this was his loss. What is the father’s response to his oldest son’s hard heart in Luke 15:31-32? 

Do you see yourself in the older sibling? There is nothing wrong with living a pure life. But, sometimes, rules and regulations can make us feel self-righteous. We can then convince ourselves that we are better than others, especially those whose lives have been, let’s say, more colorful than ours. In Jesus’ story, both brothers were in need of forgiveness, but only one humbled himself and received it. 

The father had two very different sons. Do you relate to the stark differences in the siblings, either as their parent or as a brother or sister, very different than you? Did you have a loving and receptive father like these two brothers did? The point of the story is to show that God joyfully welcomes us back from the places where we stray. Our poor decisions can take us further and further away from God in our selfishness, whether this means straying from Him physically or staying “close” to God, but being hypocritical and judgmental toward others. We should all rejoice when someone returns to God from their wayward ways. Why couldn’t the older brother accept his younger brother’s return with happiness? 

It is important to remember that the position of the Pharisees and scribes should not lead us to condemn Judaism or the Jewish people. These men devoted themselves to the Jewish writings and strived to keep them alive and relevant in each generation. Most importantly, they believed in Yahweh as both holy and loving. We have records of a couple of Pharisees who chose to follow Jesus: Nicodemus (John 3; cf. John 19:38-42) and the apostle Paul. Jesus did not ask either of these men to leave Judaism behind but to recognize Him as the promised Messiah and rightfully worship Him as the Son of God. Both were willing to do this, and it made all the difference. We do not know if any religious leaders who heard the story of the prodigal took the lesson to heart and repented. However, we know that even if one of them did so, there was tremendous rejoicing in heaven. 

This story should make us think about how we would have responded to Jesus if he had come in the 21st century. What do you think you would have done? Who are the tax collectors and sinners in our society today? Perhaps, if Jesus were to come today, He might spend time with prostitutes, the homeless, crooked politicians, and other unsavory characters? Would you be surprised to find Him enjoying Himself amongst the LBGTQ+ community? Jesus said, over and over, that He had come to seek and save the lost. The lost are all around us and come from all walks of life. Even so-called religious people can be lost if they harden their hearts toward Jesus and refuse to submit their lives to Him. We can learn from the beautiful welcome that the father had for his wayward son upon his return. Who can you welcome today? 

The master painter Rembrandt was so struck with this Bible story that he painted a beautiful depiction of it. Northland has a copy of this work in our foyer. Take some time to look at and meditate upon this piece the next time you are at church. There is also a wonderful book by Henri Nouwen called The Return of the Prodigal Son. This book puts you in the place of each of the three figures in the story. It would be well worth your time to read it.

Prayer: Lord, when I hear the story of the prodigal son, I am grateful to You for receiving me back when I have strayed away from You. I also repent of the times when I have been judgmental toward others’ stories and questioned why You would be good to them and welcome them back to Yourself when it seems obvious that they don’t deserve it. Help me remember that none of us deserve Your grace and favor, but You give it freely when we repent from our rebellious ways. May I want to join in the rejoicing when the lost are found. Help me do my part to be part of that heavenly celebration. Amen.