Parable Project

The modern day version of The Parable of the Prodigal Son involves a factory-worker father and his two sons. The family lives a comfortable life, with the father providing enough for his family to live without worry. The older son is exactly like his father, working a lowly job under his father, in hopes of following in his footsteps and taking over his business one day. The younger son sees himself doing much different than his father or brother. He dreams of moving to Los Angeles and becoming an actor. The younger son reached a time where he could no longer stand working for his father anymore, and after asking for months his father finally gave in and gave the younger son his inheritance in order to pursue an acting career in California. The son sets off and tries his very best to become a famous actor, but falls short and runs into tough times. After finally scavenging enough money to fly home, he returns home embarassed to confront his father. To his surprise, his father was overcome with emotion when he saw him, and immediately embraced him. After hearing about his situation, the father offered the youngest son his old job back, a place to stay, and decided to have a welcome home party in his honor. This frustrated the older son who had never questioned his father or his future, and had never been celebrated before. His father assured him that everything he had ever done was for them two, and all he wants is them to be together again. 

In “New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible” by ***, A parable is defined as a “speech that carries over a similarity of likeness from one thing to another and is used in argumentation to embellish, clarify, prove, or vivify” (Sakenfeld, 369). This is proven true in The Parable of the Prodigal Son as Luke tries to prove and vivify the relationship between the father and both of his sons before and after the youngest son leaves home. This source gives a general overview of narrative parables and the literary types used in the bible. These include similes and similitude, Allegory, Example Stories, Exhortation, and Parables and the Kingdom of God. 

The Prodigal Son is one of Jesus’s most famous and well known parables for many reasons. It’s simpleness makes it easy to teach to younger kids, but a deeper dive into the story offers incredible deeper meanings. The story also stands out for other reasons, including its third person narration. In Hear Then The Parables by Bernard Brandon Scott, he indicates that the story is introduced with “Then he said” (Luke:15:11), which blocks the fictional identification with the man. The pattern of feeling lost, found, and rejoicing is repeated in the story through the younger son being “lost” and then returning and his father celebrating his return. Another interesting detail from this parable is the double audience that it offers. (Scott,103) The fictional audience of the primary narrative is prevalent, as well as the implied readers of the actual gospel. This story is translated for the “modern” listener through the use of the mytheme of two-son stories, which were common in the Hebrew bible. This parable also constructs family in a very narrow way, with no mothers or daughters spoken of in the entire story. 

One of the main misconceptions of this story is whether or not the interest has to do with the morality of accepting his son back or the son asking for his inheritance early, but it truly revolves around the unity of his sons (Scott,125). One author feels that the younger son severely disrespected his father by asking for his inheritance early. “By leaving his father, he cast aside his obligation to care for him in old age. He rejected the duty of a son to honor his father and mother, as spelled out in the Decalogue”. (Hultgren, 73) By going away to a distant country, the younger son geographically and psychologically distanced himself from his father, as well as from his brother. While what the younger son did was awful in the eyes of this author, he eventually “came to himself” and repented when he returned and offered himself to his father. (Hultgren, 76). Another image used was having the son return home barefoot. This symbolized the bestowal of freedom, and the hit the younger son’s social class took when he went to work for someone else when he ran out of money. 

This incredible tale told by Jesus and transcripted by Luke included countless life lessons as well as examples of how God’s love trumps all. The Parable of the Prodigal Son shows God’s profound love for everyone, and that he is always ready to forgive those who seek repentance with open arms.

Works Cited

Scott, Bernard Brandon. Hear Then the Parable: a Commentary on the Parables of Jesus. Fortress Press, 1990.

Hultgren, Arland J. The Parables of Jesus: a Commentary. W.B. Eerdmans, 2000.

The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible: Volume 4: R – Z. Abingdon Press, 1962.