Luke 15 tells the story of the Prodigal son.  The more I reflect on this simple tale, the more depth that I see.  In the opening chapter of the book Listening to His Heartbeat, I use the story to give us entrance into the heart of  God.  It does do that, but there is clearly more here.

The story invites us all to consider which role we might play in the story.  Am I the younger son seeking satisfaction far from my roots?  Or could I be the stubborn older brother busy protecting my own turf?   Jesus seems to be pushing us toward neither option, but calling us to be like the compassionate father.

The story covers all the major truths of our faith.  The younger boy sins, but repents, confesses and is welcomed back.  The father responds with compassion and grace.  The older brother centers on a works righteousness that leads to his own misery.   It’s a dictionary of Christian doctrinal truths.

The story rehearses God’s mission.  The context of the story is that the religious people object to Jesus being with sinners (Lk 15:1-2).  Jesus tells three stories to recall why God continually comes to earth.  He seeks the outsider, the lost sheep, the missing coin, the wayward sons.   The story of the Prodigal son is “go into all the world” in story form.

What do you see in this story?  I’m open to some other ideas.  A few are floating around in my head.  Let me know how the story of the Prodigal son has touched you.