Return of the Prodigal Son

Return of the Prodigal Son
by James Ensor

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still 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 to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’
Luke 15:20-24

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The parable of the Prodigal Son speaks deeply to our human condition. The heart of the parable, however, lies not in the actions of the younger son, but in the radical love and mercy of the father, and the elder son’s struggle to understand it. A common misconception is that the word “prodigal” means lost or wayward. It actually means to be lavish or extravagant. So, in addition to meaning “wasteful” or “careless,” it can also refer to someone who is extravagant in giving, overflowing in graciousness, abundant in tenderness and love. Thus, the younger son is prodigal in squandering his inheritance; but so, too, is the father in the abundant forgiveness and unconditional love he demonstrates.

This expansive form of love—a love so generous that it shatters our limited sense of justice and fairness—is precisely what we are called to try and emulate as disciples of Jesus Christ. It mirrors the kind of love that God himself offers us. Sadly, we will persistently fall short of this ideal. It’s been said that, if you want to know who you are in parable, you are the sinner. And if the story has more than one sinner, you are both of them. Like the prodigal son, we are prone to wander, to squander the gifts our Father has given us, and to abandon Him in pursuit of our own ends. And like the elder son, we are quick to excuse and to think highly of ourselves, to harshly judge and resent others who perhaps sin differently than we do, and to view God’s mercy towards them as unfair or an injustice.

Thankfully, we have an infinitely loving Heavenly Father who forgives all our weakness, and who comes to us even when we are “still a great way off” or else “would not go in” to rejoice with Him. The parable of the Prodigal Son is a reminder of the radical inclusivity of God’s love. In the words of St. Isaac the Syrian, “Do not distinguish between the worthy and the unworthy. Let all be equal to you for good...for you do not know the secret of hearts.” May we, like the father, learn to love prodigally, and may we, like his sons, grow in understanding that God’s love is not a zero-sum game, but a limitless well that embraces and enriches us all.

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