PARABLE of the PRODIGAL SON

LUKE 15: V11- V32

Again He said:  There was once a man who had two sons;

And the younger said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the property.”
So, he divided his estate between them.  A few days later the younger son turned the whole of his share into cash and left home for a distant country, where he squandered it in reckless living.  He had spent it all, when a severe famine fell upon that country and he began to feel the pinch.  So he went and attached himself to one of the local landowners, who sent him on to his farm to mind the pigs.  He would have been glad to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs were eating, and no man gave him anything. Then he came to his senses and said, “ How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they can eat, and here am I, starving to death!  I will set off and go to my father, and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned, against God and against you; I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.” So he set out for his father’s house.  But while he was still a long way off his father saw him, and his heart went out to him.  He ran to meet him, flung his arms round him and kissed him.  The son said, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you; I am no longer fit to be called your son. ”But the father  said to his servants, “Quick!  Fetch a robe, my best one, and put it on him, put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet.  Bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us have a feast to celebrate the day.   For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life, he was lost and is found.” And the festivities began.

Now the elder son was out on the farm, and on his way back, as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.  He called one of the servants and asked what it meant.  The servant told him, “ Your brother has come home, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has him back safe and sound.” But he was angry and refused to go in.  His father came out and pleaded with him, but he retorted, “ you know how I have slaved for you all these years; I never once disobeyed your orders, and you never gave me so much as a kid, for a feast with my friends.  But now that this son of yours turns up””, after running through your money with his women, you kill the fatted calf for him.” “ My Boy, said the father.” You are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  How could we help celebrating this happy day? Your brother here was dead and has come back to life, was lost and is found.”(as was the Lost Sheep and the lost coin)