The Prodigal and the Welcome Table—Lectionary Reading for Lent 4C (Luke 15)

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

15 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. ² And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ So he told them this parable:

“There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the wealth that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them. ¹³ A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant region, and there he squandered his wealth in dissolute living. ¹⁴ When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that region, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that region, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶ He would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, and no one gave him anything. ¹⁷ But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’ ²⁰ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. ²¹ Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate, ²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his elder son was in the field, and as he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. ²⁷ He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has got him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command, yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ ³¹ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’ ”

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                Jesus was rather indiscriminate in who he ate with. He ate with leading Pharisees as well as Tax collectors. He tended to go where he was invited, which led to criticism on the part of the religious leaders. Ironically, Christian churches often limit who can come to Jesus’ table. We have our own rules and regulations to make sure that only the right kind of people dine with us when we gather at the Lord’s Table (I address these issues in my forthcoming book: Eating with Jesus: Reflections on Divine Encounters at the Open Eucharistic Table (Cascade Books, 2025)).  Here in Luke 15, we run into another of those discussions of Jesus’ eating patterns. That leads to a couple of parables, including that of the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

                The parable of the prodigal is rather popular. Interestingly, most hearers of the parable identify with the prodigal. We seem to sense that we need a bit of divine grace due to our own wandering spirits. We sense that we too are broken and need reconciliation. Lent is a good season to have that conversation. The prior week’s reading from Luke 13 calls for repentance, which is to be accompanied by fruit (Luke 13:1-9). Having heard that reminder of our need for repentance, we hear this illustration of what that might look like.  While we tend to identify with the younger brother in this parable, it may be that we are more like the older brother who disapproves of his brother’s actions and his father’s forgiving spirit.

                Our parable follows the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, parables that celebrate God’s acts of grace that are designed to bring back into the fold those who are lost and estranged. of grace that illustrates God’s desire to make sure all of God’s children are brought back into the fold (Luke 15: 3-10). In each of these three parables, we see what appear to be excessive acts of celebration that do not seem to fit with what is reclaimed, especially when it comes to the lost coin. But perhaps we’re not looking at things the way God does.

                The parable of the prodigal is rather odd in that the younger son's request is simply not allowed. Dividing up an inheritance before the death of the grantor is simply not done. But perhaps we get things wrong because the focus is not on the lost son by the loving father. Note that Jesus begins by taking note of the father, who happens to have two sons. Thus, as Fred Craddock pointed out we tend to focus on the lostness present in the parables, while the three parables are instead about “love and forgiveness and joy” [Interpretation: Luke, p. 186]. Nevertheless, the focus quickly moves to the request made by the younger son, who seems impatient with his situation in life. He is tired of farm life and wants to head out on an adventure. So, he demands that his father divide up the inheritance at that very moment rather than at the death of the father. The father did as the son requested. He divided the estate and gave half to the younger son. Off went the younger son, now free to do as he pleased. He did as he pleased, squandering the inheritance almost as soon as he got it in “dissolute living.” 

                Not only did the one we call the prodigal spend everything he had on dissolute living, but a severe famine hit the land making his situation even worse. Now that he was penniless and facing hunger, he went looking for a job. Fortunately, he found a job feeding pigs. Unfortunately, the job didn’t pay a living wage, so the pigs he was feeding ate better than he did. Thus, he began to envy the pigs. Now, it’s worth stopping here for a moment. If Jesus’ audience was a group of Jews, the fact that the prodigal was feeding pigs made the situation even more humiliating. After all, Jews were forbidden to eat pork or even touch the carcass of a pig (Lev. 11:7). That’s how far he had fallen. In fact, he was as good as dead!

                Finally, the prodigal came to his senses. He realized that his father’s hired hands ate much better than he was at that moment. So, he decided to return home, not as a son, but as a possible hired hand. He even put together a speech to share with his father, in which he would confess the mistake he had made. He would tell his father  “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” (Luke 15:18-19). So, off he went, heading back home. We might call what he did here an act of repentance. He had made a major error in judgment, but out of his disgrace and hunger, he was ready to head back home.

                Even as the son headed home, his father was watching for him. When his father saw him, the father was filled with compassion. The father ran toward his son, hugged and kissed him. When the son tried to confess his sins against heaven and his father, the Father was so overjoyed at his son’s return that he was ready to party. He told his slaves to bring one of the best robes in the house and put it on the repentant son, along with a ring for his fingers and sandals for his feet. Not only that, but he ordered that a fatted calf be slaughtered and roasted so they could have a feast. Why all this fuss? It was because “this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Yes, he was lost (like the lamb and the coin), but was now found, so let’s party! Once again this sounds a bit excessive. After all, the younger son had requested his portion of the inheritance early, had lost it in bad living, and returned home with his tail between his legs. Why celebrate? The answer is, that’s the way God responds when the children of God return home.

                So, the focus here is on the father’s joy. It reveals that God is heartbroken when we walk away from God’s loving embrace, thinking we know better. But God is always ready to welcome us back home and does so with joyous celebration. It is at this point that the older son enters the picture. Remember that the parable begins by letting us know that the father has two sons. The older son is a bit perturbed by the celebration. Rightfully so (I’m a firstborn son). He had stayed home on the farm, assisting his father, asking nothing for himself (he also knew that he would eventually get his share). In fact, he was out in the fields working when the younger son arrived home. When he returned from the fields after a hard day's work, he heard music and dancing. Not knowing what was happening, he asked one of the slaves what was happening. He was told that his brother had returned home and his father had killed the fatted calf in his honor. When he heard this, he got so angry he refused to go into the house.

When the father heard that his oldest son was outside, refusing to come in, he went out to the son and pleaded with him to come and join the party. But the older son refused, telling his father that he had faithfully served his father, working like a slave for him, never disobeying his father. He was a good and faithful son if ever there was one. However, his father hadn’t even offered a young goat so he could celebrate with his friends. Now that this son, the prodigal had returned home after spending his entire inheritance on prostitutes, he killed a fatted calf in his honor. It just didn’t seem fair. He was probably correct. It doesn’t seem fair. Yet, that’s what the father did. The father had an answer. He told his son that it was true that he had always been there for him. It’s also true that what is his ultimately belonged to the older son. He would get his inheritance. However, this son who was lost was now found. He had been dead but was now alive. As with the lamb and the coin, the only thing he could do with that was celebrate. Is this not true of us as well? We may be lost, but once found God does rejoice.

When read in the context of the conversation with the Pharisees who were uncomfortable with Jesus’ dining partners, we can see the bigger picture. Jesus understood in a way that his critics didn’t that God seeks to restore broken relationships. Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors not because he was supportive of their behavior but because they were lost and needed to be found. Eating with them was a celebration that they had been found. Thus, this is a message of grace. These parables also have implications for how the church celebrates the Lord’s Supper. We need to ask the question of whether this is a meal reserved only for saints or is it a holy meal of inclusion and transformation. The parable reminds us that God is compassionate and welcoming. So should we. That doesn’t mean we do not take appropriate steps to protect those within the church from predatory persons. All are welcome, but not all behaviors are welcome! So, perhaps the Pharisees (who always get a bad rap) have a good point in raising questions about Jesus’ dining partners. Here it is good to remember the message of the previous week’s reading from Luke 13, where Jesus speaks of repentance and the need to bear appropriate fruit (Luke 13:1-9). The message here is that God is always ready to welcome us back home.

I will close with this word from Fred Craddock’s commentary on this passage, which addresses the way we tend to read the parable in a way that pits the two sons against each other. But perhaps there is another way to read it.

Perhaps it is because of the competitive rather than cooperative spirit of our society, but the common thought is that there must be losers if there are winners. Hence, even in religion, it is very difficult not to think Jews or  Gentiles, poor or rich, saint or sinner, publican or Pharisee, older son or younger son. But God’s love is both/and, not either/or. The embrace of the younger son did not mean the rejection of the older; the love of tax collectors and sinners does not at all negate love of Pharisees and scribes. Such is God’s love, but we find it difficult not to be offended by God’s grace toward another, especially if we have serious questions about that person’s conduct and character. [Craddock, Interpretation: Luke, p. 188].

This is a word worth hearing in this time of deep division and distrust. That doesn’t mean we approve of everyone’s behavior or support their agendas. It does mean that God’s love extends to all.

 Image Attribution: Swanson, John August. Prodigal Son, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56559 [retrieved March 25, 2025]. Original source: Estate of John August Swanson, https://www.johnaugustswanson.com/.