Lost and Found

The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most well-known stories Jesus ever told. It’s often read as a moving portrait of repentance and forgiveness, a celebration of grace. But hearing it as good news for everyone—especially when we identify more with the older brother than the wayward son—requires a kind of inner transformation.

Years ago, while teaching on this text, someone asked a question I’d never considered: “Did the younger brother receive another inheritance after he returned?” That is just not a question the parable is trying to answer, but it’s an important one. It reflects a very human concern for fairness, and it signals that unless our hearts are softened, we may find it hard to fully rejoice in the generosity this story reveals.

Can you place yourself in the shoes of the older brother? Maybe the siblings had a close relationship, or maybe they didn’t. But either way, they had a shared history. When the younger brother left, that bond was broken. The brother who stayed behind likely shouldered extra responsibilities—some expected, others self-imposed. He remained faithful while watching his sibling waste a portion of their family’s future.

I think about the emotional toll. The quiet grief. The tension in the household. The disappointment, perhaps even embarrassment, his parents endured. It would not be unreasonable for the older brother to feel hurt—and to question the extravagant welcome his father extended.

But Jesus reorients the story. He redirects our attention from the brothers to the father. The core of this parable is not about sibling rivalry or fairness. It’s about a father whose love is inexhaustible. A love that gives freely. A love that forgives, welcomes, restores, and celebrates. A love that waits for all of us—and invites us to come home.

And yet, Jesus leaves the ending open. We don’t know what the older brother did next. Did he go into the party? Did he stay outside in protest? And what about the younger brother—how did he respond to the grace he received? Hospitality can be offered, but it must also be accepted. Forgiveness can be extended, but it must be received.

Both sons have a journey to make—toward the love of the father, and toward each other. Though love is the good news of the parable, it must be claimed by each person.

My prayer is that you will continue to grow in your awareness of the inexhaustible love of God—a love that is for you, and a love that is for all.