Bible Study Non-Combative topic. Who's who in "The Prodigal Son"?

[Deavonreye]

Can someone give me the rundown of who each character in "The Prodigal Son" is, in relation to people and god? Thank you.

 

[Sissy]

The prodigal son is a repentant sinner.

Each of the parables in Luke 15 are about that which was lost being found, and rejoicing because of it.

The elder son did not want to rejoice.

Luke 15
(28) And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
​

I suspect this was a dig toward the pious Pharisees since they neither wanted to go to the lost or for the lost to come to them.
They wanted nothing to do with them (the lost), and admonished Jesus for seeking or receiving the lost, as perceived in the beginning of Luke 15.

Luke 15
(1) Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
(2) And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
​

 

[craigmn3]

The Prodigal Son is us

The father....is THE FATHER awaiting our return

The brother is probably a future reference to the Jew who would have to make room for us

Two recurring themes are also seen in this parable...

One Jesus....is down playing his own role here, and may be presumed, isn't involved in the repetence process, but He is the opportunity the prodigal grasped onto in the pig pen.

Second. In the Parable of the wedding feast and the the one where the workers who were hired for an hour were paid the same as those who worked all day, he is addressing the resentment we, or others might feel at the reward of others....and that our hearts should be A. satisified with our own rewards, and B. Be joyful at other's rewards

 

[tig]

The Prodigal Son is us

The father....is THE FATHER awaiting our return

The brother is probably a future reference to the Jew who would have to make room for us

Two recurring themes are also seen in this parable...

One Jesus....is down playing his own role here, and may be presumed, isn't involved in the repetence process, but He is the opportunity the prodigal grasped onto in the pig pen.

Second. In the Parable of the wedding feast and the the one where the workers who were hired for an hour were paid the same as those who worked all day, he is addressing the resentment we, or others might feel at the reward of others....and that our hearts should be A. satisified with our own rewards, and B. Be joyful at other's rewards

I see it in much the same way. The Father is obviously God, the creator (good news, God being referenced as the Father, big statement there). The Prodigal? Those who come to know the Father's depth of love. The son who remained home? Those who have not fully experienced the depth of the Father's love, in that they believe their works determine that. Those who take advantage and deplete the prodigal's wealth? All those in this world who try through subtlety to gain what is not their's.

There's a few more players in there, like the Father's servants, ect.

 

[Deavonreye]

Yes, who would the servants be?

How about the towns people who were after the son to kill him, according to the law?

 

[tig]

Yes, who would the servants be?

How about the towns people who were after the son to kill him, according to the law?

Can you clarify that? Not sure, I think that those servants might would be the servants of Satan. I'm thinking that the servants of the Father (in the prodigal son story) would probably be the angels. As in, are they not all ministering spirits? Sent forth to minister unto them who shall be heirs of salvation. And, servants don't abide in the house forever, the children do. Looks like it fits angels a little better. I dunno.

How about the fellow he attached himself to for the slop? Who do you think he is and why?

 

[stovebolts]

Deavon,
The beauty of some of the parables are that they can have many layers, implications and applications for those Jesus shared them with and even for us today.

As core to whom the parable was told, I was taught that the Oldest Son was Israel and the youngest son represented the gentiles.

 

[Elijah674]

Deavon,
The beauty of some of the parables are that they can have many layers, implications and applications for those Jesus shared them with and even for us today.

As core to whom the parable was told, I was taught that the Oldest Son was Israel and the youngest son represented the gentiles.

No verse found there? Yet, I agree whole heartedly. Now, how about other chapters, such as Eze. 28 or Jer. 4 with dual meanings or repeated 'two' ways time periods at least seen? Do you accept that as 'can have' 'maybe' or 'factual'?

Or maybe your Mi. (+ elswhere) weather taking part in having an Matt. 24:21 escalation of all hell breaking loose towards the last time such as never was?;)

--Elijah

 

[stovebolts]

Hi E,

I'll have to take a look at the passages you posted and get back with you. Yeah, some weather huh?... been busy as well. will try to get back with an answer for you soon

 

[Rinid]

There is alot to this one and some is understanding tradition.. basically the younger son says give me my inheritence now and let me go. Now in tradition the older son should step in here and say hey you are out of line. The oldest son was kinda the go between for the father and the rest of the sons. We don't see the oldest objecting here. Now then the father does as his son asks and gives him what he wants. Now it's important to remimber that in doing this the rest that is left then becomes the oldest son's. Now the youngest son goes away and parties and lives the good life. This is the person who has icnorded everything he should be doing and is now doing whatever he wants. That's most of us sinners. Now in this time this younger son gave the region a bad name. He gave the family a bad name but also the region. What that means is if this person shows his face the people in the town would probably stone him, unless the family has shown they have forgiven him. See the father seen him a ways off and hurried to the son before anyone else could get to him. Then the father calls for his best robe, a ring and shoes to show that he has forgiven his son and his son is back under his protection. Then the father kills the fatted calf to celebrate the return, or rebirth or his son. As he says his son was dead, (if one of the other townsmen would have gotten to him first he would have been literally) but now he is alive, because the father has shown forgiveness clothing him in his robes showing everyone that he has forgiven him, and accepted him back. Now the oldest son says hey wait father killed my fatted calf to celebrate the return of the one that imbarressed us. We never see repentance for his part in this. the father tells him hey he was dead but now he is alive. we must celebrate this. This is a way of saying that we should use what we have to glorify the father for his act of saving his son. So once we have done our part in the church we should always give of what we have to glorify god. Not take the unforgiving heart towards those that has embarressed us. while forgeting hey we maybe out of line the whole time (have the wrong motives) ourselfs.

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

Can someone give me the rundown of who each character in "The Prodigal Son" is, in relation to people and god? Thank you.

I have often wwished esus explained this parable the way he did others, but since he did not it leaves us to wonder about some thinks, namely the identity of the brother. Based on how the term "lost" was used by Jesus, we have reasonable grounds to believe that some contextual usage can be applied to this parable thus linking the "lost" brother to the northern kingdom that has been dispersed and had became known as the 10 lost tribes. Remember Jesus sent out his disciples to the lost tribes of Israel, not to the nations until at least a decade after his death. That would make the other brother the Jews (Judeans) or at minimun the Jewish leadership.
This parable may very well have been directed exclusively to Israel and not applicable to the nations (aka Gentiles), though the townspeople the son encountered may have been representative of the nations.