The Prodigal (or Lost) Son 

Basic Info

Luke 15:11–32

The setup of the story is that a bunch of tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus to hear him teach. The scribes and the Pharisees started to complain about Jesus’ getting close to sinners. Jesus then turned to the scribes and Pharisees and told them three parables to drive home a point about how joyous it is when one sinner turns back toward God: the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin, and the Parable of the Lost Son.

The Parable of the Lost Son begins with a fairly wealthy man who has two sons. The second son asks for his inheritance while Dad is still alive. Dad divides the estate and gives the boy his half. The young man then goes off to another country and parties his inheritance away. In his new country, a famine hits and the young man takes a job tending pigs. He is so hungry he wishes he could eat the pigs’ food. Then he realizes that his father has employees who eat better than he’s eating, so he decides to go home, acknowledge his sinful behavior, and ask his father for a job as a laborer. While he is still far away, his father sees him and feels compassion. The father runs to the boy, hugs him, and tells the servants to bring a fancy robe and shoes, and to prepare for a feast to welcome the boy home.

The older brother is angry. He has always been a good son, attentive to his father and responsible (much like the scribes and the Pharisees), but his father never threw him a party. The older son seems to expect that because his younger brother has offended Dad and the rest of the family, he should not be welcomed. He may even think that his younger brother deserves any hardship he got for what he did. The father explains that the younger brother was in effect dead and now had come back to life and that that was a cause for rejoicing.

Historical Notes

For an in-depth analysis of, and reflection on, Rembrandt’s painting The Return of the Prodigal Son, see Henri Nouwen’s book The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming (1994).

What to Look For

• Who’s present and who’s absent
• Everyone’s expressions and gestures
• The spatial dynamic among everyone (above, below, right, left, etc.)
• The clothing and attitude of the older son
• The clothing and attitude of the younger son

Questions to Focus a General Interpretation

Does the artwork depict simply a nice father and son reunion, or does it push the message that a sinner returning to God in humility is cause for more joy than someone who doesn’t ever leave God’s side (whether or not they are completely at God’s side)?

Which character does the artwork seem to emphasize? the father who is all merciful and forgiving? the younger son who is humbly acknowledging his faults? the older son who is angry when he thinks his brother’s bad behavior is being rewarded?

Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation

Does the depiction of the younger son’s humble return remind you of areas in which you have turned away from God? Does the depiction of the father’s welcome offer you a reason to repent?

Can you relate to the older brother depicted in this artwork? Does his separation from his father and brother call you to soften your stance on any particular judgment you hold?

Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation



What were the common betrayals in the artist’s day? Were they political? Were they religious? Who was shifting sides and then shifting back? Does the artwork seem to reference any of these public “returns”?