Introduction
Most of us know the text reading as The Parable of the Prodigal Son. But I’d like to offer a fresh perspective: perhaps we should call it The Parable of the Prodigal Celebration.
Text
Jesus has been preaching the good news of the kingdom—welcoming sinners, calling them to repentance, and offering forgiveness. Tax collectors, outcasts, and those society rejected were flocking to Him—not because He condoned sin, but because He offered mercy and a way home. But not everyone was pleased.
Criticism
“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’”
Response
In response, Jesus tells three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and finally—the lost son. Each time, the message is clear: when something lost is found, there is rejoicing. If heaven rejoices over repentance, why are you grumbling?
Malady
The Younger Son is a story of Lostness and Return. The younger son asks for his inheritance early—essentially saying, “Father, I wish you were dead.” The father grants his request. The son leaves, squanders everything in reckless living, and ends up starving in a pigsty.
In desperation, he plans to return—not to reclaim his place as a son, but hoping to be received as a servant.
But while he’s still far off, the father sees him. Why? Because he’s been watching. And in a deeply undignified act for a man of his status, the father runs to him, embraces him, and restores him fully:
“Bring the best robe. Put a ring on his finger. Kill the fattened calf. Let’s celebrate. This son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.”
Gospel
This is grace—lavish, extravagant, and undeserved. And here’s where the word prodigal comes back—not just the son’s wasteful living, but the father’s prodigal celebration.
The Father is a Picture of God’s Heart. This is how God welcomes us.
He doesn’t make us earn our way back. He doesn’t say, “Prove yourself.” Instead, He clothes us with the righteousness of Christ, restores our identity, and invites us to the feast.
And this feast is centered not around a fattened calf, but around the Lamb of God—Jesus Himself, who bore our sins so we could be welcomed home.
Malady
The Older Brother is a Tragedy of Resentment
But there’s another lost son—the older brother. He refuses to join the celebration. Angry, bitter, self-righteous, he distances himself from both his brother and his father. We have examples of such behaviour even today!
Again, the father goes out—this time, to plead with him.
“Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate. Your brother was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found.”
The parable ends unresolved. Will the older brother go in? Jesus leaves the question hanging—aimed squarely at the Pharisees. But it’s also aimed at us.
*The Gospel Invitation* : Join the Celebration
This story isn’t just about a wayward son in a far-off land. It’s about us. It’s about our Father, who watches, waits, runs, and rejoices when His children return.
It’s about Jesus, who welcomes sinners and eats with them.
It’s about the Church—a community not of the self-righteous, but of the forgiven.
Reflection
And it’s about this very table—where we join the prodigal celebration. Here, in the Lord’s Supper, we receive the body and blood of the Lamb who was slain. This meal is a taste of the greater feast to come, where every lost child is finally home.
Conclusion
So, let’s not stay outside grumbling. Let’s go in. Let’s rejoice. Let’s celebrate.
Because the gospel is true: “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Thanks be to God.
Amen!