The Prodigal Love That Finds Us All
(Read Luke 15:11-32)
Why This Story Is About Three Prodigals
When Jesus tells the story, we often call the prodigal son, He is not explaining bad behavior or outlining the steps of repentance. He is revealing the heart of Abba—a Father who runs, restores, and rejoices before explanations are finished.
But to really hear the story, we need to recover a word we’ve misunderstood.
Prodigal does not mean “lost.”
It means lavish, extravagant, wastefully generous.
Which means this story is not about one prodigal.
It’s about three.
The Younger Son: Prodigal with Freedom
The younger son is prodigal with his inheritance—
reckless, impulsive, certain that life is found somewhere else.
We recognize ourselves here easily.
Running.
Escaping.
Trying to feel alive apart from relationship.
But Jesus does not center the story on the son’s failure.
He centers it on the response that meets him.
Before repentance is finished, the Father runs.
Before trust is rebuilt, belonging is declared.
The Older Son: Prodigal with Control
The older son is prodigal too—
not with money, but with joy.
He wastes years living close to the Father
without ever enjoying Him.
He is prodigal with obedience,
lavish with effort,
extravagant with striving.
He stays—but never rests.
He serves—but never celebrates.
Shame doesn’t always drive us away.
Sometimes it convinces us to stay close—but guarded.
And the Father goes out to him too.
Father: Prodigal with Love
But the true prodigal of the story is Papa.
He is prodigal with inheritance—giving it early.
Prodigal with dignity—running in public.
Prodigal with forgiveness—interrupting confession.
Prodigal with restoration—robe, ring, feast.
Prodigal with patience—going out to the angry son.
Prodigal with joy—celebrating without consensus.
This kind of love is wildly counter-cultural.
It makes no sense in systems built on earning.
Papa does not love cautiously.
He does not love proportionally.
He does not love defensively.
He loves like God.
What This Story Is Really About
This story is not about how far we wandered.
It’s about how near God has always been.
It’s about a Father whose mindset is so different from ours
that it takes Holy Spirit light to even recognize it.
A Father who is not managing distance,
but sharing life.
A Father whose love offends our sense of fairness
and heals our deepest shame.
Reflection
Which of the three prodigals do I see myself in most easily right now?
Where have I assumed God’s love needed to be earned rather than received?
What would it look like to trust that Papa has always been prodigal with love toward me?
Prayer