By 
Lost is a heart-breaking word. Whether it’s connected to death, defeat, directions, or possessions, it can bring us face-to-face with emotions ranging from frustration to the deepest grief. At the very least, we feel helpless. And maybe that’s the point.
There’s a line from a poem J.R.R. Tolkien wrote and included in his Lord of the Rings trilogy that goes something like, “Not all who wander are lost.” We get what Tolkien was trying to say, but Jesus was often misunderstood. And in the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus shone light on another subtle truth: sometimes we’re lost and we don’t even know it.
The Prodigal Son in Luke 15 is not only about things lost and found; it’s also about open and hidden sin, and grace lavished on the least deserving. Isn’t it just like Jesus to offer hope even to those who have purposefully gone astray, who have chosen the wrong road and ended up nowhere? In this parable Jesus was saying: whoever you are, My grace is sufficient; wherever you’ve been, My truth will search you out; and whatever your sin, there is a Way home.
The first two verses of Luke 15 (ESV) help orient us: 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.”
Jesus was constantly followed by two groups of people with very different motives, so His teaching typically had a dual purpose. The first group mentioned were the outcasts and rejects, but they were the ones with ears to hear (Luke 14:35). The population dubbed “most likely to fail miserably in life” were actually winning here. They recognized Light in the darkness and leaned in.
The second group in the crowd were the grumbling, criticizing Pharisees and scribes—the “religious leaders”. They were called to shepherd the sheep of Israel; but chose to abandon that role (see Ezekiel 34:1-6) and insisted instead on adherence to rules, many of which they came up with themselves. God laid out His perfect Law through Moses; this group tacked on unnecessary expectations to every line. And they were blind to the fact that they had completely missed the point.
Scripture is clear that Jesus knew the hearts and minds of men, and He brilliantly told a story that imparted grace and rebuke at the same time. A careful read reveals it to be both an examination and an invitation.
The obvious sinner in this story—the son who demanded his inheritance then let it flow like water through his fingers—was ultimately repentant. He’d lost all he’d been given and found himself face down in regret and despair, feeding pigs and on his own in a far country. Yet, it wasn’t his dire circumstances that woke him up. We see in verse 17 that the memory of his father’s goodness moved him. The memory of the love his father showed even to his servants helped right his heart and set his sights on home.
He was still a long way off, Scripture tells us, when the son saw a figure moving steadily toward him. The young man probably blinked his eyes in disbelief. The figure was his father, and he was running to meet him—an undignified act in the eyes of the world, but a beautiful display of unhindered love for his son.
The son was still covered in pig filth, but his father wrapped his arms around him and kissed his face without flinching. The son began his prepared speech in verse 21: “I have sinned…I am no longer worthy...” And the father replied by putting a ring on his finger, shoes on his feet, and a robe around his shoulders—garments of reconciliation. The community gathered for a welcome home party, because grace that washes a repentant sinner clean deserves a celebration.
Then Jesus introduced the second son, the older brother who was diligently working in his father’s field when sounds of life drew him home. After hearing the news of his brother’s return this son remained outside, cut off by bitterness, self-righteousness, and anger. So the father went to him—not in frustration, not exasperated by his son’s lack of compassion, but to plead: Join us in our joy!
This son was loyal and law-abiding; however, his response revealed the hard heart hiding behind those good deeds. Notice his indignation in verse 29: “I have served…I never disobeyed.” Here, pride and entitlement thrust their ugly heads high and shout: “When am I going to get the respect I deserve?!”
Rather than admonish his oldest son’s sinful attitude, in verse 31 the father responded again with grace: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” So, be glad with me. Can’t you see? Your brother left, a dead man, and has come back home more alive than ever!
There is no resolution to the final conflict in this parable; we are left to ponder the brother’s next move. Jesus’ teaching must have been like a refreshing cup of cold water to those we saw at the beginning—the ones who had drawn near, with ears to hear, who likely felt lost and alone.
But for the stiff-necked law-keepers lurking in the shadows, Jesus’ message was lost. This grace was too much to take in. We know where all this leads: rejection, betrayal, and death of our Savior. But that’s still not the end of the story.
Whether we are lost in selfishness or self-righteousness, our Father in heaven longs for everyone to come to Him. And because of His Son Jesus, no matter what we’ve done, while we breathe, it’s not too late. Through the story of the gracious father and his two lost sons, Jesus teaches that no country is too far, no heart is too hard, no child is too lost to be found in Him. Jesus will always pursue us with love, wrap us in His grace, and restore us with joy.
Leslie Strader
Leslie Strader is a freelance writer and editor, and for 10 years was the Women’s Bible Study Coordinator of Bethel Bible Church. She has authored two Bible studies for Big Dream Ministries (https://www.bigdreamministries.org) - The Amazing Life of Jesus Christ and Empowered: The Amazing Church of Jesus Christ - along with several others as part of Bethel’s WBS Curriculum Writing Team. She and her husband Ross have been married since 1995 and have three children. Leslie loves spending time with her family, cooking (not baking!), and the pursuit of wisdom and joy in Christ with fellow believers. 
