The Prodigal Comes Home

   In the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15:11-32, there are two sons involved in the drama.  The younger brother, who takes his inheritance and runs off, gets the majority of the discussion and Bible study time, while the older brother is not talked about much.  In this article and the next, we will look at both brothers.

   In the story we find out that these boys live with a very rich father.  The younger brother gets in his head that he wants to check out the world.  It is very possible that he thinks that life at home is too stuffy, too restrictive and goes to his father, demanding his portion of the inheritance owed to him when his father dies.  Well, his father is not dead but the dad obliges and gives his young son the money.

   In their culture and tradition, the eldest son receive a double portion, meaning all other sons got less than the oldest and also the family name was to run through the oldest.  Everything was going for the oldest.  It is conceivable that the young brother in this story did not enjoy living in the shadow of his older brother.  So he takes off with his bank account full.  He is going to experience the world, enjoy what he never was able to experience before and thinking to himself that life has to be much better living away from home.  Now he could get on with his life and really know what it means to live!

   He was the new guy o ...