[OBW]

And I sit corrected. Prodigal is actually what everyone thinks it is. However, in the context of this parable, the title that we have given it for purposes of a header in our scripture is not part of the actual text. It is a story about a man with two sons.

And the focus of the story is the actions of the father toward the wayward son (paralleling the publicans and sinners that Jesus was accused of eating with) and his attempts to be inclusive of the other son (paralleling the pharisees who were busy complaining about Jesus eating with the publicans and sinners). It was part of Jesus' response to the Pharisees concerning their complaint. So it was more about how a loving father was caring for his sons than how the younger one went astray. I do note that some have retitled the parable to something like "The Expectant Father" or "The Loving Father."

And in this light, while I do not disagree with the ability to be instructive toward wayward ones, self-righteous ones, and fathers (leaders, elders, or whatever), it does not appear that any of these are the purpose of the parable. Rather, it was primarily a different kind of declaration that Jesus came to seek the lost, not the self-righteous (although he did give them a reasonable heads-up that they weren't so righteous). And he was busy living that declaration in, among other things, eating with sinners.

And as I am supposedly a follower of Christ . . . .