The Prodigal Son: The Father Who Ran

A man has two sons. The younger one goes to his father and asks for his share of the estate now — effectively, he is treating his father as already dead. The father divides his property and gives it to him. A few days later, the younger son packs everything and sets off for a distant country, where he squanders his inheritance in what the text calls asotos — dissipated, profligate living.

When the money runs out, a severe famine hits the country. He hires himself out to a citizen who sends him to feed pigs. He is hungry enough to want to eat what the pigs are eating. No one gives him anything.

He comes to himself — the Greek is eis heauton elthon, he came to himself, as if he had been away from himself — and thinks: even my father's hired servants have bread enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger. He forms a plan. He will go to his father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.

He gets up and goes to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father sees him — the father has been watching the road — and is filled with compassion, and runs, and falls on his neck and kisses him. The son begins his rehearsed speech. His father does not let him finish it. He calls the servants before the speech is done: bring the best robe, put a ring on his finger, sandals on his feet. Kill the fattened calf. This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

The older son returns from the field and hears the music. He is furious and refuses to go in. His father comes out to him. The older son's complaint is legitimate: all these years he has served faithfully and never disobeyed, and his father never gave him even a young goat. Now this wastrel returns and the calf is killed.

The father answers: Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate — your brother was dead and has come back to life. The parable ends there, with the older son still standing outside. Whether he went in is left for every hearer to answer for themselves.