One Big Family
Luke 15:11-32
Rabbi Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz
Luke 15:11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 “The younger of them said to
his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that is coming to me.’ And so he
divided his wealth between them. 13 “And not many days later, the younger son
gathered everything together and went on a journey to a distant country, and there
he squandered his estate in wild living. 14 “Now when he had spent everything, a
severe famine occurred in that country, and he began doing without. 15 “So he went
and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his
fields to feed pigs. 16 “And he longed to have his fill of the carob pods that the pigs
were eating, and no one was giving him anything. 17 “But when he came to his senses,
he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired laborers have more than enough bread, but
I am dying here from hunger! 18 ‘I will set out and go to my father, and will say to
him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer
worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired laborers.”’ 20 “So he set
out and came to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him
and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 “And the
son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no
longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly
bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals
on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let’s eat and celebrate; 24
for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been
found.’ And they began to celebrate.
Luke 15:25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached
the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 “And he summoned one of the servants
and began inquiring what these things could be. 27 “And he said to him, ‘Your
brother has come, and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has
received him back safe and sound.’ 28 “But he became angry and was not willing to
go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 “But he answered and
said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never
neglected a command of yours; and yet you never gave me a young goat, so that I
might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has
devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’ 31
“And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is
yours. 32 ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was
dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”
The parable of the Prodigal Son is found in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 15, verses 11–32.
For more than 1,900 years, the church has often interpreted this parable through the
lens of a Roman family dynamic. The early church desired to resemble Roman culture
so strongly that it adopted the Roman understanding of family life. Because the church
has long held to its traditions, it has been nearly impossible for theologians through the
centuries to approach the parable from the perspective of Jesus’ original listeners. As a
result, many interpretations have likely been inaccurate.
Let us instead consider how the original audience would have understood this story.
These listeners heard Jesus speak in Aramaic, and they were thoroughly familiar with
their family structures and customs.
Several misconceptions have shaped the interpretation of this parable over time. The
first is the belief that the younger son “demanded” his inheritance, thereby wishing his
father dead. In reality, males in the household shared ownership of family property. The
younger son was not out of line in asking for his portion. However, once he received
it, he was expected to leave the family home. The family would not allow him to take
part of the property—especially land—sell it, and then continue living with them. This
was simply the custom of the time.
The parable mentions that the young man longed to eat “pods.” In Aramaic, the word
translated as “pods” carries a root meaning connected to “loneliness.” When the young
man arrived in a Gentile town, he likely made friends quickly because he had money
and spent it freely. But once the money was gone, so were the friends, and he was left
utterly alone. Feeding pigs—a degrading job for a Jewish man—heightened this sense
of loneliness and humiliation.
The father’s running toward the son certainly demonstrates compassion, but there was
another important reason for his haste. He needed to reach his son before the
townspeople did. They would have performed the kazazah ritual, which symbolically
cut the young man off from the community. If that occurred, he would never be allowed
to return. Had the father not been concerned about this possibility, he would have
simply waited at home, as dignified men did not run in that culture. His compassion for
his son moved him, but urgency also played a role.
A note about the kazazah: its purpose was to purge sin, but once it was performed, the
individual was permanently excluded from the community.
There was also tension between the older son, the younger son, and their father. In
Jesus’ day, sons were expected to work on the family farm and help manage it. Some
traditions claim that the younger son’s request for his inheritance meant he wished his
father dead, because inheritances were not normally distributed early. If distribution did
occur, the son forfeited any claim to future growth of the estate.
The older son, as the firstborn, received a double portion of the inheritance. When the
father welcomed the younger son back and restored him to the family, it meant that the
younger son could once again inherit from what remained of the estate. This reduced
the share available to the older son. His frustration reflects a kind of greed that existed
then just as it does today.
A more profound meaning in this parable concerns the nature of family relationships.
Human family dynamics are shaped by hierarchy, expectation, and roles. But in the
Kingdom of God, things are different. We are all firstborn sons and daughters of God.
There are no ranks in heaven. Our roles or titles in the church do not determine our
place in God’s kingdom—we are all “bishops” there, equal in value and dignity. For
many families—and even churches—this is a difficult truth to accept.
I once pastored a church that had two levels of membership. The first-class members
ensured that everything happened their way. They controlled the committees and
excluded the so-called second-class members. This shocked me because Jesus teaches
that all believers are equal. Yet a hierarchy clearly existed. I worked to change that
paradigm and, as expected, received a great deal of anger for attempting to make all
members equal. Although the first-class members verbally affirmed equality, the reality
was quite unfamiliar.
In the United Methodist system, bishops often function as “bosses.” I experienced one
bishop who regularly moved pastors across the conference—sometimes more than 200
miles (ca. 322 km) away from their families. When asked why, the answer was simply,
“Because I am the bishop.” Little attention was given to how these moves affected the
pastors themselves.
These examples show how the church sometimes forgets that all who enter the
Kingdom of God are equal. We may have different roles and responsibilities within the
church, but in terms of membership and worth, we are the same. Our family dynamic
as believers is meant to be one of love, care, and mutual respect. No one is more
important than anyone else. We must look out for all members of our congregation—
and for members of other congregations as well.
Perhaps one day, all denominations and independent churches will set aside the
animosity that mirrors the attitude of the older brother and truly become one family of
God.
