Luke 15:28, Who is the Lost Son?

Posted on Monday, January 12, 2015 in Bible Commentary | 1 comment

Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.

//In the parable of the lost coin, a woman diligently sweeps the floor of her home until she finds the coin.

In the parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd searches until he finds the sheep.

So in the parable of the prodigal son, who is the lost son? It’s the prodigal, right? Maybe. Maybe not.

Note that the father never goes in search of the prodigal. He finds his way back home on his own. He’s hardly lost. However, there’s another son in the story. You know the story: This son is jealous of his brother and won’t join in the party when he hears his brother has come home.

So what happens next? Like the woman with a lost coin, like the shepherd with a lost sheep, a father now goes in search of his son. But it’s the jealous son, not the prodigal. The father finds him and pleads with him to rejoin the family.

So which of the two is the lost son?