How to Teach the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Theologically
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the best-known stories in the entire Bible. It’s served as inspiration for countless works of art, stories, and movies. It’s so well-known that many people who have never set foot in a church are still vaguely familiar with it. And yet, it’s surprisingly easy to miss Jesus’ intent.
In this article, I want to help you teach theologically by walking you through the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
How I Teach the Bible, Theologically
This series shows that there’s not one ordained way to teach the Bible theologically. Here’s how I take a theological approach to teaching the Bible.
First: understand the text. Exegesis and biblical hermeneutics matter. A lot. Sometimes people can talk like this is less-important in youth ministry than in other areas of ministry, but that’s simply not true. Teenagers need God’s Word, not just a devotional nugget about it. We need to do the hard work of really understanding the biblical text clearly enough that we can succinctly answer “What’s this about?” in one or two easy sentences.
Second: ask good theological questions of the text. Three questions the YPT Curriculum uses in every lesson, in order to help you teach theologically are: “What does this text teach me about God?”, “What does this text teach me about People?”, and “What does this text have to do with the gospel?” Those three questions will help you learn how to understand the biblical text from a theological perspective.
Finally: think about the daily rhythms of your audience. What puts a smile on their face? What keeps them up at night? What do they pray about? These questions will enable you to apply the biblical text and the theological message to your students. It will bring them into God’s Word so they’ll come to know the Living God, see themselves and their world more clearly, and walk in the grace of Jesus Christ.
Understanding the Text
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is found in a series of parables Jesus told in response to the Pharisees and scribes who grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” In response, Jesus tells three parables about precious things that are lost being found: a lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7), a lost coin (Luke 15:8-10), and a lost son (Luke 15:11-32). Jesus is both rebuking the Pharisees and scribes while affirming the dignity and value of the tax collectors and sinners.
The parable sets up a contrast between two brothers: A dutiful older brother who tends his father’s sheep, and an irresponsible younger brother who forsakes his father in order to spend his inheritance on wild living. After coming to his senses, the irresponsible brother returns home–not expecting to reclaim his place as a son, but as a servant. But the father runs to greet him and throws a lavish party to welcome his lost son home.
In the end, the lost son turns out to be the one who stayed home. This final scene of the parable shows the irresponsible son has been welcomed and has rekindled his love for his father; while the “responsible” son remains outside, and is embittered towards his father for his unfair treatment of the two sons. Being the master storyteller that he is, Jesus concludes the parable in a way that leads the Pharisees to answer for themselves, “Will the older brother harden his heart and stay outside, or will he humble himself and go to the party?”
Jesus’ message is clear: the Pharisees are the “responsible” son who approaches the father with entitlement and self-righteousness, and the tax collectors and sinners are the irresponsible son who have confessed their need for the father’s mercy.
Asking Good Theological Questions
What does this passage teach us about God?
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is centered around God’s character. He is not “fair” in the human sense: giving to everyone exactly what they deserve or earn. Instead, he is merciful and gracious: he forgives those who forsake him and welcomes sinners home, even though they’ve squandered their inheritance. God is rich in mercy towards sinners who come home.
What does this passage teach us about people?
We are all lost sons. We hold our head up high because of our goodness and righteousness, believing that God will honor us for our obedience; or we live a way that wants to get the most out of every day by enjoying all the world offers, leading us away from the Lord until we “come to ourselves” and recognize our sin for what it is. But we have a Heavenly Father who is full of mercy and grace, which can be offensive to some and overwhelming to others. This parable invites us to honestly evaluate our own relationship with the Father to see which son we most resemble.
What does this passage have to do with the gospel?
Jesus told this parable to rebuke the Pharisees (responsible brother) for their attitude towards the tax collectors and sinners (irresponsible brother). Instead of believing that God loved them because of their righteousness and should reject others because of their sin, Jesus told this parable to display the grace and restoration that God offers sinners. It’s an invitation to self-reflection, to see that both brothers were lost in different ways–and it ends with the cliff-hanger, “Will the older brother humble himself and come to the party?”
Connecting with Youth
Now that we understand this passage exegetically and theologically, let’s apply it to the students God has called us to serve.
Many teenagers struggle with the question, “Am I enough?” On one hand, they wrestle with trying to make their parents proud, to make and keep good friends, to prove themselves to coaches and teachers, and to set themselves up for a successful life. On the other hand, teenagers can often be impulsive and make decisions that make adults scratch their heads in confusion. This is also evident in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
Some of our more “church-kids” are such perfectionists that they hardly consider themselves sinners. They obey their parents, volunteer to read and answer questions in small group, and treat their peers and teachers with kindness and respect. For them, the Parable of the Prodigal Son leads them to face the reality that self-righteousness is also a sin by challenging them to honestly answer the question, “Would you go to the younger brother’s party with joy that he’s been welcomed home?”
Other students feel like they’ve made so many poor decisions they need to hide their true self when they come to youth group. Some of them haven’t yet “come to themselves” and are still “living wildly”, and others are wallowing in the pigpen wondering whether or not the Lord will receive them home. The Parable of the Prodigal Son challenges them to acknowledge their waywardness and shows the grace that’s found through repentance of sin.
Teaching the Parable of the Prodigal Son theologically ultimately shows us the Father. He is gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love to redeem those who repent of their sin and turn to him. Although it’s important to urge students to meditate on which son they resemble, our emphasis should be on the Father who welcomes prodigals and the self-righteous to heaven’s celebration.
