The story of the Prodigal Son is a beloved parable of Jesus. According to St. Luke Jesus told the parable in response to a challenge: The Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” The story is really about a father and two sons, not just the prodigal. That context helps us to understand that Jesus is teaching us that EVERYONE is in need of God’s grace and mercy. We tend to divide the world up into good people and bad people. Slackers, bad. Workers, good. The message of the parable is that both the younger and the older brother needed the love, forgiveness and acceptance of the father in equal measure, as do all of us.
