Source passage: Read Luke 15:11–32 (World English Bible).
A short summary
Jesus tells of a younger son who takes his share of the family property, leaves home and spends it. When famine comes, he is hungry and feeding pigs. He decides to return and ask his father to take him on as a servant.
His father sees him approaching, runs to meet him and welcomes him with a celebration. The older brother is angry and refuses to join. His father goes out to him too, inviting him to celebrate his brother’s return.
Why pay attention to both brothers?
Our reading of the parable centres on the contrast between the father’s welcome and the older brother’s resentment. The younger son’s return is only part of the story. The ending leaves the older brother’s response open, giving the reader a question to sit with: will he enter the celebration?
Five questions for reflection or Bible study
- Read verses 17–20 again. What changes between the younger son’s decision and his arrival home?
- List the father’s actions in verses 20–24. Which action catches your attention, and why?
- Compare what each brother says to the father. What would you ask each of them if you could?
- How does the final conversation affect your first impression of the story?
- Where does this passage leave you with a question you want to explore further?
Try a second reading
For a personal reading, take a blank page and draw three columns: what I notice, what I wonder, and what I want to revisit. Add a verse reference beside each note so you can find it again.
For a group, give everyone a quiet minute to choose one question before discussion. Invite people to point to the words that shaped their answer. Leave room for a different reading, and make a note of questions that need more study.
New to Scripture? Try our guide to starting Bible reading, or return to the Bible story library.