Location: A Quiet Hillside, Israel
Time: Circa 50 A.D.
Primary Scripture: Luke 15:11-32 — The parable of the Prodigal Son as told by Jesus.
The father of the prodigal son sits in the shade of a sturdy olive tree, his gaze distant as he recalls the painful journey of love, loss, and forgiveness. His voice is soft yet filled with conviction, as he speaks to a group of friends and family who gather around him, eager to hear his perspective on the well-known story.
The Prodigal Father:
Many of you have heard my story—some call it “The Prodigal Son.” But tonight, I want to tell you my side, for though my son’s choices set the story in motion, the story is as much about the love of a father as it is about the wanderings of a son.
I remember the day well. My younger son, filled with restless dreams, came to me with a request that tore at the very fabric of our family. He asked for his share of the inheritance. It was as if he were saying, “Father, you are as good as dead to me. Give me what is mine, and let me go.” In our culture, such a request was unthinkable. A son does not claim his inheritance while his father lives, for it is not his to take until I am gone. Yet, he asked, and I could see the fire in his eyes—a longing for freedom, for adventure, for a life beyond the boundaries of our home.
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