Luke 15:11-32 has been called the greatest short story ever told. It has been given various titles. Traditionally it has been called the Parable of the Prodigal Son. English Bibles of the sixteenth century gave this title in marginal notes. Possibly, this inclusion reflected a similar title in the Latin Vulgate. Jesus’ story also has been called the Parable of the Lost Son, the Parable of the Waiting Father, the Parable of Two Lost Sons, and the Parable of the Loving Father. As a title, I prefer the Parable of the Compassionate Father, for the father is the central figure in the story, and the emphasis is on his compassion for both his sons.

Jesus’ story is about God’s inclusive love and compassion that reach out to all people—people who are trying to earn a relationship with God through keeping religious rules and individuals who despair of God’s accepting them because they feel they are so grossly sinful He cannot love them. Jesus’ story of a father’s stubborn, persistent love for his two sons forever will be a clear, challenging, and encouraging insight into God’s character, an open invitation for all people to accept His love and forgiveness, and a warning about people’s relationships with Him and with one another.

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 Eli Landrum received the Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and earned the Bachelor of Divinity and Doctor of Theology degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He served as a church staff member and as a pastor for 14 years. After 23 years, he retired as an editor at LifeWay Christian Resources. In retirement he has written extensively for LifeWay. He lives with his wife in Nashville, Tennessee.