A god who runs to restore you: What the Parable of the Two Lost Sons Really Means
- Thad DeBuhr
- Nov 25
- 18 min read
Updated: 13 hours ago
Day 10 of 11: STOP Reading the Bible Wrong: Use the 6 Keys to Unlock Context
DON'T MISS THE FREE GENRE CHEAT SHEET & VIDEOS ABOUT THE WHOLE STORY OF THE BIBLE --- SCROLL DOWN TO THE RESOURCES SECTION
Learning to read and study the Bible in context is a lot like a person who lives by the sea. Every day, they walk the beach, enjoy the familiar sights, smells, and sounds. They know when the tide is in and out, and what pools usually hold urchins or beautiful shells. They truly know the beach well. They even know the waves well, and after years of watching, they can tell you if the day will be calm or blustery by the cadence of the waves on their morning walk.
But one day, a friend introduces them to scuba diving. They've heard of it, but for various reasons, they'd never given it a try. They often thought, "What’s the point? I live at the sea, I walk the beach every day, I know the shoreline like no one else." But after some convincing from a good friend, they decided to try it.
Some practice reps and training in a city pool, and eventually the day comes for them to venture out from the familiar shoreline, into and beneath the waves they knew so very well. And then it happens—that first look under the sea. All expectations were blown away. It was so much more than they ever imagined. Colorful, sparkling light bursting down from above, creatures they'd never seen before, and the fish—how have they lived here all these years and never seen these magnificent fish!
That day changed everything. The morning walks on the shoreline continued, but the desire to swim into the deep waters off the shore grew stronger and stronger. In the years to come, they spent countless hours diving the nearby reefs and wrecks, studying, learning, and expanding their appreciation, understanding, and joy in ways they never imagined in all their years walking the shore.
This is what learning to read and study the Bible in context is like. It’s taking your casual "walking the shore" Bible reading and giving you the tools to "swim beneath the surface" into the rich and wonderful world of culture, language, geography, and powerful words.
Today, we're going to show you how to use your Six Keys to Unlocking the Bible in Context to suit up, leave the shoreline, and swim in the depths of a parable from Jesus that most have never seen beyond the shore. Take a deep breath and get ready, this is about to blow your mind!
Before you dig into the story in this lesson, I would encourage you to read through Luke 1511-32 in two different bible translations from this list: NIV, NLT, NASB, ESV, NKJV
Learn more about our exciting out-of-the-box ministry here
The common, surface-level takeaways of the Prodigal Son Parable are usually things like:
The moral is to "come back home" to God.
God is forgiving and accepts us back with love, no questions asked.
The older brother was simply jealous.
These parts are true, but they are only the surface. We are going to grab our Six Keys to Context and unlock a deeper, richer understanding of this parable. When seen through the lens of ancient culture, this story transforms from a simple lesson into a radical, counter-cultural teaching. It reveals the true nature of God’s love, which defies public shame, and acts as a direct challenge to religious pride.
The Real Audience: Why Jesus Told This Story
Before we look at the characters, we must know who Jesus was talking to. This story isn't just a sweet lesson for us today; it was a confrontational weapon aimed at Jesus’s critics.
The Bible tells us that Jesus was spending time and eating with tax collectors and "sinners." The religious leaders of the day—the Pharisees and Scribes—were furious. They grumbled, "This man receives sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:2).
The entire set of parables in Luke 15 (the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son) is Jesus's defense of his ministry. He was telling them, "I am here looking for the lost, and God rejoices when they are found." But the story of the two sons is a direct critique of the self-righteous system that the religious leaders had built.
The Genre Rule: This story is a parable. The simple rule for a parable is to look for one central truth about the Kingdom of God. The central truth here is the Father’s character and the profound joy of divine restoration. We don't need to turn every single item (the shoes, the ring) into a separate moral lesson.
The Cultural Shock: The Ultimate Insult
The most famous moment in the story is when the younger son asks for his inheritance early. To us, this might seem like a simple financial request.
But to the people listening to Jesus, this was the ultimate public crime:
The Wish You Were Dead Moment
Ancient Israel was an Honor/Shame Culture. Family reputation was everything. In this culture, asking for your inheritance while your father was still alive was equivalent to saying, "Father, I wish you were dead. Give me what is mine right now."
This act wasn't just rude; it brought extreme, irredeemable public shame upon the entire family. The father’s name would have been dragged through the mud in the village because of his son’s dishonor.
The "Far Country" and Spiritual Ruin
The son then travels to the "far country." This wasn't just another town; in Jewish eyes, this was Gentile (non-Jewish) territory, which was ritually unclean. The son completed his spiritual and moral ruin when he took a job feeding pigs—the most unclean animal possible. The son was ruined, destroyed, and separated, confirming he had utterly rejected his family, his faith, and his identity.
The Father’s Radical, Shame-Absorbing Love
The biggest shock in the whole story is the Father’s reaction.
Why the Father Ran
In that culture, a respected elder never ran. To hoist his robes and expose his legs was an act of public foolishness and brought even more shame upon himself. The Father ran for one reason: to take the blow of public shame away from his son.
The whole village would have been waiting at the entrance to mock the failed son who wished his father dead. The Father ran to meet his son outside the village so that the mockery and humiliation would fall on him first. This is the core truth of the parable: God absorbs our shame to restore us.
The Visceral Feeling of Compassion
Jesus used a specific Greek word to describe the Father's feeling when he saw his son: splagchnizomai. This word literally means to be "moved in one's bowels" or "gut." It is not gentle pity; it is a deep, physical ache of love and yearning that compels the Father to act and absorb the shame. His love is compulsive and immediate.
The Full, Public Restoration
Once the son arrived, the Father didn't just forgive him; he performed a full, legal restoration right in front of the judging community:
The Robe: The best robe was a garment of honor and standing. This immediately erased the son's outward reputation as a failure and restored his status.
The Ring: The signet ring was a symbol of authority and trust. It meant the son had full rights to transact business and act on the father's behalf again.
The Sandals: Slaves went barefoot; sandals signified the son’s status as a free family member. He was not a hired hand; he was a son.
The Feast: The fattened calf was reserved only for a massive, official party. This was a public announcement, like a formal signing ceremony, declaring to the entire village that the son was fully restored—he was guaranteed his protection, his status, and his future security.
The Two Lost Sons: The Confrontational Ending
The story doesn't end with the younger son's return; it ends with the older brother.
The older brother, representing the Pharisees, publicly shames his father again by standing outside and refusing to join the party. He essentially tells the entire community that the Father's radical grace is foolish and unfair. He was lost in self-righteous pride and duty, refusing to celebrate the Father's character.
The Father has to go out and beg the older brother, too. The story ends right there, with the older brother outside.
The Main Point: This parable was told by Jesus in response to the Pharisees and Scribes complaining, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." The Father’s radical, shame-absorbing love is boundless, demonstrating that God is actively pursuing the "lost" whom the religious elite reject.
And the challenge to the religious leaders (the older brothers in the crowd) was clear:
The party is for the ruined and the found. Are you going to stay outside in your pride, or can you see what the Father sees, lost ones coming home?
Can you be happy as your Father is happy and come in?
Contextual Retelling: The Story of the Two Lost Sons
(This is my paraphrase with the extra details woven in that would have been known by Jesus' original audience, but we often don't know)
A wealthy father had two sons. One day, the younger son came to his father and made a demand. In that culture, what he said was the ultimate insult; he was essentially saying, "Dad, I wish you were dead. Give me my share of the estate right now." This action brought extreme, irredeemable public shame upon the entire family.
The father, with great sadness, agreed. The son took the money and immediately went to the "far country"—a distant, foreign, and ritually unclean territory. He wasted all of his inheritance on wild living and soon found himself ruined, destroyed, and completely broke.
His lowest point came when he took a job feeding pigs. For a Jewish man, handling these unclean animals confirmed his absolute moral and spiritual ruin. He was so desperate he wanted to eat the pigs’ slop.
Finally, he hit rock bottom and began the long, humiliating "walk of shame" back home, planning to beg his father to take him on as a hired servant—a step up from pig slop.
But the father had been watching the road every single day. When the son was still miles away, the father saw him. Breaking every rule of honor and dignity for an elder in their town, the father hiked up his long robe and sprinted down the road.
Why did he run? To absorb the public shame. The townspeople would have been waiting to ridicule the returning failure. The father ran to meet his son outside the village so that the initial, crushing blow of humiliation fell on the father, protecting his son.
When he reached the boy, the son began his rehearsed apology, but the father couldn't wait. His compassion (splagchnizomai in the original Greek) wasn't just surface pity; it was a deep, visceral, gut-wrenching ache of love and desire that compelled him to act.
In front of the entire community, the father performed a public, immediate restoration:
He ordered the servants to bring the best robe (restoring the son's honor).
He placed the signet ring on his hand (restoring his authority and trust).
He put sandals on his feet (confirming he was a free family member, not a slave).
Then, they began the massive celebration, slaughtering the fattened calf. This wasn't just a big meal; this was the most expensive animal they had, saved only for a massive, official party that changed everything. It was a public announcement, like a formal signing ceremony, that declared the son was fully restored—he was guaranteed his protection, his status, and his future security as a son, and the whole town was called to witness it.
Meanwhile, the older brother—the one who had stayed home and done everything right—was furious. He was also lost, but in a different way: lost in self-righteous pride and duty. He refused to come in, publicly shaming his father again. The father had to go out and beg him to come in, but the older son still refused.
The story ends right there, with the older brother outside.
The Modern 'Far Country': Where Do We Go to Be Lost?
The younger son's "far country" was a place of wild, destructive living. In our modern world, the "far country" often isn't defined by overt destructive sins (like addiction or immorality) but by culturally acceptable pursuits that we allow to become the ultimate source of our identity, security, or satisfaction.
These destinations create distance from our true identity as the Father's beloved children because they demand our devotion in exchange for a temporary sense of worth.
Subtle "Far Country" Destinations
These are things that are perfectly good in moderation but become "far countries" when they replace the central pursuit of God and become the source of one's security or worth:
Work and Career Success (The "Golden Calf" of Achievement)
The Pull: Seeking ultimate validation, security, and identity from professional success, titles, and financial gain.
The Distance: It leads to isolation, burnout, and emotional devastation when the career fails or plateaus. Your worth is tied to your performance, a source that will inevitably fail.
The Promise: Satisfaction, Security, and Identity.
The Pursuit of Idealized Family/Control (The "Perfect Home" Illusion)
The Pull: Believing that if your family life, children, or spouse are "perfect" (by societal standards), you will finally achieve peace and happiness. This often manifests as controlling behavior, anxiety, or resentment toward family members who don't meet the standard.
The Distance: This creates distance by making human beings (who are inherently flawed) the object of salvation and well-being (Shalom).
The Promise: Order, Control, and Contentment.
The Idol of Wellness and Self-Optimization (The "Best Version of Me")
The Pull: Extreme focus on physical perfection, intense self-care routines, or optimizing every aspect of one's life (biohacking, diet, exercise) to the point where the self becomes the central project of life.
The Distance: This creates a spiritual distance because the individual is trusting in their own discipline and efforts to save themselves, rather than resting in the Father's unconditional acceptance.
The Promise: Immortality, Control, and Self-Worth.
Bitterness and Holding a Grudge (The "Private Prison")
The Pull: Clinging to past hurt, resentment, or unforgiveness, believing that holding onto the pain somehow punishes the offender or protects the self.
The Distance: The spiritual consequence of unforgiveness is profound isolation, blocking the ability to fully receive and extend the Father's grace. It turns the inner life into a desolate place.
The Promise: Justice, Protection, and Self-Pity.
Online Performance and Digital Identity (The "Virtual Kingdom")
The Pull: Seeking worth, belonging, and affirmation primarily through social media likes, comments, and maintaining a curated public image.
The Distance: This pulls a person away from real-world relationships and replaces authentic, vulnerable connection with shallow performance. It is a "far country" because the validation is fleeting and external.
The Promise: Belonging, Validation, and Fame/Influence.
These modern "far countries" are often dangerous precisely because they are not viewed as bad; they are praised by society, making it much harder to recognize the shame and spiritual ruin they ultimately inflict.
The Final Challenge: Running Home Together
This lesson has been a deep dive into the Father’s radical, shame-absorbing love. It may have uncovered some subtle "far countries" you've been running to, or perhaps some old shame, anger, or bitterness (like the older brother's pride) that you thought was handled.
God has spoken directly to you, but the journey doesn't end here.
1. Personal Reflection
First, let the following questions deepen your personal reflection:
Revelation (Which Son Are You?): The younger son knew he was ruined; the older brother was ruined but didn't know it. If you are being completely honest, are you currently more like the younger son (broken, ashamed, but seeking the Father) or the older brother (dutiful, resentful, and standing outside the party)?
Challenge (The Shame Barrier): The Father took the shame of running so the son didn't have to face it alone. What shame, failure, or ritual "uncleanliness" are you holding onto that is keeping you from running into the Father's arms right now?
Reminder (The Far Country): What attitude, activity, or habit is currently creating intentional distance between you and the Father? What "far country" have you chosen (like extreme work success, control, or digital validation) that keeps you from experiencing your true identity as a loved child of God?
Assurance (The Feast): Do you truly believe that when you return, the Father’s response will be splagchnizomai—a gut-wrenching, compulsive joy—and not an indifferent or slow acceptance? Do you accept the immediate public restoration He offers?
2. The Call to Community and Healing
The Father didn't restore the son in a private, quiet room; He restored him publicly in front of the whole town. This full restoration often requires us to leave isolation and step into the light of community.
When deep conviction hits—when we realize we've been running to a "far country" or are lost in "older brother" pride—it’s tempting to say, "I’ll handle this privately with God."
While prayer is essential, Scripture provides a crucial step for healing and true restoration that demands community:
Why Confession to a Believer is Essential:
For Healing and Release from Isolation (James 5:16): The Bible says, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." Healing is linked to confession to each other. Shame and bitterness thrive in isolation; they die in the light of vulnerability with a trusted friend. The act of voicing your pain or sin breaks its power and brings the healing promised by God.
To Fulfill Christ’s Law (Galatians 6:2): "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Your anger, shame, or bitterness is a burden too heavy to carry alone. Asking a mature believer to share that weight with you is an act of humility and obedience, fulfilling the core command of Christ's community to share the load.
For Encouragement and Accountability (Hebrews 10:24-25): We need others to "stir up one another to love and good works." A trusted partner helps you identify the habits of the "far country" and encourages you to run back toward the Father, ensuring you don't grow weary or drift away.
Your Next Step:
God has revealed His radical love and perhaps exposed the root of your distance. Now, it's time to choose community over isolation.
Who is your next call, Zoom, or coffee going to be with to share the personal thing God revealed to you through this lesson? Don't wait for the feeling to pass. Take the step into the light and toward your Father in Heaven who runs to meet you, take on your shame, and restore your identity, authority, and position.
FEATURED RESOURCES:
Are you reading a poem like a legal contract? Are you treating wisdom literature like a guaranteed promise?
The Bible is a Library of 66 books, not a single book. If you read History, Law, Poetry, and Prophecy with the same expectations, you will misapply the text every time.
Unlock the author's original intended meaning today!
Get the FREE Bible Genre Cheat Sheet—your ultimate guide to the 8 biblical genres. It gives you the rules you need to read every book correctly.
✅ The rule for reading Law (Leviticus). ✅ The focus when reading Poetry (Psalms). ✅ The core context needed for reading Epistles (Romans).
Stop guessing and start interpreting with confidence!
The "short" version of How the whole Bible fits together!
The "Long" version of How the whole Bible fits together!
The Restoration of All Things
If you’ve ever wondered what the Bible is all about, this is the teaching for you. This teaching tackles the entire Bible from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22, providing the overarching narrative and highlighting every significant character, event, and theme within, for the purpose of rooting the placement and context of the Kingdom of Heaven for the remainder of the Kingdom and Empires series. Only when we understand this grand narrative and the major movement of shalom can we truly understand why Jesus came proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven, and what part we play in this unfolding story.
Day One Video Here
Day Two Video Here
Meet Your Resources 📚
How many times have you listened to a powerful sermon or teaching, heard the context revealed, and thought, "That's incredible! How did the pastor know that?"
Often, teachers will say, "Here's this great study method," but they don't give you the rest of the essential information: what reliable resources they use, or how they discovered the rich historical and political intel they are including in their lesson. That changes here.
With this series, we want to be completely transparent. We want to teach you the method (The Six Keys) AND point you directly to the trusted resources we use to teach those keys. These commentaries are your investment in understanding the Worldview Key and applying it to every biblical book.
Your Essential Context Library
1. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament
Overview: This volume is structured like a commentary, moving through the New Testament book by book, verse by verse. It focuses entirely on providing the cultural, historical, and social background needed to understand the text. It helps you see the Honor/Shame conflicts, the Greco-Roman cultural pressures, and the common rabbinic practices that influence the text.
Why it helps with the Worldview Key: It is essentially a Worldview Translator, giving you rapid access to the cultural details behind Paul's arguments or Jesus's parables, making sense of why characters acted the way they did.
2. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament
Overview: The Old Testament counterpart to the New Testament volume. It provides cultural, historical, and archaeological notes on virtually every passage in the Old Testament, explaining the tribal society practices, ancient Near Eastern laws, and the temple's central role in the Hebrew worldview.
Why it helps with the Worldview Key: It illuminates the Hebrew mindset, showing how their life was completely governed by external covenant obligation (their form of honor/shame) rather than personal, internal feelings of guilt.
3. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary Set: Old Testament
Overview: A multi-volume, richly illustrated set that digs into the historical, geographical, and archaeological context of the Old Testament. It features photos, maps, and drawings that bring the ancient Near East to life, helping you visualize the agrarian and tribal societies.
Why it helps with the Worldview Key: The illustrations and in-depth articles provide a visual and thematic understanding of the cultural pillars—from village life and family structure to the political hierarchy of the surrounding empires—making the Honor/Shame context tangible.
4. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary Set: New Testament
Overview: The New Testament companion set, focusing on the Greco-Roman world, the social stratification, and the various Jewish sects of the first century. It provides detailed commentary on the cultural situations behind the Gospels and Epistles.
Why it helps with the Worldview Key: This resource excels at explaining the Greco-Roman cultural clash, detailing the honor-seeking values of Paul's audience (e.g., in Corinth or Ephesus) and making clear why the Gospel message was so revolutionary to people seeking public status.
💡 Budget Recommendation: Best Bang for the Buck
If you are just starting and need to choose the most cost-effective and accessible tools, I highly recommend starting with The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament and The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament.
These two volumes together provide the most direct, practical, and comprehensive cultural commentary for your budget, making them the best choice for immediately applying the Worldview Key to your daily reading.
A Word on Study Bibles
Most modern Life Application Study Bibles are designed to help you find quick, topical tips for your personal struggles today. While there may be truth in their takeaways, they often guide you toward a quick, modern conclusion without first requiring you to think about the Bible as an ancient text, not written to you today. They prioritize a personal takeaway over the original historical context.
To truly master the method of The Six Keys, you need a study Bible that prioritizes the WHEN and the WHO before the what-should-I-do-today.
To that end, I would strongly suggest you put your life application study Bible on the shelf for this season and go with a resource that focuses on the necessary context instead: the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible.
The Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
This excellent study Bible is available in a few different translations, and knowing the difference between them will help you choose the best fit for your style of reading and studying.
To truly master the method of The Six Keys, you need a study Bible that prioritizes the WHEN and the WHO before the what-should-I-do-today.
Choosing Your Best Fit: Translation Guide
This great resource is available in the NIV (New International Version), NKJV (New King James Version), and NRSV (New Revised Standard Version). Here is a breakdown to help you choose:
The New International Version (NIV): This is a very popular and highly recommended choice for new readers. The NIV works to achieve a good balance between being very accurate to the original words and making the text flow naturally in modern English. It's easy to read and understand without losing the seriousness of the ancient message.
Best for: Most new Bible readers who want clarity and easy reading for their initial deep dive.
The New King James Version (NKJV): This version keeps the traditional tone and rhythm of the classic King James Bible but updates the older, confusing language. It works hard to match the original words precisely.
Best for: Readers who prefer a more traditional, formal sound but still want the accuracy needed for serious study.
The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV): This translation is highly valued by scholars and universities for its precise, literal translation of the original languages. Because it prioritizes literal word-for-word accuracy, the phrasing can sometimes feel a little less natural or fluent to a brand new reader.
Best for: Readers who are ready to tackle a slightly more technical reading experience for maximum scholarly precision.
I have the hard copy of this version, but upon recent searches, it does not appear to be available except on Amazon Kindle or E-Book versions.
This resource offers thousands of detailed notes that specifically explain the customs, political situations, and historical backdrop necessary for correct interpretation. It moves you past superficial applications and into the rich, true meaning of the original message.
BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO PODCAST THAT GOES WITH THIS STUDY GUIDE
See viewer comments and questions on screen at the end of the podcast.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily-bible-podcast-with-pastor-thad/id1838217398
🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NA8lvRahCOhBNTxWaI16Q
🎧 Listen on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2a5a9f7e-e5b3-4fd6-a523-20da6910774a
🎧 Listen on PodBean: https://www.podbean.com/pw/pbblog-xbsb7-1450dee
MORE RESOURCES TO HELP YOU GROW AS A CHRISTIAN
Your Jesus Journey is an independent, non-denominational Christian ministry. We're fueled by God's grace and the generosity of our supporters. Our team—led by Pastor Thad and his wife Kaila—is made up of dedicated disciples from all over the United States. Together, we work to help people understand the Bible, find Christian friends, and grow as disciple-makers.
Be sure to grab our free E-Book, "Stop Reading the Bible Wrong: 7 Strategic Shifts that Change Everything." Just click the Free Gift button at the top of our website, and we'll send it to you today!
Go to https://www.yourjesusjourney.com/journeygroups to learn more about Journey Groups, get connected in one, or even learn how to start your own. It's like a spiritual potluck, but instead of questionable casseroles, we share insights and grow closer to God. See you there!
You can also get our FREE in-Depth Bible-Study Guides delivered to your inbox: https://forms.wix.com/r/7330608166566101604.
To learn more about YJJ, Thad and Kaila, and Your Jesus Journey, check out our ABOUT US section: https://www.yourjesusjourney.com/learn-about-thad-and-kaila-and-the-journey-church-online.
There's lots more to see and learn on our website, from our "what we believe" page to hundreds of blogs. We encourage you to swing on by and take a look around at www.YourJesusJourney.com!
Comments