"The Prodigal Son" (prodigal
meaning"wasteful"). It
can rightfully be called the parable of "The Loving Father".
For it reveals more about the love of the father than of the sinfulness of the
younger son.
The
parable also reveals much about the heart of the unforgiving elder son, whose
purpose in this parable is to rebuke those unwilling to reach out and receive
the lost who repent.
