Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons.  The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.'  So he divided his property between them.  A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.  When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs.  He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.  But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!  I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."'  So he set off and went to his father.  But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.  Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!'  And they began to celebrate.  "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.  He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on.  He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.'  Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him.  But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!'  Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.  But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

There are so many more lessons in this parable than are commonly thought about.

"He began to be in need."  Why didn't the son at this time turn back to his father?  Because he was ashamed of himself over what he had done.  He wanted to try to continue making it on his own, as though he could lift himself out of his own misery.  He ends up feeding swine and envying them.  This prince of a rich father ends up lower than pigs.

When we fall into sin we feel unworthy of God.  We might begin abandoning habits of prayer which had been sustaining us, feeling like it would be hypocritical to continue on as before.  We may feel like we were meant to "go it alone" for awhile, seeing if we can correct ourselves first before returning to God.  We are too proud to return home; too humiliated.  But in our pride and lack of confidence in the Father to forgive us yet again, we sink lower and lower, becoming less than what we are.

That the Father wants us to return to him immediately upon any need of his mercy is evident through the words "when he came to himself" ("when he came to his senses").

How well the creator of souls knows his creation.  "I am no longer worthy to be called your son" is precisely how the discouraged sinful soul feels.  The son sets out to go to his father, wanting only to be treated like one of his hired hands so he may eat.  He ends up with a fine robe on his back, a ring on his finger and is the center of a party.

What does all this say about how strongly the Father wants us with him?  He overlooks all our misery in an instant if we will but be humble enough to return to him.  Yet it is necessary to feel the sting of our sins so that in our return to him it is only forgiveness we seek, not a fine robe and ring.