Most Christians and many non-Christians who are exposed to the bible will be familiar with the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It is one of the all time favorites. The parable impresses us with the love of the Father who longed for the return of his lost son. It is a story of forgiveness and restoration. The story also presents a contrast between the two sons – the young son who lost everything and came to his senses and repented and the elder brother who was self-righteous, unforgiving, and bitter. 

Those who are diligent in studying the bible will also tell you that the parable of the prodigal son is actually the crowning jewel of a triplet of parables recorded in Luke chapter 15. The three parables are the parable of the lost sheep, where the shepherd left behind 99 sheep to search for the one lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, where a woman who had ten coins search diligently for the one that was missing, and then the parable of the prodigal son. All three stories highlight our Lord’s heart for the lost and how sinners repenting will lead to rejoicing in heaven.

Ok! Here come the surprise quiz: What parable comes AFTER the parable of the prodigal son? Do you know the answer without looking it up in the bible or online?

Jesus told four parables to the assembled Pharisees that day. The fourth one is quite unique and very surprising. The chapter division in Luke does not help us here: the first three are put in chapter 15 and somehow the fourth one ended up in chapter 16. 

Go look up what is the fourth parable. I am sure you will be surprised too. My next post will be discussing how applicable this surprising parable is to our 21st century situation.