The Prodigal Son
Jesus told a story about a man who had two sons.
The younger one came to his father and said, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.”
So the father divided his property between the two sons, and not many days later, the younger son gathered up everything he had and left for a distant country.
There, Jesus says, he squandered it all in reckless living, until everything was gone.
And just then, a severe famine hit that country. Food grew scarce, and the son, with no property left, found himself in need.
So he went to work for a citizen there, who sent him into the fields to feed pigs. He got so hungry he wanted to fill himself with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
Whatever he was thinking by then, this is where he'd ended up: far from home, his money gone, a famine over the land, and genuinely hungry.
Notice how much has changed. At the start, the younger son had a share of his father's property. Now he has nothing: far from home, hungry, with no one to help him.
What questions would you want to ask him right now?
What do you think he was feeling right about then?
Then the son “came to himself.” He remembered his father's house: even the hired workers there had food to spare, while he had none.
So he made a plan. “I will get up and go to my father,” he said to himself, and he prepared the words he'd say: that he had sinned against heaven and against his father, that he was no longer worthy to be called his son, and that he'd ask only to be treated like one of the hired workers.
And he didn't just think about going back. He got up and went.
While he was still a long way off, his father saw him. And the father ran to him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.
The son began the words he'd prepared: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
But before he could finish, before he could even ask to become a hired worker, his father was already calling out to the servants.
“Quickly, bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's eat and celebrate!”
“This son of mine was dead,” he said, “and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.” And the celebration began.
The younger son had prepared a whole speech before coming home, expecting to be treated like a hired worker.
But when his father saw him, he ran, embraced him, kissed him, and called for a robe, a ring, sandals, and a feast.
Why do you think Jesus included so many small details about how the father welcomed his son back?
But Jesus wasn't finished. There was another son.
The older son had been out in the field, and as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. He asked a servant what was happening, and the servant told him: “Your brother has come home, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.”
The older brother became angry and refused to go inside.
So his father came out and pleaded with him.
The older son answered: all these years he had served his father and never disobeyed him, yet he'd never even been given a young goat to celebrate with his friends. And now, for this son of his, who had spent everything, his father had killed the fattened calf.
“Son,” the father answered, “you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life. He was lost, and is found.”
And that's where Jesus ends the story. He doesn't tell us whether the older son went in. He doesn't tell us what he said next. The story ends with the father's invitation still standing open.
Think about both brothers. The younger one left and came back. The older one stayed, but when he heard about the celebration, he got angry and wouldn't go inside.
The father went out to meet each of them, in his own way.
If you were the father, what would you want each of your sons to know? Do you think Jesus wants us to notice only one of them, or both?
How to Talk About This Story With Your Child
This story is often called "The Prodigal Son," but Jesus tells us about a father and two sons. The younger son leaves, loses everything, and returns. The older son stays, but becomes angry when his brother is welcomed home. The father goes out to both sons.
With young children, it is helpful to stay close to what the story actually says. We do not need to tell them why the father allowed the younger son to leave. Jesus does not explain that.
We also do not need to tell them exactly what the father felt during the time his son was gone. The story does not say.
It is also important not to turn the older brother into a simple villain. Jesus tells us that he was angry and refused to go in. He also gives the older brother space to explain his complaint. Then the father answers him.
But Jesus does not tell us whether the older brother finally went inside. That unanswered ending matters.
You can ask your child: "What do you think he might do next?" But make it clear that the Bible does not tell us.
The point is not to guess correctly. It is to notice the tension Jesus leaves at the end of the story.
Pray Together
You do not have to use these exact words. You can talk to God together in your own words. Or you can pray:
God, thank You for stories that help us think about coming home, being welcomed, and making room for others. Help us be honest when we make wrong choices. Help us listen when someone else is hurting or angry. And help us keep asking questions when we do not understand everything yet. Amen.
The younger son asked for his share and left home. He spent everything and later found himself in need. Then he decided to return.
His father saw him while he was still far away. He ran to him, embraced him, and welcomed him home.
But the story did not end there. The older brother became angry and would not enter the celebration. So the father went out to him too.
Jesus ends the story with the father speaking to the older son. We are not told what the older son chose next.
Continue your family Bible time with more free stories and activities from Little Faith Hands.