Character Analysis: The Prodigal Son

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Forgiveness is the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven. (Hawkins, 1994, P. 206) My personal understanding of the parable ‘The Prodigal Son” is that it portrays the importance of reasoning and forgiveness. The main characters in the parable are two sons and a betrayed father. The father remains constant throughout the parable, although he has being betrayed by his younger son. His idiosyncrasy remains loving and understanding, even when his younger son returned home after many of been away with not a penny to his name. The young son showed disobedience to all the goodness his father had offered to him. The young son showed traits such as selfishness as well as being ungrateful. He had no worth for his father’s property nor did he want to work alongside his father on the family farm. He therefore left behind his father and older brother in search of a better life. With his sins and foolish actions, he faced the consequences of being disloyal and lost everything. It was not long before he was forced into physical slavery where he fed pigs, once a job which he had refused to do on his …show more content…

His painful circumstances help him to see his father in a new light and bring him hope. (Gobelet, 2016. P 215.) This led us to the surrender of the son. The young son was more than willing to give up his rights as his father’s son and take upon the position of one of his servants. Regardless of the motivation, it demonstrates a true humility and true repentance, not based on what he done but on what he was willing to do and eventually acted upon (Acts 26:20). He realizes he had no right to claim a blessing upon return to his father’s household, nor does he have anything to offer, except a life of service, in repentance of his previous actions. With that, he is prepared to fall at his father’s feet and hope for forgiveness and