Four Faces of the Prodigal Son

It has been said that reading Scripture is like gazing at the faces of a gemstone, or like peering through a kaleidoscope. You can look at it and see how it catches the light in a particular way—but rotate it or observe it from a different angle, and the light will refract in new patterns.

Is Scripture actually like this? Over the next four Sundays, Aaron Thiessen will be putting this metaphor to the test, with one of Jesus’ most famous parables as a case study: the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Many of us will be familiar with this story as an example of God’s patience, forgiveness, and redemption… but what happens if we examine this story from other angles?

Must we understand the prodigal son as one who repents?

Who should we see in the role of the prodigal son?

Must the rich father be seen as a stand-in for God?

Over this series we will explore all these questions and more, exposing the ways Scripture—and Jesus’ parables in particular—can shake us up in our modern world, as a sacred text.