Just as in the case of the two previous stories, this tale of two sons is told to illustrate God's joy over the return of a sinner. In this story, one son was rebellious and left home. When he asked for his inheritance before his father died, he basically told his dad that he was no better than dead! The other son, however, never really seemed to be at home with the father — he took his share of the inheritance, the larger share, and stayed at home working out of a sense of slaving duty, as subsequent verses show. Neither son knew the heart of the father. Both broke his heart as the story progressed. However, the father remained true to his love and sought to bless and redeem both. My guess is that at different times in our lives, we actually play the part of each son — self-righteous and loveless like the older son or rebellious and selfish like the younger son. How can we thank God for loving us in either condition and for working with us to help us know what it means to be his forgiven and holy child? We can dedicate our lives to serving him.