The lost, exiled, prodigal Son.
Listen to the story of the prodigal son, and learn what God’s treasure is and yours: This son of a loving father left his home and thought he squandered everything for nothing of any value, though he did not know its worthlessness at the time. He was ashamed to return to his father, because he thought he had hurt him. But when he came home the father welcomed him with joy, because only the son himself was his father’s treasure. He wanted nothing else. God wants only His Son, because His Son is His only treasure. - A Course in Miracles,
The Prodigal Son is the third and final parable of a cycle on redemption, following the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin.
The Pesikta Rabbati has a similar story:
A king had a son who had gone astray from his father on a journey of a hundred days. His friends said to him, 'Return to your father.' He said, 'I cannot.' Then his father sent word, 'Return as far as you can, and I will come the rest of the way to you.' So God says, 'Return to me, and I will return to you.'
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
Luke 15:11–32 (NKJV)
“Then He said: ‘A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.” So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
‘“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
‘“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
‘“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
‘“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
‘“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
‘“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”
I have recklessly forgotten Your glory, O Father; And among sinners I have scattered the riches which You gave to me. And now I cry to You as the Prodigal: I have sinned before You, O merciful Father; Receive me as a penitent and make me as one of Your hired servants. - kontakion hymn of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Luke 15:11-32
“I will arise and go to my father” (Luke 15:18 [KJV])
“Father, today I am Your Son again.” - The main idea of Workbook Lesson 234 of A Course in Miracles
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:18-19, 21[RSV]).
“God Himself has lost the Son He loves, with but corruption to complete Himself, His Will forever overcome by death, love slain by hate, and peace to be no more.”
- ACIM
You feel as an orphan here.
The Father grieves that his Son suffers
“The Holy Spirit abides in the part of your mind that is part of the Christ Mind. He represents your Self and your Creator, Who are one. He speaks for God and also for you, being joined with both. And therefore it is He Who proves them one. He seems to be a Voice, for in that form He speaks God’s Word to you. He seems to be a Guide through a far country, for you need that form of help.” - ACIM, CLARIFICATION OF TERMS
“And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. - Luke 15:13 (KJV)
The Holy Spirit “seems to be a Guide through a far country” and we are all the prodigal son.
The Pangs of Separation
This begins to give us some idea of how utterly lacking and empty we felt as a result of the separation. For God had been everything to us, our Mother, our Lover, our Brother, our Father.? In Heaven He had been “my Source of life, the life within, the air I breathe, the food by which I am sustained, the water which renews and cleanses me.”? Apparently cut off from Him, from our home, and from our creations, our heaven- ly children, we felt severed from our own being, from our own whole- ness. As the Course says, we quite naturally experienced “depression, a sense of worthlessness, and feelings of impermanence and unreality.’\* “And where, you wonder, does your strange uneasiness, your sense of being disconnected, and your haunting fear of lack of meaning in yourself arise?” - Robert Perry
‘A sense of separation from God is the only lack you really need correct.”
the father’s statement to his eldest son in the parable of the prodigal son: “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine” (Luke 15:31 [KJV])