The parable of the prodigal son told by Jesus is found in the Bible, in the book of Luke, chapter fifteen, verses eleven to thirty-two. Jesus told this parable in his daily teachings, and the listeners included the audience. Among the audience were the Pharisees as the teachers of the law, among other christians, and a good number of them were sinners. It is significant that the listeners were sinners and Pharisees because the message of the parable touched them directly. For instance, it is the people who found it hard to forgive and forget that Jesus targeted in the parable.
This parable can be interpreted to show the forgiving nature of God (Hamilton, 2008)
The meaning of parable has a lot to do with mercy and forgiveness. It means that God is a forgiving father, and he never bothers the past sins that a person committed. From the parable, we learn that we should have the attitude of forgiving and embracing our mates, regardless of their past dirty life. There is also a lesson from the elder brother who represents the self-righteous in that we should not justify our sins status. When this parable is applied to me this week, it reminds me of a friend who wronged me at the beginning of the week, and I have made a decision to forgive them, forget and embrace them as a brother from another mother.
Reference
Hamilton, J. (2008). The parable of the prodigal son. Charleston, South Carolina: BibioBazaar.