Running Home: The Story of the Prodigal Son

There are few stories in Scripture more personal, more piercing, and more full of hope than the story of The Prodigal Son. It’s a story Pastor Howard Strickland preached on many times. And every time he told it, it felt as if heaven itself paused to listen.

Because this story isn’t just about one wayward son.

It’s about all of us.

A Son Who Left Too Soon

Luke 15:11-12 (NIV) begins:

“Jesus continued: ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.”

This younger son wanted his inheritance now. He wanted to leave. He wanted freedom, adventure, control—everything the world told him would satisfy. And the father, in love and grief, gave it to him.

How many of us have been there?

We’ve wandered off from God—maybe not geographically, but spiritually, emotionally, even morally. We’ve demanded life on our own terms, taken what He gave, and walked away.

Wasted Living, Empty Heart

Luke 15:13 says:

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.”

That phrase—“wild living”—hits hard. Because it’s not just about reckless spending or sin. It’s about losing yourself in places you were never meant to be.

This is where the sermons of Pastor Howard Strickland brought the story to life. He’d speak not just of the wild living, but of the deep emptiness it left behind. He would say:

“The world offers you a full plate but leaves you starving in your soul.”

And that’s exactly what happened. When a famine hit, the son was alone, broke, and broken. He found himself feeding pigs—unclean animals to a Jewish man—and longing to eat their slop.

That’s what sin does.

It takes you further than you meant to go, keeps you longer than you meant to stay, and costs you more than you thought you’d pay.

The Turning Point

But then—something miraculous happened.

Luke 15:17 says:

“When he came to his senses…”

It’s one of the most beautiful phrases in Scripture. Because that’s grace in action. Even in the pit, even in shame, even in failure—God awakens something in us. He reminds us of who we are. He whispers, “Come home.”

The son remembered his father—not just as a figure of authority, but of kindness. And he said:

“I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” (Luke 15:18)

A Father Who Ran

Here’s where Pastor Howard Strickland’s voice would get full of emotion. Because this moment reveals the heart of God the Father like no other.

Luke 15:20 says:

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

The father wasn’t angry.

He wasn’t keeping score.

He wasn’t standing on the porch with arms crossed.

He ran.

That’s what Pastor Howard always wanted us to see—God runs to us. Not because we’re worthy, not because we’ve earned it, but because we are loved.

Restored, Not Just Forgiven

The son tried to give his speech. He tried to confess and ask to be a servant. But the father cut him off. He wasn’t interested in punishment. He was interested in restoration.

“Quick! Bring the best robe… Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.” (Luke 15:22-23)

The robe meant covering.

The ring meant authority.

The sandals meant sonship.

The feast meant joy.

This Is Our Story

This parable is more than a story—it’s our spiritual autobiography. We’ve all gone our own way. We’ve all hit empty. But the moment we turn back, our Father runs to meet us.

He doesn’t shame us.

He doesn’t demand repayment.

He simply welcomes us home.

That was the message my dad, Pastor Howard Strickland, preached over and over again. He didn’t want anyone to believe they had gone too far or failed too hard. He believed, with every fiber of his being, in the unrelenting mercy of God.

And he preached with tears in his eyes because he knew the Father. And he knew what it was like to be the son.

The story ends with celebration, but also a challenge. Will we stay bitter like the older brother? Or will we learn to rejoice when grace wins?

Because grace always wins.

Not perfection. Not performance. But grace. A Father who runs. A Son who saves. A Spirit who draws us home.

So if you’re out there today feeling far from God, let this story—and the sermons of Pastor Howard Strickland—remind you of something eternal:

You can always come home.

And when you do, your Father will be running toward you.

In loving tribute to Pastor Howard Strickland—thank you for always pointing us back to the heart of the Father.

Going Deeper: The Three Lost Things of Luke 15

The parable of the prodigal son does not stand alone. Jesus told it as the third in a set of stories, all in Luke 15, and all spoken in response to religious leaders who grumbled that He welcomed sinners and ate with them (Luke 15:2).

• The lost sheep (Luke 15:3–7). A shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one that wandered.
• The lost coin (Luke 15:8–10). A woman lights a lamp and sweeps the house until she finds a single silver coin.
• The lost son (Luke 15:11–32). A father waits, watches and runs.

Each story ends with rejoicing. In the first two, Jesus says plainly that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7, 10). The third story carries that joy into a family, and then it does something the first two do not: it introduces a brother who refuses to celebrate.

The Son Who Never Left

It is easy to focus on the younger son and forget his older brother. He had stayed home, worked hard and kept the rules. When he heard music and dancing, he was angry and would not go in (Luke 15:28). His complaint sounds reasonable: he had served faithfully, and no one ever threw him a party.

Yet the father goes out to him, just as he ran to the younger son. His answer is tender: “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine” (Luke 15:31, KJV). Then he explains why the celebration had to happen: “for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:32, KJV).

The story ends without telling us whether the older brother went inside. That open ending is an invitation. Jesus was speaking to people who saw themselves as the faithful ones. The question hangs in the air for every listener: will you join the Father’s joy, or stand outside it?

Seeing the Story Through First-Century Eyes

A few details would have struck the original hearers with special force:

• Asking for the inheritance early was a deep insult, as if the son were saying he could not wait for his father to die.
• Feeding pigs was about as far from home as a Jewish young man could fall, both socially and spiritually.
• A father running was unexpected. Dignified older men did not usually run in public, which makes the father’s eagerness all the more moving.
• The robe, ring and sandals restored the son publicly, so the whole community could see he was welcomed as family, not hired as a servant.

Questions for Reflection

1. Where do I see myself in this story today: the son who left, the son who stayed, or somewhere in between?
2. Is there an area of my life where I need to “come to myself” and turn toward home?
3. Do I believe God runs toward me, or do I still picture Him with arms crossed?
4. Is there someone whose return I have been reluctant to celebrate?
5. How can my home, my table or my church become a place where the lost are welcomed?

A Short Prayer

Father, thank You for running to meet us while we are still a long way off. Where we have wandered, bring us to our senses and lead us home. Where we have grown proud or bitter, soften our hearts to rejoice when grace wins. Clothe us with Your mercy, and make us people who welcome others the way You have welcomed us. In Jesus’ name, amen.