The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
Week 2: Chapter 1 — The Two Lost Sons
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Keller's first move is to show that the parable has not one lost son but two — and that recognizing the older brother's lostness is the key that unlocks everything else.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Keller points out that in Jesus' culture, a son asking for his inheritance before his father's death was essentially saying, 'I wish you were dead.' How does understanding that cultural context change the emotional weight of the opening scene?
2.The younger son 'came to himself' (Luke 15:17) in the pigpen. Keller describes this as a moment of moral and spiritual awakening. What do you think the younger son actually understood in that moment, and what did he still not understand?
3.Keller argues that the older brother's anger at the father's celebration reveals that he, too, has a deeply distorted relationship with his father. What specifically does the older brother's speech in Luke 15:29–30 expose about his heart?
a.He says, 'I have been slaving for you.' What does the word 'slaving' reveal about how he has understood his relationship with his father?
b.He refers to his brother as 'this son of yours' rather than 'my brother.' What does that tell us?
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