As we journey toward Great Lent, the Eastern Orthodox Church offers us a roadmap for repentance and spiritual renewal through the preparatory Sundays of the Lenten Triodion. Last week, I wrote about the first Sunday, the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. The second of these Sundays is the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, centered on one of Christ’s most well-known parables (Luke 15:11-24). This parable is a masterful depiction of the human condition, our waywardness, and, most importantly, God’s boundless mercy and love.
Why This Parable and Why Now?
Following the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, which teaches us the necessity of humility in approaching God, the Sunday of the Prodigal Son shifts our focus to repentance and return. The placement of this parable in the Lenten Triodion is no accident; it reminds us that Lent is not a time of despair but of movement—movement toward the Father’s house, toward healing, and toward restoration in Christ. The Church, like the Father in the parable, stands ready to embrace us as we begin our return.
The Problem Facing Humanity: Alienation from God
The Orthodox Church understands the fundamental human problem not as legal guilt before an offended deity (a view common in Western Christianity) but as a spiritual exile and sickness—a departure from our true life in communion with God. The Prodigal Son’s journey into a “far country” (Luke 15:13) serves as an image of humanity’s estrangement from God.
The Far Country: Sin as Exile and Spiritual Starvation
The ‘far country’ is not merely a physical location—it represents the soul’s exile from God through sin. St. Cyril of Alexandria notes:
“Sin is indeed exile and the loss of freedom, and its result is famine—not of bread and water, but of the presence of the Holy Spirit.”
Like the Prodigal Son, when we seek fulfillment in pleasures and material wealth, we eventually find ourselves spiritually impoverished. We were created to abide in the Father’s house, yet sin deceives us into believing we can find joy apart from Him.
Sin is indeed exile and the loss of freedom, and its result is famine—not of bread and water, but of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Misuse of Freedom
The younger son was not forced out; he chose to leave, taking his inheritance and wasting it. In Orthodox thought, this is central to understanding sin: it is not a legal transgression but a misuse of our God-given freedom.
St. Gregory of Nyssa remarks:
“Sin is a departure from the Good. The further one moves away from God, the less real life remains.”
This echoes the Orthodox understanding that sin is not just an offense—it is a sickness, a distortion of our being.
The Result of Sin: Slavery and Death
The Prodigal, once a beloved son, ends up feeding pigs—a symbol of degradation and complete loss of identity. St. Nikolai of Ohrid states:
“When a man distances himself from God, he ceases to be truly human and descends into spiritual animality.”
The Orthodox Church teaches that sin enslaves and leads to death (Romans 6:23), but death is not punishment—it is the natural consequence of separation from God, who is Life itself.
Sin is a departure from the Good. The further one moves away from God, the less real life remains.
The Orthodox View of Salvation: Return, Healing, and Theosis
In contrast to some Western theological perspectives that emphasize legal justification, Orthodox soteriology is about healing, restoration, and divine union. The parable vividly illustrates this process.
Salvation Begins with an Awakening
The turning point for the Prodigal Son is when he comes to himself (Luke 15:17). St. John Chrysostom writes:
“True repentance does not consist in mere words, but in a complete change of life and a return to the arms of the Father.”
Repentance, then, is not just feeling bad about sin, but actively choosing to return to God. It requires an honest assessment of our spiritual state and the humility to say, like the Prodigal, “I have sinned against heaven and before you” (Luke 15:18).
True repentance does not consist in mere words, but in a complete change of life and a return to the arms of the Father.
The Journey Home: The Cooperative Nature of Salvation
The son makes a conscious decision to return. Orthodox theology holds that salvation is not imposed but requires synergy—the cooperation of human free will with divine grace.
St. Basil the Great says:
“God does not force healing upon us. We must arise and take the journey toward Him.”
This aligns with the Orthodox belief that while grace is freely given, we must participate in our own restoration.
God does not force healing upon us. We must arise and take the journey toward Him.
God as the Loving Father: The Core of Orthodox Soteriology
Before the Prodigal can even reach home, his father runs to meet him—a powerful image of God’s eagerness to forgive. St. Gregory of Nyssa observes:
“He does not even wait for the full confession of the son but hastens with joy to embrace him. Such is the love of God: it does not count our sins but rejoices in our return.”
This is a crucial reminder that no sin is too great for God’s mercy. As St. Nikolai of Ohrid writes:
“The Father runs out to meet the sinner, to shorten his journey of repentance with love.”
Unlike a judge who demands a legal penalty, the father runs to embrace the son before he even finishes his confession (Luke 15:20). St. Gregory the Theologian teaches:
“God is not so much a lawgiver as a physician. He seeks not retribution but restoration.”
This is key to understanding the Orthodox view of salvation—it is not a transaction but a loving reunion.
The Father runs out to meet the sinner, to shorten his journey of repentance with love.
The Elder Son: A Warning Against Spiritual Pride
The elder brother represents those who remain in the house of God but lack love and understanding. This serves as a warning against pharisaic self-righteousness.
St. John Chrysostom warns:
“The righteous man who despises the sinner has already lost his righteousness.”
We must guard against the sin of the Pharisee—judging others while ignoring our own need for grace.
The righteous man who despises the sinner has already lost his righteousness.
A Call to Action: Return to the Father’s House
The Prodigal Son reminds us that no matter how far we have wandered, the way home is always open. This is the heart of the Lenten journey: a conscious return to the Father through prayer, fasting, confession, and participation in the life of the Church. St. Basil the Great exhorts:
“Why delay? Why persist in exile? Return at once! The Father is calling, the feast is prepared, and your place is ready.”
As we approach Great Lent, let this Sunday be the moment we turn back. The services of the Church in this season—especially Confession, Pre-Sanctified Liturgies, and Sunday Liturgies—are the banquet of the Father, prepared for our restoration.
Will You Make This Lent a True Homecoming?
The parable is not just a story—it is an invitation. Whether we are the younger son lost in sin or the elder son lost in self-righteousness, the Father calls us to come home. Will we answer?
The doors of repentance are open. The table is set. The Father is waiting. Let us arise and go to Him.
God is not so much a lawgiver as a physician. He seeks not retribution but restoration.
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