The Parable of the Prodigal Son
A story that speaks to all families, especially successful family businesses
There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.”
So begins the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and no other story in the Bible speaks so directly to the dilemmas faced by family business owners and participants. It’s been the subject of well-known books by the Catholic priest Henri Nouwen and Presbyterian pastor Tim Keller. It’s captured most famously in Rembrandt’s painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son:
The parable broaches matters of inheritance, behavior, communication, labor, self-awareness, acceptance, self-worth, wealth, entitlement, sibling relationships, rewards, anger, and reconciliation. Talk about the range of topics and emotions inhabiting the world of the family business!
“Prodigal” describes someone or something that is wastefully extravagant or reckless, and families with significant business assets and personal wealth are highly susceptible to such behavior. But the parable is so much more than a story about a young son who blows his inheritance early and comes home (after his own wilderness experience). It’s a story that speaks to our own irresponsibility and mistakes as the younger son. It speaks to our self-righteousness, resentment, and pain as the older son. It speaks to our aspirations of unconditional love and forgiveness as parents. Ultimately, it speaks to God’s "extravagant” grace toward each of us.
I’m looking forward to our exploration of this wonderful parable at the intersection of faith and family business over the coming weeks. Thanks for joining me!