The Loving Father - An African Parable Based on Luke 15:11-32 - Read online

Jul 17, 2026

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A rich father’s two sons receive very different responses to love and responsibility, shaping an African parable drawn from Luke 15:11-32. The faithful, hardworking oldest son seeks praise through steady work, while the youngest rejects guidance, demands his inheritance, and pursues pleasure far from home. When money, friends, and safety vanish, he faces hunger and humiliation. The story emphasizes repentance, restoration, and the father’s enduring compassion as the central moral outcome.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

The Parable’s Origins

The Rich Man and His Two Sons

The Youngest Son’s Journey

Loss, Hunger, and Humiliation

Searching for a Way Back

The Loving Father An African parable, based on Luke 15:11-32 English Spiritual The Loving Father Images by Magriet Brink & Leo Daly,© 2016 Little Zebra Books. An African parable, based on Luke 15:11-32 English Copyright © 2023, Visão Integral [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) You are free to make commercial use of this work. You may adapt and add to this work. You must keep the copyright and credits for authors, illustrators, etc. This book is an adaptation of the original, O ̊lho perdido, Copyright © 2022, Little Zebra Books. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. English Bible text © 2019 Net English Bible Translation Once upon a time, there was a rich man who had a small shop where he sold soap, cloth, ̎our, sodas, and much more. He also had two sons whom he loved very much. They never lacked anything because, every day, their father did everything he could to make them feel loved. Of the two sons, the oldest son was faithful and hardworking. He worked very hard for his father because he wanted to receive his father's praise. The youngest son never wanted to do anything. It didn't make a di̜erence if someone praised him or shamed him, he didn't want to work. When the father told his youngest son to do something, he always refused because he didn't want to be bossed around by his father. One day, he got angry at his father and decided to travel far away from home. He told his father, "I'm tired of this small town. I want to see the world and enjoy life. Give me the money that will be my inheritance. " The father was very sad but agreed to give the youngest son his inheritance. Early the next day, the son bought the latest model of motorbike, new clothes, and everything else his heart desired. He packed everything he owned on the motorbike and traveled to a faraway country. He thought, "I'm going to the city there and I'm never going to return to that tiny village or my parents’ house. " There, in that faraway city, he continued to spend his money. He ̊nally had what he considered a good time, dancing and drinking every night. During his ̊rst month in the city, he had so many friends! But, after two months, his money ran out and, as his money disappeared, his friends disappeared, too. The day his money completely ran out, he had been drinking and was very drunk. He was so drunk, he fell on the ground and ended up sleeping right there. Then, it started raining and he got completely soaked. When he woke up, it was already night. He didn't have anywhere to sleep. He didn't have a motorbike. He didn't have any friends. He didn't have anything. He began to think, "What rotten luck! Now, what am I going todo? I don't have anything! I don't have any money. I don't have any friends. I don't have a motorbike anymore. What on earth am I going to do? No way am I going back to my parents'house because that would be too embarrassing! I'll just have look for a job here in the city. " So, he started looking for a job. He found a job opening for a DJ, playing music using a computer. But he didn't know how to use a computer. He found a job opening for a shop assistant, but since he didn't know anyone in the city, the shop owner didn't trust him. Finally, he got a job feeding pigs. He worked from sunrise to sunset, but his boss didn't even give him anything to eat. He became so hungry that he even thought about eating the pigs'food. His boss didn't give him a place to sleep either and so he ended up sleeping with the pigs.

FAQs

What is the background of the parable and which Bible passage does it follow?

It is an African parable based on Luke 15:11-32. The narrative retells the central story of the father and the two sons in a literary, child-friendly form.

How does the youngest son respond to his father’s guidance at first?

He refuses to work when asked, demands his inheritance, and leaves home to travel far away, choosing pleasure over responsibility.

What happens to the youngest son after his money runs out?

After spending everything, he loses his friends and ends up hungry and desperate, finally taking a job feeding pigs under harsh conditions.

Jul 17, 2026

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