Kaipa, Martha2021-03-012021-03-012003https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12342/1225"I shall get up and go to my . father... ". At the surface level, this statement may not be so problematic to most people. However, if one goes deeper in uncovering the meaning of the words, one may make a surprising discovery. The challenge that lies before every reader in all ages is to give a satisfactory answer to this question: Who is my father? Society of today shows that human nature has not changed. All cultures, ancient and modern, tend to keep searching the true face of the father. The main aim of this long essay is to give a true icon of the Father, whom every human being longs for. The parable of the prodigal son is among the most famous of Jesus' parables. The image of the downtrodden and repentant prodigal son, the rejection by the self righteous elder son and the loving embrace of the forgiving father have inspired many artists and writers. Despite the power of the parable images, its exegesis is beset with problems.' The pious Jews of Jesus' time were complacent as to who was to be regarded as "the lost". In the Jewish culture, the term "lost" indicated something to search for. Jesus indeed came to look for the `lost'.2 He was criticised for mixing with the 'lost', outcasts of his society. However, Jesus revealed the loving face of the father. This became a challenge to all fathers of all times. Some readers have challenged the authenticity of the scene with the elder son or the realistic depiction of the legal situation. Perhaps even more ironic, readers of Luke's Gospel have identified with younger son while insisting with Luke that an audience of Scribes and Pharisees would have identified with the elder son.3 It is in this parable of the prodigal son that values of Jewish culture are challenged to the core. Can this parable today challenge our established values? The answer to this question can be understood if these two questions are considered: the first — when Luke the evangelist wrote the parable what was his point? The second — What was Jesus' view in teaching this parable? Researches show that this section is one of the most studied parts of the Gospels. Many people have studied it from different angles and thus called it according to their intended purposes. The story has received exceptional praise and attention. F. Sommer, for example, called it "the greatest short story ever told", and J.E. Compton calls it "the greatest of all Jesus' parables". The traditional title "The prodigal son", dates back to the patristic period, but more recent discussions question its aptness. German Bibles and scholars name it "the lost son ".4 Jeremias calls it "the parable of the father's love ".5 Schweizer named it the parable of the "powerless almighty Father". Some writers have even called it the parable of "the prodigal father". The African Bible entitles it as "The merciful father".6 The titles might differ but the decisive point of the parable is that Jesus vindicates the proclamation of the Good News to the despised and outcast. Throughout our study, we maintain the traditional title — "The prodigal son" —, although the research focuses on the icon of the father. In our investigation we follow the exegetical and descriptive method. Our study is divided in three chapters. In the first chapter we will discuss the historical and literally context of the parable of the prodigal son. This will allow us to examine the use and the characteristics of Jesus' parables. We will also look at the religious context of our parable in order to understand better its message. The second chapter will analyse the message of the parable, with a special attention to the image of the father. A special attention will be given to the main characters of the story, the father, the younger son and the elder son. In the third chapter of this study, we will investigate the ways in which the message of the parable can be implemented in our society and the Church.enFatherLuke 15,11-32Other