We’re not really told what he might have been learning while he was at home. But this we know. He simply wanted “to go.” He had what some call “itchy feet.”
    We know that the temptation to quote “go” is a common temptation among human beings. To some people, the desire looks like this. I have a desire to go shopping; just to spend money, even if I don’t need it. We call that “impulse buying.” But it’s the very same thing. 
    And the only way this younger son could go was by getting money from his father. It may be that any money he had been making at home had already been spent; maybe even wasted.
    Sometimes we are convinced or we convince ourselves that some other setting will be much better for us than the present one. After all, some would say, weren’t we meant to be free?  What all the reasons for this young man to want to leave home aren’t given. All we know for sure is that he wanted something other than what he had at home.
First, he wants to “go.”
Second, he wants his money
    Now, the money. According to the Law of Moses, the firstborn son was to inherit a double portion of the father’s possessions. According to Deuteronomy 21:17 “the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.”
    The right of the firstborn meant, in this case, that the inheritance would have to be divided three ways with his older brother getting two thirds; the double portion.  So, he was convinced that his third was due him. The problem, though, was that inheritance usually only passed once the father has died. And dad was very much alive.  Nevertheless, just like you and me, he wanted his portion now.
    And, also, just like you and me, we don’t know where today’s decisions will lead us tomorrow. There are plenty of things he could have done by way of planning, counsel, preparation, setting of goals, patience, etc. But when it comes to the heart of man, we often don’t take anyone into consideration but ourselves. “What do I want? What do I need? What’s in it for me?”

     Now, think about this and consider how many people had to be affected by the boy’s request for his inheritance. The value of the property would have to be decided. The property would have to be divided up. Then his portion would have to be sold. His position in the home would be affected. Someone would have to take his job. Then, the money would have to be physically placed into his hands; probably in cloth or leather bags.
    So, as you can see, a lot of people would be affected by his decision; something we often lose sight of when we want what we want and want it now. Then, once the money is in his hands, he can’t handle it. Haven’t you found that money leaves your hands much more quickly than it comes into your hands?
    The young man wastes it. By the way, the term “Prodigal” isn’t found even once in the story. Here’s what it means. “Prodigal” = “waster,” “a profligate,” “someone who squanders what he has.” It refers to someone who has been given money or possessions and simply wastes them on his own pleasures. A prodigal is a profligate.
    The younger son is a squanderer. “A fool and his money are soon parted.” This is an old idiom meaning those who aren’t careful with their money become prodigals. Besides all this folks, don’t forget that he was given the money. He hadn’t truly earned it.
Then, once his money is gone, he’s poor; so poor he has to work for food. His job? Feeding the swine in the fields.
    And when he realizes all his money is gone and he has to eat the same food as the pigs, he quote “comes to himself” (verse seventeen). In other words, his circumstances force him to face his problems. And he decides to go back home; admit his wrong, and request to be made a servant in his father’s home.
    Now, it’s likely that most of us haven’t had to be faced with eating the food the swine eat. But we’ve all made decisions that led us down the wrong road; only to realize we’ve made a foolish decision.
    And remember this. We’ve all have made decisions that have really had a negative impact on our lives and God often uses those very difficult circumstances to get us to “come to ourselves.”

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