The interpretation is fairly simple: the father in this story is God, the eldest son represents those who believe good works earn God's favor (specifically the Jewish leaders, who meticulously kept the Law) while the younger son represents those in humanity who (realizing the error of their ways) return to God, who forgives them for their sins because they asked to be. | The interpretation is fairly simple: the father in this story is God, the eldest son represents those who believe good works earn God's favor (specifically the Jewish leaders, who meticulously kept the Law) while the younger son represents those in humanity who (realizing the error of their ways) return to God, who forgives them for their sins because they asked to be. |