What does the term "prodigal son or daughter" mean?
Luke 15:11 - 32
ESV - 11 And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them.
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Timothy Maas
Supporter
"Prodigal" derives from the Latin word "prodigus", meaning "lavish", from which we also derive the English word "prodigious", meaning "remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree". In the context of the parable of the prodigal son, this is reflected in Luke 15:13, which states that the younger son took the resources that his father had given him and "squandered his wealth in wild living". In a Christian context, I would say that this would refer to the practice of believers using the resources with which they have been blessed by God (including intangible or non-material resources such as time) strictly for their own self-centered pursuit of pleasure or enjoyment, with no thought or effort given to meeting more serious obligations, such as providing for the welfare of others who depend on them, for the larger community of believers, or (especially) for those who are less fortunate than they are.
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