The parable of the prodigal son is familiar to most of us. In Luke 15, Jesus tells of the son that went to his father, asked for and received his inheritance, and then squandered the money on drunkenness and prostitutes. He then came to his senses and, realizing his father's servants were better off than he was, went crawling back, only to be embraced by his father who threw a party for him. His brother then became angry, and the father had to...