When the prodigal son returns to his father, something significant happens. The farther we get from the Father's loving care, the worse off we will be, and our best course is to return to God and his forgiveness. We will be humiliated in the uncaring world. If we are bent on leaving God, things will go badly for us.
They teaches us the depths to which our own misuse of freedom will bring us. What do the actions of the prodigal son teach us?