The next parable (15:11–32) is one of Jesus’ best-known and best-loved parables. While it is much longer than the two that precede it, it addresses the same situation and amplifies the same principles. Verses 11–12 introduce us to three characters: a man and his two sons. Over the course of the parable, each of the three individuals behaves in striking ways that teach something important about the dynamic described in verses 1–2. They are worthy of being considered individually.