It is a fictional story that Jesus Christ told to illustrate God's love and forgiveness in Luke 15:11-32. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is found only in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus tells the story to illustrate God's great love and mercy. The parable may have been based on a true story, but it is not historical fact. He used them as a way to teach important spiritual truths in a way that His listeners could understand. Parables are simple stories with a moral or spiritual lesson. In many ways, they're like modern-day fables. And like fables, they often use animals or other everyday objects to illustrate the point being made.