In the far country the younger son remembers that his father's hired servants have abundant food. He plans to return not claiming his former privileges but asking to be treated as one of those workers.
Jesus in Context
Hired Laborers and Household Servants
The prodigal son distinguishes the status of his father's hired workers from his own former position as a son.
Introduction
Historical and Cultural Context
A hired worker earned wages for labor and occupied a different social and legal position from a family member. The son's proposed status therefore represents a dramatic reduction from heir and household member to paid laborer.
Why It Matters
The distinction helps explain the force of the father's response. Rather than receiving the returning son merely as hired labor, the father publicly restores signs of family membership and honor.