Is the Parable of the ‘Prodigal Son’ Really about Forgiveness?

When most people read or hear the parable of the “Prodigal Son,” they believe they are receiving the message of the importance of forgiveness. Even though forgiveness is an essential (some may even argue quintessential) Christian dynamic, current New Testament scholarship demonstrates quite profoundly that the parable of “the Lost Son” is more about who counts …and who is doing the counting.