The Pursuing Father, the Prodigal Son, and the Prideful Son

Almost all Christians know the story of the prodigal son. The problem is that some might not remember it correctly.
Jesus told this parable in order to communicate truth about our relationship with God the Father. Jesus was being questioned about why He spent much of His time hanging out with sinners. To answer this question, Jesus told a few parables, including the parable of the prodigal son and his return to the pursuing father. The truth is that in one sense we are all prodigal sons. We all fall short, and we all sin. Mankind is doomed to fall short.
As this parable teaches us, however, that doesn't mean that we can't be saved. By reading this parable we learn important truth about the character of God the Father and His Son, Jesus, so we can learn how to return to our Father, too.