Evidently the son turned his assets into cash and then departed to have fun. He may have wanted to "find himself," but he ended up losing himself. In the first parable, the sheep got lost because of its nature to wander away. In the second, the coin was lost due to circumstances beyond its control. In this third parable, the son gets lost as a result of his own choice. Feeding pigs was, of course, unclean work for a Jew and a job that any self-respecting Jew would only do out of total desperation ( Leviticus 11:7). However the son was willing to do this because his need had become so great. The pigs and the son evidently ate the seeds of carob trees. [1] This was not very nourishing or appetizing fare. There was a Jewish saying that went: "When Israel is reduced to the cabob-tree, they become repentant." [2] This son had sunk so low that no one showed him any compassion. [source][source][source]
". . . neither sense nor reason exists in sin but the very contrary." [3][source]
The Pharisees would have recognized this young man as representing the sinners whom they despised. [source][source][source]