"The son thought he should be happy when he could use his portion according to his own pleasure, without being annoyed by advice or restraint. He did not wish to be troubled with mutual obligation. If he shared his father's estate, his father had claims upon him as a son. But he did not feel under any obligation to his generous father, and he braced his selfish, rebellious spirit with the thought that a portion of his father's property belonged to him. He requested his share, when rightfully he could claim nothing and should have had nothing. 3T 101.1"
"And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living."
The EGW passage directly references and elaborates on the specific request made in Luke 15:12, making it a clear and direct allusion.
"After his selfish heart had received the treasure, of which he was so undeserving, he went his way at a distance from his father, that he might even forget that he had a father. He despised restraint and was fully determined to have pleasure in any way and manner that he chose. After he had, by his sinful indulgences, spent all that his father had given him, the land was visited by a famine, and he felt pinching want. He then began to regret his sinful course of extravagant pleasure, for he was destitute and needed the means that he had squandered. He was obliged to come down from his life of sinful indulgence to the low business of feeding swine. 3T 101.2"
"And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living."
The EGW passage directly references and expands upon the events described in Luke 15:13, specifically the younger son's departure and wasteful living.
"And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want."
The EGW passage directly references and expands upon the events described in Luke 15:14, specifically the famine and the son's resulting want.
"After he had come as low as he could he thought of the kindness and love of his father. He then felt the need of a father. He had brought upon himself his position of friendlessness and want. His own disobedience and sin had resulted in his separating himself from his father. He thought of the privileges and bounties that the hired servants of his father's house freely enjoyed, while he who had alienated himself from his father's house was perishing with hunger. Humiliated through adversity, he decided to return to his father by humble confession. He was a beggar, destitute of comfortable or even decent clothing. He was wretched in consequence of privation and was emaciated with hunger. 3T 101.3"
"And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!"
The EGW passage directly references and expands upon the events described in Luke 15:17, specifically the son's reflection on his father's servants.
"And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants."
The EGW passage directly references and expands upon the events described in Luke 15:19, specifically the son's desire to be a servant.
"While the son was at a distance from his home, his father saw the wanderer, and his first thought was of that rebellious son who had left him years before to follow a course of unrestrained sin. The paternal feeling was stirred. Notwithstanding all the marks of his degradation the father discerned his own image. He did not wait for his son to come all the distance to him, but hastened to meet him. He did not reproach his son, but with the tenderest pity and compassion, that, in consequence of his course of sin, he had brought upon himself so much suffering, the father hastened to give him proofs of his love and tokens of his forgiveness. 3T 101.4"
"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."
The EGW passage directly references and expands upon the events described in Luke 15:20, specifically the father seeing the son from afar and showing compassion.
"And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."
The EGW passage directly references and expands upon the parable of the prodigal son, specifically focusing on the father's actions and feelings as described in Luke 15. The detail about the father seeing the son from a distance and his immediate compassion is directly drawn from the biblical text.