An interesting take on this

The Parable of the Prodigal Son according to penal substitution
from www.worldofsven.blogspot.com

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.“

Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; yet at the same time his was furious and wrathful at the offences his son had committed against him. To rebel against the Father in such a way deserved death and hell - yet the Father was torn because he did still love his Son.“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

But the father said to his servants, "I'm sorry, but I just can't forgive you. You underestimate how serious your sin is. It would violate the entire moral law of the universe if I were to forgive what you have done, you deserve death and hell. What I will do however is send your brother out to work in the fields to take the punishment that I should by rights be dishing out to you, when he has worked himself to death, I will be satisfied and restore you to fellowship in my household. In the meantime go back to the pigsty you came from, for I cannot tolerate sin in my presence.

So the older son, though he had done nothing wrong, was made to work night and day as punishment for what his younger brother had done. Eventually bearing the load overcame him and he died. Upon hearing that his oldest Son had died, the Father was pacified and resolved to be reconciled to the rebellious son and sent a messenger to the pigsty to tell the prodigal son he could come back home again. The prodigal came home and was reunited with his Father, who gave him everything that used to belong to the older son. He also remembered the the older son hadn't actually deserved to be punished to death so he resurrected the dead son and then they all were friends again and lived happily ever after.

Yeah. What he said...