was. Not the past tense of the verb "die", but of the verb "to be". He had been as. dead man (Greek. nekros. App-189) to his father.
is found. was; i.e. "when he came to himself" (Luke 15:17), which shows that that was the result of the father's seeking. began, &c. Contrast "began to be in want" (Luke 15:14).