Luke 15 - The Prodigal Sons
05.04.08 God Longs to Give
Father, I thank You and ask You to help us. Your grace has no limit. We may be a prodigal son – but Your grace can reach whatever point we are – there is no point too far from Your grace. May we be different. Help us to love You for who You are.
Luke 15:1 Now all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 And both the Pharisees and the scribes [began] to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
He is giving us an idea of whom He is speaking to – the bad folks and the good religious folks. There are 3 parables here – the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin – and the Prodigal Son. That header is misleading, because there are two lost sons, so it should be the Prodigal Sons.
Luke 15: 11 And He said, "A certain man had two sons; 12 and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' And he divided his wealth between them. 13 "And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 "Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 "And he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 "And he was longing to fill his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving [anything] to him. 17 "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men. "' 20 "And he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion [for him,] and ran and embraced him, and kissed him. 21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' And they began to be merry. 25 "Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 "And he summoned one of the servants and [began] inquiring what these things might be. 27 "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' 28 "But he became angry, and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and [began] entreating him. 29 "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you, and I have never neglected a command of yours; and [yet] you have never given me a kid, that I might be merry with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with harlots, you killed the fattened calf for him.' 31 "And he said to him, ['My] child, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 'But we had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and [has begun] to live, and [was] lost and has been found.' "
Now, remember 3 weeks ago, there is a common theme in parables- something that would be familiar to the listeners – and then something that is not.
When an inheritance was divided in that culture – it was different from today. The inheritance was the land the family lived on. To us, we sell and buy houses all the times. But this land would have been in the family for hundreds of years and they would do everything to keep the land. To us, it might not make sense – think back to the black and white movies with the families with shotguns keeping their land from the revenuers. The older son would get double of what everyone else would get. Here there are two sons – so the older son would get 2/3 and the younger would get 1/3.
Then Jesus introduces something that is uncommon, and maybe disturbing.
11 And He said, "A certain man had two sons; 12 and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' And he divided his wealth between them.
This would not happen in their reality. This son is demanding from his father to give him his part of the inheritance. Today, kids demand things. That did not happen in this day. Immediately, it is seen that the younger son is rude and is insulting the father.
You know what he is saying? It is like when someone takes out an insurance policy and people joke – ah, you’re worth more dead than alive! But this is not a joke and this is what the son is saying.
For people in this day, saving face – a man’s reputation and dignity was very important.
People knew what was going on. In order to divide the inheritance, the father had to divide a third of his land. And this man, who was a man of dignity, an elder in his community – was being put to shame. You have probably had your kid shame you in public – maybe when they were little and threw a tantrum in public. Now multiply that by 1000! The father’s dad probably told him – Keep this land! Never let it go! And the son comes in and says – give it to me – I wish you were dead.
13 "And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.
He is so selfish, - think about the generations that that land had been in the family – and he goes out and spends it on a wild spree.
14 "Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be in need.
The boy began to reap what he sowed.
15 "And he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
This is the lowest possible position a person could have. You could not go any lower than this. It was so bad, he was longing to fill his stomach with the pods – not ipods – that the swine were eating.
Go back to the first verses – he was telling stories to the tax collectors and Pharisees. They were thinking – Yeah – this is the sinner – he is getting what he deserves.
17 "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!
He comes to understand that he has done wrong. He repents.
18 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men. "'
Remember when he asked for the money – he turned away from his father – and now he comes to his senses and turns back to the father. He who had turned away was turning back. That is what repenting means. But it goes beyond that doesn’t it?
Make me as one of your hired men – Hire me as an employee. Why? So that he could begin to pay back what he had stolen – what he had done.
A couple chapters later, there is the story of Zaccheus. He was a tax-collector, a sinner. Zaccheus believed and repented – and gave ½ of his money to the poor and offered to repay what he had stolen 4 times. He takes what he had done wrong and makes up for it – it changed his life. Genuine salvation – changes our lives at great cost to us.
Up until this point, this young man was on the throne of his own life. He called the shots – but now he is allowing the father to call the shots in his life. We are going to skip the father’s response and go to the older son’s response.
Luke 15:25 "Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 "And he summoned one of the servants and [began] inquiring what these things might be. 27 "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.'
What is the older son doing? Exactly what he ought to be doing – he is out working in the field.
At
He became angry! Can you blame him? All of us would be angry – he has every right to be angry – but Jesus says – NO! You do not have every right to be angry.
28 "But he became angry, and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and [began] entreating him.
The older son is insulting his father thoroughly and completely too! People are talking – the lost son had returned! And this would have been like throwing an enormous wedding reception. He is regaining his pride and his dignity. What does the older son do? He refuses in front of all the community to take part. It would be like not showing up to a wedding. He is no different – He humiliates the father. And this one was the one who got the scholarship to Bethel U this year! And he is humiliating the father in front of the community.
29 "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you, and I have never neglected a command of yours;
Listen to those words – LOOK! Kids today may say that – but you did not do that in that society. “I have never neglected a command of yours!” How many of you have kids who have never neglected a command of yours! This was like the perfect kid – and yet he was being disrespectful.
and [yet] you have never given me a kid, that I might be merry with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with harlots, you killed the fattened calf for him.'
Jesus is redefining sin. He is giving them a radical new understanding of sin. The audience will look at the younger son and say, YEAH, that is sin! But Jesus is saying – look at the older son! And THAT sin is just as bad as the younger son’s sin. The younger son was lost in his badness, but the older son was lost in his goodness.
“You never gave me a kid…” Both sons wanted the father’s things – not the father. They just took a different approach. The older son did it through conformity – the younger son through independence and rebellion. Both were using the father to get what they want.
Tim Keller – the older son was lost because of his goodness, not in spite of it.
His “Righteousness” Strict obedience kept him from the father. It is an issue of motivation. The older son lived a good life – but felt like he deserved God to give back to him. Jesus is saying –you are never good enough to deserve God’s grace – you cannot earn it. Like the owner of the field – “I wish to give” God wants to give. And we can’t earn it. Some people need to repent for what they have done wrong. Others need to repent for the REASON they do right.
Now, we are going to jump to the father. He is the most uncommon of the story – His response is unlike how anyone would have responded in that day. He is giving us a radical new concept of God.
Do you remember the song, Tie the Yellow Ribbon? About someone who went astray and it was all gushy – but that is not how it typically was in that day.
The impression is that the father was daily looking for the son.
Remember Fiddler on the Roof? The 3 daughters – first daughter was betrothed to the old man butcher, but secretly loves the tailor – and he lets her marry him. The second – loved a radical Jewish guy and it was okay. But the third wants to marry a Gentile. The father says – Consider her dead to us.
That is how it was. Consider him dead.
Then the father ran to the son. That was counter culture as well. Adults never ran. He humiliated himself out of compassion and love. He is saying – I don’t care what anyone thinks or what I look like. He is willing to step down and appear a fool for his love for him.
28 "But he became angry, and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and [began] entreating him.
The father came out to both! Whether you are a prodigal on this side who squandered in loose living – or the prodigal who thinks you deserve more from God – either way, God comes to you. The father knows how to treat each son exactly in the way that the son needed. He ran to the impulsive one – and came to the other in dignity and entreats him. God knows exactly what you need and the way to bring you into relationship with Him. He is going to orchestrate events in your life in a way that will work for us – and it may be completely different from the person next to you.
God is completely forgiving –
22 "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' And they began to be merry.
Jesus is presenting a God that is radically generous and gracious. Again, this was like a large wedding reception – it cost him dearly – but he was willing to give significantly. He just keeps giving and giving – he never stops giving . You can never do something to keep God from wan ting to give to you. The father desires to give. That is what means most to him.
And
31 "And he said to him, ['My] child, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 'But we had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and [has begun] to live, and [was] lost and has been found.' "
The older son was living this life and never recognized how generous his father was. He missed the first verse – He took the inheritance and divided among them. He gave everything he had to the older son. He held back nothing. But he was so concerned about himself and others that he missed how generous his father was.
We have a choice – God wants to give to you – that is who He is! He is happy when we are ready to receive – and it grieves his heart when we try to earn it.
Let’s pray,
Thank You, Lord, that individually, You know how to touch and reach each of us. You are a gracious God – help us to learn to receive from You – in Your name we pray.
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