Luke 15: 11-32
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The
younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he
divided his property between them. 13 “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. 14 After
he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and
he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a
citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He
longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one
gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired
servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I
will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned
against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be
called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 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; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him
and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and
put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring
the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For
this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So
they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the
house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the
servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has
come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has
him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father
went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father,
‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your
orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my
friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your
property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father
said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But
we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is
alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
To put this parable in perspective, there are two crowds Jesus is
speaking to. Luke 15 starts off introducing these two crowds. “Now the tax
collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the
Pharisees and teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats
with them.” Jesus responds by telling three consecutive stories about “lost”
items. 1. Lost sheep 2. Lost coin 3. Lost Son. It’s pretty obvious what these
lost items are: sheep, coin, son. But there are two sons in the parable of the
lost son. We look at the story of the lost son and automatically assume that
the “lost son” is the younger son. But perhaps both sons are “lost” and
need to be “found” And the Father’s heart is the same for both.
As we look through this parable together, there is a reoccurring theme
I want you to focus on: the action of the son and the reaction of the father.
1. Asks for inheritance-->Gives the inheritance
-“The younger one said to his
father, “Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property
between them” (Luke 15:12)
-Why does the son
ask?
-Inheritance given when Father dies-->The father was already as good as dead
to the son
-The son’s view of the Father: Benefit giver- its about the money, prosperity
not a relationship
-Why does the Father
give?
-Love is freedom, freedom of choice- doesn’t force son to love him back
-His love is rejected by the son- Rather than acting out of anger, the father
responds through love
-Father willingly sacrifices his wealth and fortune for the happiness of his
son
2. Son Returns-->Father Runs-->Father reinstates
-Son Returns: “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.” (Luke 15:13)
-Son longs for freedom,
independence- didn’t need a relationship with his father
-Son loses everything,
begins to be in need, “no one gave him anything”
-“I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of
your hired servants.’ (Luke 15:19)
-Son’s identity: saw
himself as unworthy to be a son- no longer worthy for a relationship with the
Father
-Undeserving, guilty, shameful, broken
-Father Runs: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; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)
-Father was waiting:
Aching longing to be with his son again
-Father saw him: not as a
dirty, unworthy, sinner but as his son.
-The son was
worthy to be his son again
-It didn’t matter
what the son was wearing, what he looked like or what the son brought back.
-To the father:
the son’s worth was not found in what he brought back but in who the Father
claimed he is: his son
-The Father was filled
with compassion; ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him:
-Compassion: More
than feeling sympathy but a strong desire to alleviate another’s sufferings
-Out of compassion the father runs: sacrificing his honor and dignity-
this does not matter to the Father, only the longing to be with his son, to embrace
him
-The Father throws his
arms around him and kisses him showing that there is no need to suffer any more
-There is no need
for shame and guilt because restoration has already happened, forgiveness has
already happened.
-Father Reinstates:“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring
the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his
feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and
celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost
and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:22-24)
-Best Robe, Ring,
sandals- all symbols of honor and status
-The quality of restoration the Father is complete, there are no
conditions, there is nothing the son has to work for or earn by himself
-The Father
forgives and reinstates under no condition- his grace Is free
3, Son Refuses-->Father initiates--> Father Reminds the Son of
his identity
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father
went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these
years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never
gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this
son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you
kill the fattened calf for him!’ (Luke 15:28-30)
-Refuses to go in-
has to do with how he values his brother, his father and ultimately himself
-His younger brother didn’t deserve this party, didn’t deserve to be reaccepted
to his family, didn’t deserve to be reinstated as a son
-His father was foolish- didn’t understand that his brother was a poor
investment, underserving
-He viewed himself as a slave to his father “I’ve been slaving for you and
never disobeyed your orders.”
-He deserved a party because of all he’s done- all the work he’s been doing and
his faithfulness in serving his father
-To him everything was earned by works- His view was “I deserve this because of
…” and “I earned your love”
-The Father initiates:
-The Father does not let
the older son sit in his anger and bitterness
-“So his father went out
and pleaded with him”-The father initiates the restoration of the relationship
-The Father doesn’t just
leave us but constantly pursues us
-Father reminds the Son of his Identity
-“‘My son,’ the father
said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. (Luke 15:31
-“My son”- Father claims
he is not a slave but a son
-A son- The
Father’s acceptance, nothing can change this identity/status
-“Now a slave has
no permanent place in the family, but a song belongs to it forever.” (John
8:31)
-Sense
of belonging, place of security, feeling of protection
-“You are always with me,
and everything I have is yours.”
-The Father
recognizes the Son’s actions and faithfulness
-Everything I
have is yours: value of sonship-->The father has given everything to his
sons
-His love is not
something we work for but it is already given
-The
Father eagerly waits for restoration and to lavish his love upon his son
