TWO LOST SONS (Luke 15:11-32 November 14, 2010)

Transcription

1 TWO LOST SONS (Luke 15:11-32 November 14, 2010) Among those who believe there is a heaven there are two and only two groups of people. Those who think they are good enough for heaven but aren t. And: Those who know they are not good enough for heaven and are right. The reason that many think they are good enough for heaven is that intuitively we grade goodness on a curve. Hitler is at the bottom Mother Theresa is at the top and most of us see ourselves as in the top 50%. Not the best, certainly not the worst but surely good enough by any fair and reasonable standard to make it to heaven. And if we happen to be a particularly good person more virtuous than most the temptation to assume that we have to be headed to heaven becomes incredibly strong. But, what if God was so holy that any sin one lustful thought one white lie one flash of anger was enough to disqualify us? What if the standard was perfection? 1

2 We automatically reject this. Why? Because it seems so unfair. We know that Mother Theresa got angry and sinned. This would mean she was moved down to be lumped in with Hitler. AND worse! we would be moved down and lumped in with Hitler. It would mean no one could get to heaven and that just has to be plain unfair. To think Hitler and Stalin and Saddam Hussein men evil to the core mass murderers get the same punishment as us who might have lied and lusted but have have not even committed adultery or beaten someone up that is just insane. So imagine the scene when Jesus arrives. He declares Himself to be the Messiah God come to save His people. The people cheer. But then in Matthew 5:48 He says: You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Say what! As perfect as God! No one can do that! This is ridiculous! That means that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And then this Jesus with all His talk of perfection He eats and drinks with taxcollectors and prostitutes and sinners of every stripe. And He says to these people who are clearly lost, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. He turns to these prostitutes and lepers and says your faith has saved you your sins are forgiven. And the Pharisees go berserk. Sinners get in and good people don t! What kind of Saviour is this? The problem was their view of God was too low. God is perfect. He cannot look upon any sin. Nothing imperfect can exist in the glow of His glory. But God is also gracious. He provided a way to save sinners. And when those who knew they were sinners heard this, they rejoiced. When you know that you are near the bottom of the curve without hope of salvation because your whole life you have been told sinners like you tax gatherers go to hell then you are drawn to a Saviour who says I came to save those without any hope and the chance of being saved from damnation means that you rejoice. Jesus Christ came to save sinners. 2

3 This fact is brilliantly displayed in one of the most famous sections of Scripture three parables that describe salvation from heaven s perspective and encourage us to join in the celebration by proclaiming the gospel. Turn with me to Luke 15. Look at Luke 15:1-2: Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. These two verses introduce the three parables that follow. All three parables make the same point: As God rejoices over the salvation of sinners we should rejoice. The third parable the parable of the lost son adds a further dimension. Since God is gracious in the salvation of sinners we should rejoice. A soul saved is what rocks the foundation of heaven. It is the reason Jesus came. It is the greatest event of any lifetime. Jesus told these parables because the Pharisees and scribes had totally missed that this is the great reason why the Son of Man had come. In 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul declared: The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. We looked at the first two parables last week. This morning I want to look at this third parable. As we go through this I want you to see that Jesus has a message for the two groups. 3

4 The older brother in this parable thinks he deserves heaven. This parable is meant to show the older brothers of the world those who think they deserve heaven but they don t. They are in fact just like the younger brother. The difference is that the younger brother knows he is undeserving. And when anyone older brother younger brother realises that they are without hope. Then Jesus has good news for them. While you cannot do anything to make yourself good enough for heaven God the Father is gracious and loves us and sent Jesus to make us good enough. We are not saved by anything we do we are saved by grace a free gift of God. Grace is a concept we struggle to understand. Many years ago I encountered Victor Hugo s masterpiece Les Miserable and in the early chapters came a scene that made me stop and think. Most of you know the basic story. Jean Valjean had spent nineteen years in prison for the crime of stealing bread to feed his family. By the time of his release, prison had hardened him in every way. As a convicted felon, the law required he carry identification about his criminal history. This closed every door to work and even a place to sleep. For days he wandered hungry and angry until a kindly bishop offered him a bed and food. That night, when the bishop and his sister had fallen asleep Jean Valjean rose quietly searched the house, stole the family silver and ran off. 4

5 The next morning a knock on the bishop s door revealed three policemen with a captured Jean in tow. They had come to return the purloined silver. The policemen made it clear Jean Valjean was going back to prison for life. If I were the bishop what would I say? Thank you officers. Incredible isn t it. I tried to show this wretch kindness. Gave him a bed and food and this is how he repays such kindness stealing my silver. It seems he is beyond redemption. OR MAYBE Thank you officers. But we must remind ourselves that he has led a troubled life. The silver is back. Maybe we can just turn him loose all I wanted was the family silver back. But this is what the bishop actually said: So here you are, the bishop cried to Valjean, I m delighted. Had you forgotten I gave you the candlesticks as well? They re silver like the rest, and worth a good 200 franks. Did you forget to take them? Jean Valjean s eyes widened. He stared at the old man with an expression no words can convey. You mean, said the sergeant, We can let him go? Certainly, said the Bishop, But this time, you must not forget your candlesticks. He fetched them from the mantelpiece and handed them to Valjean. That is grace. Grace is so unnatural. It flies in the face of everything we feel. Grace says you abused my kindness, you stole, you have been caught well take the silver candlesticks as well. What comes naturally is to cry you hurt me I want vengeance not to reward you with an even greater gift. But if we are to understand the work of God in our lives if we are to understand this parable we have to understand grace. The only thing that can bring us to God is grace. Therefore, I just want to focus on three points that arise from this parable. First: 5

6 Our problem we are lost sons Often, this parable has been called the parable of the prodigal son. But Jesus doesn t call it that. Look with me at Luke 15 and see how Jesus introduces this parable. Luke 15:11: And he said, There was a man who had two sons. When you read through this parable there are two sons and both sons were lost both were alienated from the father. While it is overly simplistic you can say that there are two ways of being lost. Turning away from God denying you need God s favour Turning towards God trying to earn God s favour These sons illustrate these two ways of being lost. Throughout the gospels Jesus is often surrounded by two groups the outcasts and the Pharisees. They are drawn to Him but for different reasons. 6

7 The outcasts find love and acceptance and hope in Jesus. The Pharisees are drawn to Him because they are outraged at what He has to say. So the picture is this. Jesus is addressing the outcasts sinners tax gatherers, prostitutes, drunkards. And standing a bit further back condemning this whole scene are the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. How do you think these two groups viewed each other? Well we know what the Pharisees thought of the outcasts. They were sinners. They had no respect for the Law. They lived in violation of God. They were headed for hell. While we aren t told what the outcasts thought of the Pharisees here are a few words that I imagine sprang to mind. Hypocrites. Judgmental. Legalistic. Joyless. Stuck-up. Let me just make a point here. The outcasts never saw Jesus as a hypocrite. Judgmental. Legalistic. Joyless. Stuck-up. But all too often today that is how they see Christians. As we read this parable make sure that there is not too much elder brother judgmentalism in us. They should be coming among us to hear of grace and see grace in action. If they aren t then perhaps there is a bit too much Pharisee in us. Anyway, I digress because the point is that Jesus looked at these two groups and He saw them all as lost they were both sheep who need saving, coins that need finding. The outcasts probably knew that they were lost. A few of them probably understood that even the Pharisees were lost. But, without doubt the Pharisees didn t think of themselves as lost. So when Jesus gets to the final parable He describes two lost sons an outcast and a Pharisee but both very lost both separated from the father. The father has to go out to both lost sons. He goes out to the outcast son in verse 20 and to the Pharisee son in verse 28. These sons are both separated from the father. They are both lost but there are two kinds of lostness outcast lostness and Pharisee lostness. And every person on earth who is separated from God the Father is a lost outcast, a lost Pharisee or both. In fact I tend to think that most of us have both types of traits it is just that one is more dominant. I shared with a young man I knew from the Gold Coast. He lived a life of pure hedonism. I would have said that he had never given God another thought. 7

8 But as I shared with him, he told me that several times in his life he had tried God and He didn t work. He had tried God and He didn t work. I wondered what that meant. I talked to him about what he was saying. Basically he meant this. Several times in his life things were bad. A sick relative, tough times so he tried God he tried crying out God if you are there help my sick relative. Once he even tried going to church, being good, keeping the rules. But He didn t work The relative stayed sick. He didn t get happier, healthier and wealthier. So he gave up on God. He lived most of his life as an outcast but it had been punctuated by periods of trying a little Phariseeism. I had another friend a Muslim medical student. He was open about the fact that he was trying to earn Allah s blessing by keeping the rules. But he was still miserable. So his life was marked by periods where he fell off the being good wagon he tried the world but that didn t work so he went back to being a good obedient Muslim. I think most of us have those tendencies in us. Even Christians go through periods where we want something from God so we try extra hard, be extra good, pray fervently. But that is not grace. That is Phariseeism. So, there are these two groups. First, the outcasts: Turning away from God denying you need God s favour The younger brother illustrates this lostness. Verse 13: He squandered his property in reckless living. Wild living describes the prostitutes and tax-gatherers and drunkards sitting around Jesus. They knew the Pharisees saw them as sinners, outcasts, far from God. But don t forget these outcasts were Jews they had been raised under the teaching of the Law. But keeping the Law hadn t brought them joy. So they turned to the world. And it was just as much a joyless master. I am sure they asked God if you even exist why does nothing work to bring joy and peace? I am sure they looked at the joyless, legalistic, judgmental Pharisees and said well that path sure doesn t lead to life. 8

9 So they turned from God. They denied they needed God s favour. Because they believed the favour of God came from keeping the rules being like the Pharisees. They didn t want that so they looked for joy in the world. There are so many in the world who know this kind of lostness. Looking for peace and joy in the things of this world. It can be materialism bigger house, nicer car. It can be drugs or sex or any obsession. I am sure that some of you here have been there. Maybe you are like my friend from college you tried God and He didn t work so you look for what seems to satisfy your soul. Maybe you have never wondered is there a God? You just live as if there is no God. But then there is another form of lostness Pharisaical lostness. Turning towards God trying to earn God s favour Here is the older brother. Verse 29: Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. Do you hear these words? Served. Obeyed. This is the essence of Phariseeism. I slaved for you. I obeyed your orders. Why? If you read on it is in order to get. I wanted a fatted calf, I wanted a party, I wanted the things that make me happy. The Pharisees and teachers of the law believed in God but they thought that the way to God was by earning His favour. Keeping the Law being devout showing God just how much they deserved God s favour. It isn t easy being a Pharisee. You slave and work hard. Read the journals of Luther. What a monk? He slaved to obey every Law. The older brother is all the religious people of the world. The Muslim who works to earn Allah s favour. The Hindu trying to earn karma. The Jew keeping the Law. But all too often churches are filled with older brothers. I go to church. I keep the commandments. I give my money. So God should be kind to me. I have earned my reward. Notice if you will that both brothers want something they want the father s wealth to spend on themselves. 9

10 Verse 12 the younger brother wanted the money. He just takes it. Verses 29 and 30 the older brother wanted the money. So he worked for it. But both want the father s wealth. The younger brother represents all of those who just take the pleasures of this earth as if it is their right. The older brother represents all of those who try to earn the pleasures of this earth. But here is the point. Neither ends up satisfied. The younger brother tries to find satisfaction in the world and ends up hungry and bitter in a foreign pig sty. At one extreme this is the worn out prostitute, the drying out drug addict, the hung over alcoholic, the bankrupt businessman. It is everyone who looks for joy in the things of this world alone. The older brother finds himself alienated, isolated in the field, feeling bitter and hard done by. He deserved the father s wealth the younger brother didn t. This is everyone who thinks they have been good enough to earn some measure of blessing from God. This is everyone who is unhappy with how God is allowing their lives to go and think they deserve better. Anyone who ever thinks they deserved to be richer, healthier, married, single, better job because I deserve it! But here is the crucial point. Neither brother found any happiness. Not the young man starving in a pig-sty. Not the older brother pouting in the field. Why? Because they were looking in the wrong place. We were created in such a way that we only find joy in one place. The point of the parable is that true satisfaction is not in the world, in the father s money it is in the kiss of the father a relationship with the father a relationship with God. So here is our second point. 10

11 Our need the kiss of the Father Notice if you will that both sons are alienated from the father. The younger brother. Look at verse 12: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me. And he divided his property between them. This is equivalent to saying Father, I simply can t wait for you to die. I wish you were dead. I want you to be dead. From this point forward you are dead to me just give me the money. I want the money not you. He takes the money and goes to a distant land. The older brother is also alienated. Look at verses 28-31: The older brother was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him! And he said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. Here is what the older brother is saying: I slaved for you. I obeyed every order. I was the good son. Where was my fatted calf and party? I did it not out of love but to get I deserve this. And now you waste my inheritance on that scoundrel. I am just going to pout and protest out in the field until you see things my way. The sons were looking for satisfaction in the wrong place. 11

12 The point of the parable the essence of grace is found in verses 17-24: But when the younger brother came to himself, he said, How many of my father s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate. And in verse 32: It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found. Don t misunderstand what happened here. The younger son didn t sit in that pig sty and say: Wow! Now I realise that what I really need is the kiss of my father. A relationship with him will fill my aching need. No! He said what a fool. I am hungry and there is food at home. I should be more like my older brother. I am going to go back and work for the food. But, and here is the point. Despite the fact he still doesn t grasp what he really needs the father reaches out in sheer grace. The father in this parable is God. He sees the son coming. He does not stand on the veranda tapping his foot saying: I knew he would cave in one day and come crawling back. He didn t gloat. He didn t demand his pound of vengeance. He didn t turn him away. He didn t even say, OK I forgive you come home! The point is that he did what is entirely unnatural he acted with grace. He saw the ragged, starved wretch in the distance and he ran to his son. Oriental men don t run. It is beneath their dignity. They do not hitch their robe up tuck it into their belt and run. Yet this father ran. He had been disgraced by this son but he humbles himself. 12

13 He threw his arm around the son and kissed him. The boy had been practicing his speech. The father cut him off and cries You are my son. Kill the fatted calf, bring the robe, the ring. This boy had done nothing to earn the father s favour he had done everything to earn disfavour. This boy had done nothing to develop his relationship with his father he had declared he wanted him dead his only interest is in the old man s money. In fact, even coming back all he wanted was to get out of the pig sty and get some food and a place to sleep. But what he got was the kiss of the father. The younger brother finally understood this is where real joy and peace is found. This is what the older brother never understood. What every lost child is looking for cannot be found in the world. You cannot take it or earn it. It can only be given as a gift the kiss of the father. The only thing that satisfies the only place where joy is found is in the kiss of the father. What is the kiss of the father? It is a relationship with God. It is God calling us to be His sons forgiving us, adopting us, showering us with every blessing making us one with Him. He fills our hearts. He gives us His joy. He saves us. If you are here today and you do not have a relationship with God if you have looked for something joy, peace, life. If you have looked in the world money, things, people. If you have looked in religion and obedience. Then you need the kiss of the Father. You need a relationship with Him. You need His love. You need Him. Let me say this. Too often churches and Christians lose sight of grace and revert to younger brother and older brother tendencies. Instead of telling you to seek the kiss of the Father some churches tell you to just take what is your right. Take your health, wealth, happiness. Other churches also forget the Father s kiss and seek to gain through sheer obedience and legalism. But the gospel is that God gives us Himself we cannot earn it we don t deserve it but that is where life is found. 13

14 But there is only one way to get the kiss of the Father. God s solution the perfect older brother Some theologians have criticised this parable. They say there is no cost involved in bringing the younger brother back. Justice is not satisfied. He cursed his father, publicly dishonoured him, sinned flagrantly and then comes back and is given the kiss of the father. But look again at this parable. Look again at verses 11-12: There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me. And he divided his property between them. Two sons. In those days after the death of the father the older brother would have a larger share of any estate. Most likely the older brother would get ⅔ and the younger brother ⅓. The younger brother demands his share and incredibly, the father agrees. The father in this parable would have had to liquidate many of his assets. Then the ungrateful younger son takes his inheritance and he blows it wild living food, parties, prostitutes. What the father has left ⅔ of his original estate actually is the older brother s inheritance. In verse 31 where the father says to the older brother everything I have is yours. That is literally true. Everything every house, lamb, pot and pan would go the older brother when the father dies. So, the younger brother comes back and the father runs out and says: 14

15 Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him whose robe is it? The older brother s robe. Put a ring on his finger whose ring is it? The older brother s ring. Put sandals on his feet whose sandals are they? The older brother s sandals. Bring the fattened calf and kill it whose fattened calf is it? The older brother s fattened calf. Let s have a feast and celebrate whose food and wine is it? The older brother s. To bring the younger brother back costs the older brother heavily. The older brother pays the cost of restring the younger brother through the lost inheritance. And he is not happy. Every robe the father gives away one less robe for him. Every fatted calf the father kills one less fatted calf for him. So he heads to the field and sulks he refuses to go in. How should he have acted? Verse 32: It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found. A true older brother says it does not matter what the cost is I will pay it to save my lost younger brothers. A true older brother would have been out there with the father watching. When his brother appeared on the horizon, he would have outstripped the father in running to the brother. He would have taken off his ring and robe. He would have called for his fatted calf to be slaughtered. He would have rejoiced and cried: Father! We have to celebrate and be glad, because this son of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. I have my brother back! This is parable shows us a number of truths. It shows us who God is and who we are. He is gracious and loving. 15

16 We are the lost boys. We have done everything to alienate God. Acted as if He were dead. Cursed Him and wished He were dead. Violated His gracious commands given for our good. Abused our bodies and his world. Tried to earn his favour with our halfhearted acts of service. This parable shows us what we need. The kiss of the Father. To be brought into a relationship with Him. To have Him fill our souls with His life and joy. But this parable also leaves us asking where is a true older brother who will make the payment to bring me back to the Father? And it is the rest of the Gospels it is the life of Jesus that answers this unspoken question. Jesus is our true older brother. Everything that is the Father s is His. We are the younger brothers we have squandered everything. But as we read to bring us back to the Father to allow us to receive the kiss of the father it doesn t just cost a fatted calf, a robe and a ring. It costs Jesus everything. 1 Peter 3:18: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, Philippians 2:6-8: Jesus though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. This morning you saw someone baptised. Baptism signified that God has kissed him washed away his sins adopted him made him His. He has given him the robe of Christ s righteousness, given him Christ s ring and will feed him with the fatted calf. He didn t earn this. No in Christ God ran to him. Brothers and sisters what we need is the kiss of God. If you don t know God. If you have not accepted the invitation of the Father to join Him through Jesus then please talk with me. If you are like the younger brother seeking satisfaction in the world your search will end vain and fruitless. If you are like the older brother seeking to earn what is due you your search will end vain and fruitless. 16

17 We were created to find joy in the kiss of the Father. And the only way is by accepting the grace offered by our true older brother Jesus who gave everything to bring undeserving, pouting, stuckup men and women like us back to the Father. This is the gospel. This is grace. And how amazing grace truly is. 17