Good morning, church.
Our sermon text this morning is Luke chapter 15.
That's page 821 in the Pew Bible.
Let me invite you to turn there with me.
Our passage today is often and perhaps rightly regarded as the greatest of all Jesus' parables.
It has been the subject of not just endless biblical commentary and preaching since the days of the early church,
but it's also been an enduring subject for great painters, dramatists, choreographers, musicians, writers, even philosophers.
Nietzsche wrote about the parable of the prodigal son.
And yet, as one commentator put it,
none of the parallels or the retellings can measure up to or compare with the moving force of this story as told by Jesus himself.
So friends, let's do just that.
Let's encounter this parable together in its most powerful form in the words of Jesus himself.
Luke chapter 15.
Let me read this for us.
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him, that is Jesus,
and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying,
This man receives sinners and eats with them.
So he told them this parable.
What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if the father has lost one of them,
does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country
and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?
And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them,
Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.
Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin,
does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?
And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying,
Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I have lost.
Just so I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.
And he said, there was a man who had two sons.
And the younger of them said to his father,
Father, give me this share of property that is coming to me.
And he divided his property between them.
Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had
and took a journey into a far country.
And there he squandered his property and reckless living.
And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country
and he began to be in need.
So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country
who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate.
And no one gave him anything.
But when he 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've sinned against heaven and before you.
I'm 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've sinned against heaven and before you.
I'm 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.
Now his older son was in the field.
And as he came and drew near the house,
he heard music and dancing.
And he called one of the servants
and asked what these things meant.
And he said to him,
Your brother has come
and your father has killed the fattened calf.
Because he's received him back,
safe and sound.
But he 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 the 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.
It was fitting to celebrate and be glad.
For this your brother was dead
and is alive.
He was lost
and is found.
Let's pray together.
Our father,
we are so grateful
for the word that you've given us
in the scriptures
that we can encounter again
and afresh
the very words of Christ
spoken again by your spirit
to our hearts.
O father,
we pray that you would open us
to really hear
and receive
what it is you're saying today
to us,
your church.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, friends,
I wonder if you've ever been upset
when someone was having fun
without you.
H.L. Mencken once said
that Puritanism
was the haunting fear
that someone
somewhere
may be happy.
Now,
that was completely untrue
about the Puritans.
John Owen,
the great Puritan theologian,
was often criticized
in his day
for being too fashionable.
Imagine that.
He wore knee-high
leather boots.
And his critics would say
he had as much powder
powder in his hair
that would discharge
eight cannons.
They seem to be okay
with having a little fun.
Our passage begins
with Jesus
receiving criticism.
And criticism
for dining
with the wrong
sort of people.
This man,
do you hear the contempt
in their voices?
This man
receives sinners
and eats with them.
According to the
religious establishment
of the day,
Jesus spent
far too much time
with the outcasts,
the irreligious,
and the immoral.
Even sharing
table fellowship
and hospitality
with them,
which was a big deal
in the first century.
And how would Jesus
respond to such criticism?
How would you?
And here's how
Jesus' parable
is so surprising.
Rather than respond
with sort of shrill
self-justification
that we've become
so used to today,
rather than simply
attack his critics
as close-minded
bigots,
instead he launches
out in this
three-fold parable,
this tour de force
to actually
try
to win them over,
to change
their hearts
and to bring
them
to the table too.
In the English-speaking
world,
we know this story
as the parable
of the prodigal son.
But the lead-in
in verses
three through ten
is all about
lost things
being found.
A lost sheep,
a lost coin.
So in German,
it's known as
the parable
of the lost son.
But the heartbeat
of this story,
the main character,
is God.
Behind the shepherd,
behind the woman,
behind the father
is the heart
of God
seeking out
the lost
and heaven
erupting
in joy
when the lost
are found.
And that erupting
joy of the father
reaches right
out of the parable
to the critics
themselves
and says,
you too,
come in,
come home.
So let's consider
first Jesus'
point
in verses
three through ten.
All of heaven
rejoices
when the lost
are found.
A shepherd
loses a sheep.
A woman
loses a silver coin.
One-tenth
of her life
savings.
And of course,
they search diligently
going after
what's been lost
and when they find it,
they have a party.
Friends and neighbors
are invited
to come
and rejoice.
Apparently,
Albert Schweitzer
was teaching
this story
in a confirmation
class
and one boy
blurted out,
what a silly
woman.
She spent more
on the party
than the coin
was worth
in the first place.
I don't know
if that's a true story
about Albert Schweitzer.
That might be
totally apocryphal,
but maybe,
you know,
just maybe.
That's part
of Jesus'
point.
The joy
of heaven
over sinners
who repent
is exuberant.
It's extravagant.
Even for one,
Jesus says,
God fills
heaven
with joy.
You see,
what Jesus'
critics were missing
and what we too
often fail to see
is the missionary
heart of God.
God's initiative
throughout Scripture
to bring
his people
back home.
Ezekiel 34
is one of these
places where we see
that.
It speaks of God's
search and rescue
mission.
God's sheep,
Ezekiel says,
were scattered
over the earth
and no one
searched and no one
looked for them.
Israel's leaders
had abandoned
the search,
but God declares
in Ezekiel 34
11 and 16,
I myself
will search
for my sheep
and look for them.
I will search
for the lost
and bring back
the strays.
The missionary
heart of God.
But this missionary
heart of God
in the Old Testament
extends not just
to the lost
house of Israel,
but to the nations
as well.
The book of Jonah
that we read
from earlier
is about God
extending his
mercy to the
pagan city
of Nineveh.
And then,
much like Luke 15,
it's about teaching
the resentful Jonah
about how much
he really does
love the lost.
And how far
God's willing
to go
to bring them
home.
Even if it means
swallowing a prophet
with a giant fish
and spitting him
out three days
later.
God
will gather
his people.
And so,
Jesus,
in fulfillment
of God's mission
here in Luke,
pursues the lost.
When this whole
section of the
Gospel of Luke
comes to an end
in chapter 19,
these words
of Jesus
will be how
it closes.
The Son of Man
came to seek
and to save
the lost.
Why does Jesus
spend so much time
with tax collectors
and sinners?
Why does he eat
with them?
Why does he receive
them as friends?
Why does he do it
so much so that
it's making people
a little uncomfortable?
Why?
Because he's the shepherd
not giving up
his search
and he's the woman
not putting out
the lamp
until all his
lost are found
and the heavens
erupt
with joy.
Now,
I don't think
many of us
would consider
ourselves Pharisees
this morning
and not many
of us
would perhaps
criticize Jesus
for eating
with so-called
sinners and tax collectors.
On the contrary,
I think most of us
here would commend it,
I'm sure.
And yet,
can we say
that this joy
of heaven
is our joy too?
Do we share
the pursuing,
befriending,
searching,
boundary-crossing
love for the lost
that God
has revealed
in Jesus?
Does it excite us?
Does it fire
our imaginations?
J.C. Ryle
puts it to us
in these,
I think,
quite challenging words.
He says,
the person
who can take
a deep interest
in politics
or field sports
or money-making
or gaining popularity
but take none
in the conversion
of souls
is no true
Christian.
What about us
as a church?
We can get excited
about a lot of things,
can't we?
Projects,
programs,
buildings.
things.
But friends,
it is all
useless
if we don't
share the joy
of heaven
over the lost
being found.
As many of you know,
we're embarking
on a building project.
Why are we doing it?
Above all,
it's so that we can
go on
spreading
the table
of God's grace
and inviting
more and more
and more people
to join.
We want the joy
of heaven
to be increasingly
our joy.
We want to rejoice
more and more
over the lost
being found.
But the question is,
how do we
rekindle that joy?
When we get discouraged
because our friends
and our neighbors
don't seem to be
showing any
real spiritual
interest.
When we get
distracted
by the very
real responsibilities
of work
and family
and even church.
When we know
in our minds
that our joy
should be
for the lost
being found,
but in our hearts
we just don't
feel it.
What do we do?
Did you notice
how verse 1
begins?
The tax collectors
and sinners
were all
drawing near
to hear him.
They were
attracted
to Jesus.
There was
something about
him that they
hadn't experienced
before in other
religious leaders.
He sought
them,
yes,
but they were
also drawn
to him.
Why are
the immoral
and the
irreligious
drawing near
to hear
Jesus?
I think
if we can
see the
reason why,
then we'll
see how to
rekindle
and realign
our joy
with the joy
of heaven.
and this
brings us
to the
center
of our
passage,
the first
half of the
parable of
the lost
son,
where Jesus
shows us
the extravagant
grace of the
father.
He tells us
about the
exceeding joy
of heaven
in verses 1
through 10
and now
the extravagant
grace of
the father.
Verses 11
through 24
are the part
of Luke 15
that have
rightfully been
retold and
recast time
and time
again in
literature
and art
and dance
and music.
But you
know,
let's take a
step back
for a second
and ask
what about
this message
of Jesus
would be so
attractive
to tax
collectors
and sinners,
to the
immoral
and the
irreligious?
At first,
it doesn't
seem like
good news
at all.
In verses
12 through
13,
Jesus exposes
the natural
bent of our
fallen hearts.
The younger
brother requests
his share
of the
father's
inheritance
while his
father is
still living,
then he
sells his
shares of
the property,
turns it
into cash,
deserts his
family,
goes to a
far country
and squanders
his money
in the pursuit
of pleasure.
Not a very
flattering picture
of our humanity,
is it?
But this is how
all of us
naturally treat
God.
We want
his stuff
more than
we want
a relationship
with him.
And whatever
good he
gives us,
we seem
to be
uncontrollably
bent to
use it
for our
own
ends
rather
than
for
his.
But Jesus
doesn't just
expose the
natural bent
of our
fallen hearts,
he also
shows us
the bitter
outcome of
pursuing life
apart from
God.
In verses
13 through
16,
the younger
son goes
on this
downward
spiral.
He squanders
the family
money,
a famine
hits,
his so-called
friends desert
him,
notice how
it ends,
and no
one was
there to
help him.
And he
finds himself
feeding pigs.
Imagine
that.
A Jewish
boy working
on an
unclean
Gentile
pig farm.
So hungry,
he's willing
to eat the
same food
he's feeding
the pigs.
Talk about
hitting
utter
bottom.
And again,
Jesus is
showing us
here that
this is
the eventual
outcome of
pursuing life
apart from
God.
We will,
Jesus says,
hit bottom.
Maybe not
financially,
maybe not
physically,
but certainly
spiritually.
After
showing us
the downward
spiral,
Jesus also
shows us
here the
working of
repentance in
the heart.
The younger
brother comes
to himself
in verse
17.
Realizing
that his
father's
hired hands
have it
better,
he decides
to go home
and confess
his wrong.
But he has
no expectations
that his
father will
continue to
treat him
as a son.
No,
he thinks
the best
he can hope
for is to
be treated
as one
of his
father's
hired
servants.
And then
he gets
up and
he heads
for home
in humility
and in
shame.
he gets
up and
he heads
home.
You see
throughout
this chapter
Jesus is
not saying
that sinners
and tax
collectors
were simply
to be
accepted
as they
stand.
Jesus is
clear.
Sinners
must repent.
The lost
sheep and
lost coin
must be
found.
The
prodigal
son comes
to his
senses and
returns
home.
But again,
why was
all of this
such good
news?
Why the
crowds?
Why were
the
outsiders
and the
irreligious
gathering
near to
Jesus?
Up to
this point,
Jesus just
sounds like
any other
religious or
moral teacher,
right?
After all,
the Pharisees
would have
stressed the
need for
repentance
too.
What made
Jesus any
different?
Well,
the difference
is what
Jesus said
you would
find when
you actually
return home.
What would
you find?
verse 20.
But while he
was still a
long way
off, his
father saw
him.
The father,
it seems,
had never
forgotten his
son, never
disowned him.
He had been
scanning the
horizon, eagerly
waiting and
hoping for his
return.
His father saw
him and felt
compassion and
ran and
embraced him
and kissed
him.
You see, the
father doesn't
wait for the
son to come
crawling back
and beg and
plead for
forgiveness and
then prove
himself.
No, while the
son is still a
long way
off, and
even before
the son gets
out a word,
the father
runs to
him.
I was
thinking about
this yesterday.
Have you
ever run
to meet
someone?
How thrilled
must you be
to run
and meet
someone?
Let alone
embrace and
kiss them.
And the
son said to
him,
father, I've
sinned
against heaven
and before
you.
I'm 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.
Robe and
ring and
shoes, all
of these are
emblems that
this wayward
son is being
received back,
not as a
servant, but
as a son.
servants
didn't wear
shoes, but
sons wore
shoes.
You get
the sandals,
you get
the robe,
you get
the ring,
you're my
son.
He's
restored and
he's
reinstated and
he's clothed
with honor and
dignity.
But there's
even more.
The father
says, bring
the fattened
calf and
kill it.
let us eat
and celebrate
for this my
son was dead
and is alive
again.
He was lost
and is found.
The father
initiates a
community-wide
party, a
feast, because
his son has
returned.
You know, in
the first
century, meat
was only eaten
on very special
occasions and
this fattened
calf would
have been
something that
they were
saving.
You know, it
was sort of
this special
animal that
they were
feeding and
keeping around
for only the
most important
and special
and utterly
groundbreaking
celebrations.
And here, this
prized gift is
lavished on the
son who
returns home.
I wonder, if
you come home
to God, what
sort of reception
do you think you
would find?
What would be
the look on
the father's
face when he
saw you coming
from afar?
Do you think he
would take you
back only as a
servant with
certain conditions
and certain terms
that you would
have to keep just
in case things
didn't work out?
Or would he
actually take you
back as a son,
as a daughter,
as a beloved
child?
friends, the glory
of the gospel,
the wonder of
Jesus' message
is that the
heavenly father
takes us back
in lavish,
unmitigated,
unrestrained
grace.
no matter how
far we've fallen,
no matter how
lost we think
we are,
there's a robe
and a ring
and a feast
waiting for you
in the house
of your heavenly
father.
You see, the
promise of the
gospel isn't just
that God's going
to forgive you,
but that he's going
to honor you
and that he's going
to rejoice over
you.
And he's not
going to do it
because you deserve
it or because
you've earned it.
You could never
do that.
He's going to do
it because he
loves you.
Because he loves
you.
Do you see now
why the tax
collectors and
sinners were
drawing near to
hear this Jesus?
Here was a
teacher saying
that God
accepted us
by sheer
undeserved
grace apart
from our
works that no
matter how far
we had fallen,
no matter how
reckless and
sinful we become,
no matter how
much of a mash
we've made of
our life,
there's a place
of honor ready
to be lavished
upon us.
Not for the
deserving,
but for the
undeserving.
Not for the
worthy,
but for the
unworthy.
The father's
eyes are
scanning the
horizon.
His feet are
ready to
run,
his arms
are ready
to embrace.
And for
sinners,
that is such
good,
good news.
But not
everyone sees
it that way.
There's another
son in this
story,
you remember.
And here's
the real
point Jesus
has been
driving toward
the whole
time.
there are
some who
think they
are righteous,
as verse
seven puts
it,
and who
think they
need no
repentance.
It's obvious
that Jesus
has characterized
his critics as
the older
brother in this
story,
isn't it?
The Pharisees
grumble that he
eats with tax
collectors and
sinners,
years.
And this
older brother
is angry,
grumbling,
that the
father would
celebrate at
the return of
the younger
brother.
But Jesus
says,
don't you
see,
this is the
very mission
and joy of
heaven.
The father is
full of
extravagant grace,
rejoicing because
the lost are
found.
And you,
Pharisees,
you're like this
older brother,
angry and
resentful because
the father is
celebrating his
lost son's
return.
And in this
paragraph,
Jesus suddenly
turns the
story upside
down.
One writer
drew out the
contrast this
way.
He said,
you know,
you see the
younger son
who's reckless
in disobedience
and confesses
his sin.
And then you
have the
elder son,
ungrateful in
his obedience,
insisting on
his rights.
The younger
son renounces
all his claims
to sonship
and invites
servitude.
The elder son
complains of
disappointed
sonship and
despises the
servitude to
which he thinks
himself unfairly
reduced.
Notice in
verse 29 how
the older brother
says,
look,
these many
years I've
served you.
Literally,
he says,
I've slaved
away for you.
The younger
brother receives
mercy from his
father.
father,
the elder
accuses the
father in
resentful
self-righteousness.
The younger
son confessed,
I've sinned
without excuse.
The older
son complains,
I have served
without recompense.
The great
irony here is
that at the
story's end,
it's the older
brother who's
outside the
feast and
estranged from
his father.
father, the
very ones who
thought they
were in, are
actually out.
And that
makes us wonder
who really is
the lost son of
Luke 15.
The reality is
they're both
lost.
The younger
brother broke
all the rules,
the older
brother kept
all the rules,
and in the
end, they
both need to
be rescued.
And here's
where Jesus'
story surprises
us the most.
He's not
done yet.
The father
goes out to
the elder
brother too.
And while the
older brother
never calls him
father, did you
notice that?
The father
still calls him
son.
And he doesn't
use the ordinary
word for son,
the father
uses the word
technon, which
here is a term
of endearment,
full of affection
and warmth and
compassion.
You see, this
older son is
bitter and
resentful.
He's self-righteous
and proud.
He is lost.
He's lost in the
most pernicious
and dangerous
way because on
the outside he
looks so good.
He is lost.
But to him
too, the father
comes in love
as well and
says, son,
you're always
with me.
And all
that is mine
is yours.
You know, this
is the really,
really scandalous
thing about
God's grace.
Not just that
we all need
it, but that
we all can
have it.
If you and
I were telling
this story, we'd
let the Pharisees
have it, wouldn't
we?
The younger
son would be
celebrated and
the older son
would be thrown
out.
He would
get what's
coming to
him.
Outer
darkness,
exclusion,
you're done.
We'd let the
older brother
get what's
coming to
him.
But don't
you realize,
friends,
literally, by
definition, that's
not how God's
grace works.
It's undeserved
favor for the
undeserving.
If there's hope
for the
unrighteous, then
there's hope for
the self-righteous
too.
And that
hope is the
undeserved love
of the Father.
I sometimes
wonder how the
older brother felt
as he heard
those words
coming out of
his own mouth
in verses 29
and 30.
Have you ever
been there when
you start speaking
and you surprise
yourself at what
starts coming out?
Do you think he
surprised himself?
I've slaved
away for you
and you've
given me
nothing.
And the
son of yours
comes home
having ripped
apart your
property and
spent it on
prostitutes and
you give him
the biggest
party.
In that
moment, I
wonder if he
saw his
self-righteousness
for what it
truly was for
the first time.
And I
wonder if he
was uncertain
in that
moment how
his father
would respond
to his
ungratefulness
and his
resentment
and his
bitterness.
If he
was uncertain
at that
moment how
the father
would respond
to his
own sort
of rejection
of the
father.
And the
greatest surprise
of all is
that the
father responds
here too
in grace.
But just
as the
younger son
needed to
repent and
come home,
so the
older son
needs to
repent and
come home
too.
And
practically,
what that
meant for
him was
this.
Coming back
into fellowship
with his
father has
to mean
coming back
into fellowship
with his
younger brother
too.
Notice the
father says
in verse
32,
this,
your brother.
He's reversing
the older son's
word in verse
30 where he
said,
this son of
yours,
he says,
disowning his
brother on the
spot.
No, the
father pushes
back.
This,
your brother.
And the
solidarity that
the older
brother has
to acknowledge
with the
younger brother
is more
than just
biological.
They are
from the
same family,
yes,
but more
than that,
they're from
the same
spiritual
family.
In other
words,
the older
son is
just as
unworthy
to join
the father's
feast as
the younger
son.
And he
needs to
get that.
they are
truly
brothers,
they are
truly
equals,
that is,
they are
both
sinners in
need of
radical
grace.
And that
is where
the parable
ends,
with an
invitation.
Will we
recognize
our need
for grace
and having
done so,
join
repentant
sinners at
the table
of the
father?
and seeing
ourselves
in need
of grace
just as
much as
everyone
else,
will we
celebrate
with the
joy of
heaven at
the lost
being found?
And yet
the parable
still isn't
complete
until we
see one
last piece,
until we
see that
the true
and better
elder brother
isn't the
one in
the story,
but the
one telling
the story.
After all,
on what
grounds does
the father
reinstate
the younger
brother?
Have you
thought about
that?
If the
inheritance
has already
been divided,
then the
younger brother
had already
received his
customary
one-third
of the
estate,
and,
as we
know,
it's been
sold and
spent.
It is
gone.
The
remaining
two-thirds
of the
father's
property now
belong
entirely
to him.
The
elder
brother.
When the
father says
in verse
31,
all that
is mine
is yours,
that is
literally
true.
All that
is left
belongs by
right to
the older
brother.
So,
who then
pays the
price for
reinstating
the younger
brother?
And who
bears the
cost of
receiving
this sinner
home again?
it's
supposed to
be the
older
brother.
But the
brother in
this story
seems so
unwilling to
pay.
And yet,
we have a
better older
brother.
Do you
want to
realign your
joy with
the joy of
heaven?
Do you
want to
rekindle your
love over
the loss
being found?
Do you
want your
heart to be
thrilled by
the mission
of God?
Do you
want your
heart to
come aflame
with a
divine love
for the
lost?
Then you
need to
fix your
gaze on
your true
elder
brother
Jesus,
who was
willing to
leave heaven
and go
into the
far country
after us.
And he
was willing
and glad
to pay
the cost
with his
own life
so that
we could
become the
sons and
daughters of
God again
and come
home.
This is
the mission
of God
and the
joy of
heaven.
And Jesus
has done
it.
Are you
ready to
join him
friends?
Are you
ready to
let his
joy invade
your life
and invade
our church
and send
us on
this glad
mission of
redemption?
Then fix
your eyes
on Christ.
Let's
pray.
Amen.
Father, we
ask that
as we
prepare to
come to
this table
where we
remember
the shedding
of the
blood of
your son
and the
breaking
of his
body.
Oh Lord,
we pray
that you
would
rekindle
in our
hearts
a deep
abiding
gratitude
for your
grace
for us.
Lord, it's
so hard
for us
at times
to acknowledge
that we
aren't worthy
of your
love and
your grace.
Lord, fill
us with a
vision of
the love
of Christ,
taking off
his robe
and his
ring and
coming down
to be
spent for
us, to
make room
for us and
to make
time for
us and
paying the
price of
our
reinstatement
as your
children.
Oh, fill
our hearts
with that
vision and
rekindle our
love for
you and
our love for
those who
don't yet
know you.
We pray
this in
Christ's
name.
Amen.