This week we are looking at an encounter that Jesus had
with a group of self righteous religious people who were grumbling and
complaining about Jesus hanging out with those who they considered to be
outsiders who were far from God. Jesus responded to the grumbling and
complaining of these self righteous religious people by telling two parables.
Jesus point in telling these parables was that while the
self righteous religious people viewed those who were outsiders that were far
from God as being insignificant, God viewed those who were outsiders that were far
from God as very significant. While the self righteous religious people were
not concerned about those who were outsiders that were far from God, there was great concern in Heaven for those
who were outsiders that were far from God. While the self righteous religious
people had joy about being an insider, there is more joy in Heaven when an
outsider becoming an insider than there is over those who are already insiders.
Today we see Jesus hammer His point home with a third
parable, beginning in Luke 15:11:
And He said, "A man had two sons.
"The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the
estate that falls to me.' So he divided his wealth between them. "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.
In this
parable, Jesus explains that there was a father who had two sons. Now when
Jesus states that the younger son said to his father "Father, give me the
share of the estate that falls to me", here is what the younger son was
really saying to his father: Father, I wish you were dead so that I would not
have to deal with you. But since you are not dead, give me what I should get
from you once you are dead.”
You see, the
younger son did not want a relationship with his father, he just wanted what he
could get from his father. Jesus then explained that the father responded to
his sons request by granting his request. The father divided up his estate
between his older and the younger sons. Now here is a question to consider: If
your child talked that way to you, would you have given him what he asked for?
No, you might
have given him something else, but you wouldn't have given him an inheritance
from you, would you? After all, your child does not want a relationship with
you, he just wants something from you. To give your child an inheritance after
saying such a thing would seem foolish, wouldn't it? You would have to be
incredibly gracious and forgiving to do such a thing, wouldn't you?
Jesus then
explained that after receiving his share of the inheritance, the youngest son
gathered his inheritance and "went on a journey into a distant country,
and there he squandered his estate with loose living.” Now, if Jesus was
telling this parable today, this parable might have sounded something like
this: the younger son took all that he received from his father and moved to
Vegas. And once in Vegas, the younger son hit all the strip clubs and crap
tables. The younger son called all the numbers that he got from the flyers that
they hand out on the strip and had some fun. The younger son got his groove on
at all the local clubs."
In other
words, the younger son did everything that his father had taught him not to do.
The younger son went as far away from his father as he could and lived a life
that was as far from his father's lifestyle as he could. We see what happens
next in verse 14:
"Now when he had spent everything, a
severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.
"So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country,
and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. "And he would have gladly
filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was
giving anything to him.
Now, if
Jesus was telling this parable today, these verses might have sounded something
like this: After the younger son spent all the money that he had received from
his father's inheritance, there was a severe economic downturn. And as a result
of the severe economic downturn, the younger son ended up broke and without a
job. As a matter of fact, things became so bad that the only job that the
younger son could get was to work for a local casino cleaning out their garbage
dumpsters with a toothbrush. And while he was so hungry that he wanted to eat
all of the food that had been thrown into the dumpster, his bosses would not
allow him to eat the food that had been thrown into the dumpster. So every day
the younger son spent his day cleaning out nasty casino dumpsters with a
toothbrush, while desperately wanting to eat the food that others had thrown
away as being no good to eat."
Now, here is
a question to consider: If you were the younger son, could it get any worse for
you? You have burned your relational bridges with your family. You are broke
and without a job. You have no friends. You are lost and alone. You have hit
rock bottom. If you were the younger brother, what would you do? What could you
do?
Maybe you
can relate to the younger brother. Maybe you feel like you have hit rock
bottom. We see what the younger brother did in verse 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! '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."'
Jesus
explained that, at rock bottom, the younger son had a V-8 moment and came to
his senses. And as he came to his senses, the younger son came to a conclusion
and a decision. The younger son came to the conclusion that his father's
servants had it much better off than he had it off. The younger son came to the
conclusion the his father treated his servants in a way that was way better off
than he was being treated.
And as a
result of coming to that conclusion, the younger son made the decision to
return to his father and ask to be hired on as one of his servants. The younger
son made the decision to own his selfishness and rebellion against his father
in hopes that his father would take him in as a servant instead of a son.
You see, the
son came to the conclusion that he did not deserve to be in a relationship with
his father as a result of how he had treated his father. So the son made the
decision to confess his selfishness and rebellion to his father in hopes that
that his father would hire him and provide for him as a slave. And with that
the son prepared and practiced the speech that he would give to his father and
headed off to meet his father. Jesus then tells us what happens next in the
second half of verse 20:
"So 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. "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.'
Jesus
explained that while the younger brother was a long off, his father saw him and
had compassion for him. Now the reason the father saw him was because the
father was looking for him. Every day, the father spent a good part of the day
looking and scanning the horizon in hopes that the younger son would return
home. Can you imagine looking on as the father spent day after day looking and
hoping that his son would return home?
Then one
day, as the father looked over the horizon for his son, in the distance he saw
the faint outline of a figure. And as the faint outline of that figure came
closer and closer, soon the father recognized that the figure in the distance
was his son. The father recognized the familiar way that his son carried
himself as he walked. The father recognized the familiar frame of his son. And
as the father came to the realization that it was his son that was coming
toward him, Jesus explained that the father felt compassion for him and ran and
embraced him and kissed him.
You see, as
the father saw his son approaching in the distance, he had pity for what his
son had been through. The wear and tear of a life lived in rebellion against
him was evident. The life of a lack of sleep and a lack of food caused his
figure to be gaunt and tired. The lifestyle of whiskey, wine, and women had
resulted in his son looking worn and weak.
And in his
compassion, the father ran to the son. In other words, the father would have
had to pick up the robe that he was wearing up to his waist and hold it there
as he ran to his son. Now in the Jewish culture of the first century, no self
respecting man would have done such a thing. After all, to act in such a way
would be embarrassing. But the father did not care what others thought; the
father just wanted to get to his son.
And once he
got to his son the father embraced him and kissed him. The father was so glad
to have his son in his arms that he did not care about appearances. And at that
point, the son began to give the speech that he had been preparing and
practicing throughout the journey from Vegas to his home. 'Father, I have
sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called
your son.' However, the father would have none of it, as we see in verse 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; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat
and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was
lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.
Jesus explained to
the crowds listening that instead of hiring his son as a servant, the father
welcomed his son home as a son. And a part of that welcome home the father
ordered his servants to make all the preparations necessary so that the father
could throw a huge party to celebrate that the younger son had returned home.
The father ordered
the servants to prepare to throw a huge party for his son because his son who
was separated from him had returned back home to live in relationship with him.
The father ordered the servants to prepare to throw a huge party for his son
because his son who was an outsider that was lost and far from him had been
found by the father who had been searching for him.
Friday, we will see
how the father's oldest son responded to what was happening...
No comments:
Post a Comment