Fourth Sunday in Lent 2007
Dr. Paul G. Humphrey
Luke 15:1-32
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This morning we are looking at the parable of the Prodigal Son. The first thing that I want you to see is who this parable is originally told to. Look with me if you would to Luke 15 verses 1 and 2.
LK 15:1 Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
Here you have gathered with Jesus the worst of the worst and those who thought that they were the best of the best.
“Tax collectors and sinners” is a common phrase in Scripture. Tax collectors were looked upon as traitors to Israel, and were know for dishonesty. They were spoken of hand in hand with thieves and prostitutes.
Notice what the Pharisees and teachers of the law muttered; “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” The Pharisees were all about ritual purity, and eating with someone was a very intimate act for First Century Jews. It is not this way for us. We go to the food bar, and have no idea who we are eating with, but for them, eating with someone that they saw as ritually impure, or even a Gentile would be detestable to them.
You might recall once in Scripture that Paul jumped all over Peter because he was eating with Jewish Christians but wouldn’t sit and eat with Gentile Christians. This is something so far outside of our cultural views that it is difficult for us to understand.
How many people do you share your toothbrush with? Suppose I wanted to borrow your tooth brush and take it down to a homeless shelter and let those who need it use it, and wash it with alcohol. Alcohol will disinfect it. I can promise it will have no germs on it when I bring it back? You would be saying to me, “Just keep it.” Even if you are absolutely sure that there are no germs on it, just the thought is enough.
Or, how about letting a hobo sleep in your bed while you are not using it? He could take a bath first? You think, my bed would be dirty, I don’t like the thought of that, but to allow a family member to sleep in your bed would be different wouldn’t it? I am trying to get you to have a bit of understanding as to how the Pharisees looked upon eating with someone. The big difference is, while we would be concerned about germs, they would be concerned about the taint of sin.
He eats with sinners, and everyone thinks, "Yuk."
You have the audience in mind, Pharisees, teachers of the law; tax collectors and sinners, now look at what Jesus says to them.
LK 15:3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The good shepherd loves each and every one so much that he would leave the 99 and go after the one. The Pharisees are going to understand that Jesus is talking about redeeming sinners. And, yet, Jesus has thrown them a curve ball in verse seven.
LK 15:7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
How many people do you know who have no need of repentance? There are none are there? But let’s leave this on the back burner for now and continue with what Jesus is saying about the lost.
The first thing that Jesus is teaching is that God rejoices and that the host of heaven rejoices over a sinful person who comes home. Jesus gives another illustration.
LK 15:8 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Even the angels of heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents. But, are the Pharisees and teachers of the law rejoicing?
I want you to realize that there are two messages going on here. One is about coming home to God and the other message is about love of neighbor. Both are very strong messages. This same two pronged message is continued in the parable of the Prodigal Son, which follows.
LK 15:11 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.
LK 15:13 "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.
How many have taken off down that long lost road?
"I want my freedom. I want to get as far away as I can from any restrictions. I want to get away from those that I love, I want to get away from the church, I want to go and live with others who have my values," or lack thereof.
As seductive as that road may look, destitution is the end thereof. Many have found this out.
Luke 15:14 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.
Recall that we began looking at the Pharisees perceived depravity of eating with a sinner. This guy would be happy to eat with the pigs. The whole audience is going "yuk" by this time, pigs are viewed as unclean by the Jews, and eating with them would be seen as unclean by just about anyone.
The depth to which this young man has fallen is pitiful and this is evident to all.
Robert Robinson had been saved out of a tempestuous life of sin through George Whitfield’s ministry in England. Shortly after that, at the age of twenty-three, Robinson wrote the hymn Come, Thou Fount.
Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing,
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Sadly, Robinson wandered far from those streams and, like the Prodigal Son, journeyed into the distant country of carnality. Until one day—he was traveling by stagecoach and sitting beside a young woman engrossed in her book. She ran across a verse she thought was beautiful and asked him what he thought of it.
Prone to wander— Lord, I feel it—
Prone to leave the God I love.
Bursting into tears, Robinson said, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then." Although greatly surprised, she reassured him that the "streams of mercy" mentioned in his song still flowed. Mr. Robinson was deeply touched. Turning his "wandering heart" to the Lord, he was restored to full fellowship.
—Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 Hymn Stories, p. 52
SermonCentral, Contributed by: Ted Sutherland
Prone to wander— Lord, I feel it—
Prone to leave the God I love.
Just as Robinson came to his senses, so it is with our prodigal son.
LK 15:17 "When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father’s hired men 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 men.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
He had in mind what he would plead for, but his father had something else in mind.
He wouldn’t even have a chance to use the words that he had rehearsed.
"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.
I want you to realize how indignant it would be for a man of substance to run. The Pharisees must have cringed at the thought of the ritual uncleanness of touching someone who had been feeding pigs and living in filth, and yet, they also knew the love that a father had for a son.
LK 15:21 "The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. ’
It seems that the father needn’t hear another word, his son had come home and that was enough. The father interrupts him.
LK 15:22 "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.
A servant is not going to be wearing the best robe. A ring on his finger represents binding authority. With a signet ring a contract can be signed. A servant may go bare footed, but not a child of the Master.
You might be thinking, "He has already spent his share of his father’s wealth."
The father in this story represents God, and he owns the cattle on a thousand hills. His wealth is ever growing. We are called heirs of God. And, he is not ever going to die, rather, he, the Fount of Every blessing is forever bestowing blessings upon his children.
23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. (Everyone knew which one the fatted calf was) 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
On the path of sin, the wealth and freedom always run out. Yet, our blessings in the presence of God will never run out.
It is evident that the prodigal son represented the tax collectors and sinners that had repented and come to Jesus. But remember I told you from the beginning that this was a two pronged message. There is another son here that represents the Pharisees and teachers of the law. There seems to be no love for their brothers and sisters in their hearts.
LK 15:25 "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.’
LK 15:28 "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. (What is the older son doing here? He is telling a lie.) Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours (notice he doesn’t call him, my brother) who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
Anger, judgment and wrath have become a stumbling block to many. The religious elite have an overinflated view of themselves and cannot fathom the cleansing power of God. They have no love in their hearts, nor can they see need of their forgiveness.
I once read a story about a preacher’s son who was engaged to marry a woman in the church. She had been a woman of poor reputation before coming into the church and accepting Christ as her Lord and Savior. Her reputation preceded her. The church raised a fit over the engagement. They wouldn’t have their preacher’s son marrying a woman of poor reputation.
The young man addressed the church saying, we sing about the blood of Jesus washing away our sins.
We sing that it will wash us white as snow, and the Bible tells us the same.
We sing about this fount, and yet, do we really believe what we are saying?
Tears of repentance filled the church, and the wedding went on.
LK 15:31 " `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.’ "
Do you remember how these parables began?
The host of heaven celebrates when one person who has gone astray comes home.
The angels rejoice when one sinner repents.
God rejoices when he receives one of his children home, much like a woman who finds one lost coin, or a shepherd who finds his one lost sheep.
While all heaven rejoices, the religious elite are disgusted.
There was a verse that I told you to hang on to earlier. I mentioned that Jesus had thrown them a curve ball. It was Luke 15:7
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
There are none who need no repentance.
Only a few chapters later in the book of Luke, we see the Pharisee and tax collector addressed once again.
Luke 18:10
10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: `God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
LK 18:13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, `God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
LK 18:14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Who is the real prodigal, the one who left and came back, or the one who never realized his own sin?
Love God and love neighbor are the two great commands. How oblivious the Pharisees are to their own sinfulness by way of their lack of love.
It can be the same in our world, and in our church today. We can fail to see our own need of repentance while rejecting the repentance of another. Judgment and disassociation can be our mainstays rather than mercy and love.
I dreamed death came the other night
And heaven’s gate swung wide.
With kindly grace an angel fair
Ushered me inside.
And there, to my astonishment
Stood folks I’d known on earth.
Some I’d judged and labeled as
“Unfit”, “Of little worth”.
Indignant words rose to my lips,
But never were set free
For every face showed stunned surprise
No one expected me!
Contributed by: David Parks
He offers forgiveness to all who will seek. He offers it to the worst of the worst. He offers it to those who think that they are the best of the best. All need it. And, the heavens still rejoice.
Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.
Invitation.
