Title: Reflecting the Love of God
Theme: To show the love of the Father through the parable of the prodigal son and how father’s should reflect this.
Offering Scripture:
Main Scriptures
Luke 15:11-32 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. (12) And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. (13) And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. (14) But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. (15) Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. (16) And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. (17) But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! (18) I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, (19) and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." ' (20) And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. (21) And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' (22) But the father said to his servants, 'Bring [108] out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. (23) And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; (24) for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry. (25) Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. (26) So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. (27) And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' (28) But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. (29) So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. (30) But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' (31) And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. (32) It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "
Introduction
Luke 15 is packed full of what I would call extreme parables. I says this because when you read them they seem to go to the extreme. It is not normal or usual in our cultural to have a reaction as they do.
The first parable is the shephered who leaves the 99 sheep to find the one. This seems irresponsible on the part of the shephered as he would leave the 99 faithful to find just the one who had wondered off. This is until you understand the unique relationship between a shephered and his sheep. Raising the little lamb since they were born. So his heart is broken when it is lost. As is when it is found there is a celebration that goes on.
The second parable is of the woman who lost her coin. She searches the house from one corner to the next until it is found. After it is found she throws a celebration inviting all her neighbors in to celebrate the retrieval of the coin. Again this seems extreme until you realize this probably represented her life’s saving. Her future.
Here we are told at the end of both parables: Luke 15:7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
So we are reminded that this story is bigger than a parable of lost sheep and coins but it shows us the celebration in heaven when a sinner comes back.
The final parable brings us closer to God’s dealing with us. We call this the parable of the Prodigal Son. “By focusing on the prodigal son, however, we miss the central lesson of the parable. The central character in this story is not the son, but the father. Perhaps if we called it the Parable of the Incredible Father we’d find it easier to focus on the portrait Jesus painted of him. “
Adapted from Wayne Jacobsen’s book, “He Loves Me: Learning to Live in the Father’s Affection.”
The truth is there are two sons not one. Both of these sons had a stuggle in their relationship with their father. “The younger son saw him only as a conduit to his own pleasures, the elder as a taskmaster that made him serve in the fields. While they were both in the house, neither was at home in his love.”
I mentioned that these parables seems to be parables of the extreme. The actions of the father toward the first son is shocking. This son asks for his inheritance. This is given when he dies but not while he is alive. It is as if the son looks at the father and says, “I wish you were dead”. Wow! How would that feel?
The shocking part is that the father gives him what he asked for. Have you ever been in a postion as you watch your children fall into traps that you know are going to fail? You give them advice and yet they fall into the traps of the world. This is not an easy thing so see.
But notice the love of the father. He gives as the son requests. We don’t’ know how long the son was gone, it could have been weeks or it could have been years. Soon the money runs out and the pleasures cease. The money is squandered. Nothing left to show. Now this son is regulated to helping in the “pig pen”. No where to turn but to go back home. At least he could be his servant.
I love this verse that says, “(17) But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! (18) I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, (19) and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." '
This is repentance on the part of the son:
1) Realization of where he was
2) Confessing of his condition
3) Surrendering to the purpose and will of the father
Then we see the loving reaction of the father, looking for the son. You could imagine that daily the father would go out of the villiage and look for the son. Waiting on his son to come home.
This seems to be extreme love. It is easy for us to lock out the son or daugther and say, “They made their bed, now they must lay in it”. Maybe while they are going through it. But notice that the father never stopped offering love to the son.
Question
Have you ever been in the “pig pen” of life? Wallering in your failures? The good news is that God offers forgiveness.
The second son seemed to be different. He was faithful. He was always there. He got the work done. The problem was not the work ethic the problem was the heart.
“Though the father deeply loved both of his children, neither of them embraced that love. Jesus' point is clear. There are two ways to run from God. We see that more easily in the younger son who ran into rebellion, satisfying his own selfish desires.
It is harder to see it in those who run headlong into religious activities thinking they can impress God with their commitment. They slave away for him only because they fear the consequences if they don't. Like the Pharisees Jesus told this story to, they feel justified by their anger at more obvious sins of others. But they, too, never come to realize the depth of God’s love for them. “
God wants a relationship
The father would rather have the relationship that get the work done. There will always be work to do but the relationship is so important.
“All that the father wanted both of them to know was how deeply they were loved. It wasn’t their obedience he wanted most, but their affection. As a parent of adult children, I understand that. There’s nothing I prize more with my children than those moments when we share the honesty and intimacy of friendship. When they know I love them, and they respond in love with me, there’s nothing better.
God feels the same way about you. He's not interested in your service or sacrifice. He only wants you to know how much you are loved, hoping that you will choose to love him in return. Understand that, and everything else about your life will fall into place; miss that, and nothing else will make any difference. “
Adapted from Wayne Jacobsen’s book, “He Loves Me: Learning to Live in the Father’s Affection.”
This is the extreme love of our Heavenly Father who love us so much. Bigger than our obedience.
Mary and Martha
Luk 10:38-42 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. (39) And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' [83] feet and heard His word. (40) But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." (41) And Jesus [84] answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. (42) But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
Conclusion
Sinner
God loves you and is there with open arms to welcome you back home
Religious
God wants your relationship more than your obedience. Obedience is good but when the relionship is left out it is like empty works
Father
God wants you to reflect His love to your children and grand children. It is so easy to the “cut them off”. Yet we need to reflect the love of God. We need to be there when they hurt. Not say,” I told you so” but truthfully we can say,”I understand because I have been there. God had to teach me a lesson.
Ephesians 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
