The God Who Seeks, The God Who Waits
Luke 15
Good morning. Please turn in your Bibles to Luke 15.
The Context:
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable:
It’s interesting to me that right before Jesus tells these three parables, He has delivered some of His most challenging teaching on the way of the cross. In 14:26, He says that anyone who wants to come after Him who doesn’t “hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” In verse 27 He tells the crowd that if anyone doesn’t “bear his own cross” he can’t be a disciple. He tells them in verse 28 that if they are serious about following Jesus, they have to sit down and count the cost.
What’s amazing to me is that, lots of times, when we see a church that’s growing like crazy, where the parking lot is full and they are adding services and building new buildings, we tend to look down our noses and say, “Well, they must be watering down the gospel.” They must be getting into some kind of prosperity, feel good, name it / claim it, seeker sensitive dumbing down of the gospel for their church to be growing so fast.
But that’s not what’s happening in Luke 15. Despite the fact that Jesus paints just about as grim a picture of what it means to follow Him as he can in Luke 14, Luke 15 opens with great crowds of tax collectors and sinners all crowding in to hear him.
So the Pharisees can’t accuse Jesus of making the gospel too easy. Instead, they accuse Jesus of making the gospel too accessible. How dare He associate with tax collectors and sinners? See, in the Pharisees code of conduct, they taught that a good Jew shouldn’t even associate with the wicked, “even to bring them to the law.” In other words, a sinner couldn’t even get himself arrested in the more upstanding neighborhoods of Jerusalem.
And its in this setting that Jesus, tells three stories in a row.
A shepherd with 100 sheep leaves the ninety-nine to go after one that strays away.
A woman with ten silver coins turns her house upside down until she finds one coin that she’s lost.
And then the third parable, perhaps the most well known parable in the entire Bible. Let’s look at it together. This is Luke 15:11-32. Let’s read it together. If you are physically able, please stand to honmor the reading of God’s Word…
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 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. 13 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 in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to[b] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs 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 more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 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. 21 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.’[c] 22 But the father said to his servants,[d] ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
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 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 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. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let’s pray.
I want to look first at what these three stories have in common. They are basically three stories about the same thing, and all three make the point that lost people matter to God.
In all three parables,
• Something lost is worth finding (v. 4, 8, 20), even when, from our perspective, it wouldn’t be that big a deal. One lost sheep? The guy’s got 99. One lost coin? She has nine others. If one coin is that big a deal, I’ll let her come clean out my car.
And the story of the lost son begins with reminding the hearers that the father has two sons. One who stays at home. Never disobeys. Always does what the father tells him to do. Remember what sparked these stories in the first place. It’s the scribes and Pharisees who are criticizing Jesus for spending so much time with tax collectors and sinners.
• Something found is worth celebrating (v. 6-7, 9-10, 32) When the sheep is found, the shepherd carries it home on his shoulders. He calls all his neighbors and says “Rejoice! I’ve found my sheep!” Same with the woman and the coins. She throws a party for her friends and neighbors that she probably spent more on than the value of the coin in the first place!
And again, here’s the final story. When the son comes home, the father kills the fattened calf. He calls the entire household together. Even at the expense of ticking off his other son, who won’t even come in for the barbecue.
And the point is this: Every individual matters to God.
But there’s one big, glaring difference between the third parable (the prodigal son) and the first two—the sheep and the coin. Check this out:
What’s Different:
In the first two parables, when something of value is lost, the result is an all-out, time consuming, sometimes illogical search to recover what was lost. The ninety-nine sheep get left. Do they get left with someone else? Doesn’t say. Can they take care of themselves? Probably not. After all, they’re sheep.
Same with the coin. The Greek specifies that these coins were drachmas, which was the equivalent of a Roman denarius, so it represented a day’s pay. So it’s not chump change. And its understandable that a woman would light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently. I think I would too if I lost an entire day’s pay.
And I think this perfectly illustrates the character of God. The gospel is totally about God’s rescue mission for humanity. Jesus left His home in heaven and crossed into enemy territory in order to bring back a generation of captives.
In 2003 a movie was released that demonstrated the lengths to which a father would go to set his captive children free.
The movie was intense. When it first came out, one of the scenes of violence was so intense that a young man I was watching it with had to cover his eyes. He actually got up and left the room because he couldn’t bear to watch the events that were unfolding on screen.
It could be hard to understand. There were long stretches of dialogue that were spoken in a language we don’t speak.
But I have to be honest and tell you that I’ve rarely seen a more moving depiction of the Father’s love onscreen.
How many of you know the movie I’m talking about?
The Passion? No… that came out in 2004. I’m talking about Finding Nemo. You remember the scene where Marlin was getting chased by the sharks? Yeah. When Josh first watched it, that part scared him so much he couldn’t even be in the room.
And the dialogue in another language? Remember when Dory spoke whale?
But watch this scene with me, and think about all that the father, Marlin, endured in order to rescue his captive child Nemo
[show clip]
This is the story of the Gospel. The Son of Man (Jesus) came to seek and to save the lost.
He was born in poverty to an unmarried couple in disgrace.
He survived the wrath of King Herod, who sought to put him to death when he was still a baby.
He faced opposition from the religious leaders of the day.
He endured betrayal from one of his disciples, denial from one of his closest friends, and mockery and taunting and brutal torture from his enemies. He bore the cross and suffered the agony of crucifixion. All so that He could rescue the human race, held captive by sin and bound for an eternity separated from the father.
So we might expect that in the third story, you would see the father going into the far country to look for his son. That he would hit up every bar and nightclub and casino and strip club in Vegas until he found him and brought him back. That he would pay to get his son’s picture on every milk carton in the country.
But you don’t see any of that. Instead, you see father who stays put. He’s anxious and worried, and you get the sense that he’s waiting and watching down the road, but he stays put.
Consistently, patiently, and prayerfully waiting for the son to return.
Which raises the question for me, why is the third parable different? Why does the father wait at home instead of actively seeking the lost son?
I think it’s because this parable also represents the character of God. God seeks the sinner. But God also calls the sinner to Himself. God goes out looking, but God also stays home waiting.
Thirteen years after Finding Nemo came out, Finding Dory was released. But this time, instead of focusing on the father searching for his lost child, the focus was on the child trying to find her lost parents. You see, years before, Dory, a special-needs fish with short term memory issues, wandered away from home. And even though she found friends and community and a measure of happiness, there was still the sense that she was missing something. So she began to try to find her way home. Let’s watch this clip:
[Play Finding Dory clip]
You see, this is every bit a picture of God as is the image of a father journeying into a far country on a rescue mission. Dory’s parents laid out shells in every direction so that she could find her way home. And in the same way, God is blazing a trail for every lost person to find his or her way back to the Father’s house. It might be a casual conversation with a believer at work. For one of our new deacons who is a candidate for ordination tonight, it was a kid on the baseball team he was helping to coach that invited him to church. It might be something you saw on our digital sign as you drove by the church. Or a sermon you heard on You Tube while we were in quarantine.
All of these are like seashells that the Heavenly Father has placed in your path, leading you back home.
But the story of the Prodigal Son also represents the character of human beings. God is a gentleman. He will plead with us and use every means to persuade us, but He will not force Himself on us. While it is true that God is sovereign and calls those whom He chooses to Himself, the story of the lost son is about that moment when the lost son comes to his senses and says, in verse 18, “I will arise and go to my Father.”
(By the way, this actually should be called the story of two lost sons, because there is an older brother who has to decide whether he will go in to the Father’s house or stay out in the field with his bitterness).
So yes, your Heavenly Father is seeking you. But He is also waiting for you. He is waiting for you to come to your senses and return to Him.
I love that clip from Finding Dory because it illustrates repentance. Dory says, “I’m so sorry. I know I have a problem, and I want to fix it, but I can’t, and I’ve forgotten you, and I’m so sorry.”
This is the cry of the repentant heart. This is the prodigal son saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
And Dory’s mom is the voice of the Heavenly Father, who says “You found us because you remembered. You remembered.”
The Prodigal Son remembered the character of his heavenly Father. When he was at his lowest point in the pigsty, he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death.”
He remembered, and he arose. And he followed the path the Father laid out for him. And it led him home.
So we come to the Lord’s table. And what do you know—in huge letters, it says, “Do this in remembrance of me.” When Dory remembered the love of her parents, it led her home.
As we prepare for communion, I want to draw your attention to the four things the Prodigal Son received when he came home.
What the son received (v. 22-23): a Communion meditation
The robe: Throughout scripture, a robe is often the symbol of favor, righteousness, or sanctification. Joseph was given a richly ornamented robe—a coat of many colors—to show he was favored by his father. The priests wore robes to show they were set apart for service. Isaiah 61:10 says that the Lord “has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,” So there is a reason the father brings out the best robe for his son. God takes the filthy rags of our sin and shame and rebellion and replaces them with the robes of his righteousness.
The ring: In Jesus’ day, a ruler or the head of a household wore a ring with the symbol of his office or the signet of his family. Legal documents would be ratified by both parties by sealing the document with melted wax and pressing the signet into the wax. The story of the Prodigal son echoes Genesis 41:42, when Pharaoh conferred his authority to Joseph by giving him his robe and his ring. It was a symbol to the Prodigal Son that he was still an heir of his father’s family, and had the authority to act in accordance with the will of the father. Just as we are joint heirs with Jesus.
The shoes. In the Roman Empire of the first century, slaves didn’t wear shoes. Shoes were for family members. On the last night Jesus was with His disciples, he took their shoes off to wash their feet. But then they put them back on. And Jesus told them, no longer do I call you servants, for a servant doesn’t know what His master is doing. Instead I have called you friends.
Remember that Jesus has made you righteous.
Remember that Jesus has made you an heir.
Remember that Jesus has called you His friend.
But there was a fourth gift. The last thing the Father said was “bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.”
Before there could be a celebration, there first had to be a sacrifice. The fattened calf had to die. Blood had to be shed. Only then could they truly celebrate. Hebrews 9:22 says that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sins. We can’t celebrate without remembering who was sacrificed on our behalf.
For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us observe the feast.
1 Cor. 5:7-8
