Others by Dan Mahan
Luke 15: 32 “We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, and now he is found!”
The text today is a familiar story. Most of us have heard many sermons about this text. Today we are going to look at it in a different light.
Jesus told many stories. He is called “The Great Storyteller.” I would have loved to have heard Jesus tell His stories, wouldn’t you? I am sure that He told them in a way that peaked the interest of his audience. I wonder if his disciples thought to themselves, “Oh, boy, Jesus is telling another story! I love it when Jesus tells a story!” We tell stories to teach lessons. That is what Jesus did, too. He taught stories—or parables as they are called—about His Kingdom, both on Heaven and on earth.
This parable is probably one of Jesus’ longer and more vivid stories. Jesus began this story, “Once upon a time, there was a Father who had 2 sons.” Our children had this story in children’s church this month for Father’s Day. After church, Darlene told me that when she got to this point in the story and said “A father had two sons”, little Hannah stopped her. She curiously asked “What were their names?” Jesus gave no names in His stories. In many, we could insert our names, for many of Jesus’ stories were really about me and you, his believers.
We like names in stories. So, let’s give the characters in this story names. Let’s call the little brother, Little Joe. And of course, the older brother we will call Hoss. The family at the Ponderosa and the family in Jesus’ story are similar in some ways. There is a father who owned lots of land. His sons helped him work the land. No ma is mentioned. If you recall, the brothers often had conflicts. In fact, often Little Joe and Hoss had knock-down drag outs, didn’t’ they? But their Pa was a loving father, who loving restored the relationships.
Jesus said “One day Little Joe goes to Pa and demands his share of the inheritance.” This was a selfish desire. I am sure it hurt his Pa greatly when he made this request. It showed great disrespect to his father. Pa could have had him stoned for such a demand. But Pa, being the loving Pa that he was, gave the inheritance share to Little Joe and also to his older brother, Hoss. Little Joe takes the money, packs his saddle bags, saddles his Pinto & rides off into the sunset. All the time, the younger son is only thinking about himself. He has no thought about his family. He has no concern about what effect his actions would have on his family. Who would take over his chores in his absence? He didn’t consider the great hurt and pain he’d cause Pa and the many hours of worry about his whereabouts.
The younger brother or Little Joe spent his share of the inheritance on frivolous living—wild parties, gambling, women. In a matter of time—we don’t know how long, but I don’t think it took long—he had nothing left. He got the only job that he could get, a job feeding pigs. This job was a disgrace for a Jew. Even to be around a pig was considered unclean and disgraceful.Recently we had a wedding here at the church. At the reception, they served a great buffet. As you can tell, I love buffets! On the buffet, they served Roasted Pig. Now Darlene and I were doing just fine, going through that buffet line until Darlene got up to that pig. She caught a glance of that pig’s head and took off! She wanted no part of that pig! I had to fill her plate—with no meat of course—and bring it to her!
Little Joe was so broke and so hungry that he desired to eat the pig’s feed. Now I’ve been hungry before and I’ve eaten pig before. But never have I been so hungry that I desired to eat pig’s slop! That’s pretty hungry! Little Joe said to himself “I know what I will do. My pa’s servants have plenty of food and everything they need. I will go back home to my Pa and ask him to make me one of his servants. At least, I won’t go hungry.” Notice what he did not say, “I have wronged my father. I will go and seek forgiveness.” True, he said the words “I will say, ‘Father I have sinned against heaven and against you,” But I believe it was words only, and repentance was not the true motive for his returning toward home at that time. He had left home thinking about himself and now he was returning home thinking about self, also. A somewhat self-centered thought made him head back toward home. But I believe as he walked toward home, his attitude changed. I believe that as he walked, he practiced what he was going to say to his Pa when he got there. Have you ever done that? Have you ever thought over and over to yourself what you’re going to say to someone? I believe that as he walked along, he also thought about his loving father-- and he thought more and more about how he had hurt and wronged him. By the time the younger son reached home, he was returning with a repentive heart.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, there was Pa…. watching, waiting. And when he saw his younger son coming home, he ran out to greet him—hugging him, kissing him, and crying with a jubilant heart. Pa was ready to celebrate with a party and gifts. He said “Let’s celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Little Joe was home, safe once again.
Jesus could have ended the story there. It’s a happy ending. We all like stories with happy endings. But he chose not to, didn’t’ he? Many of Jesus stories were like that. Often he added another chapter to the story. “There once was this one guy…but then there was this other guy…”
Jesus continues the story. He talks about the other brother, the older one. There was Hoss, at home, doing what had always done-- day in and day out, working hard on the range—putting in long hours. In fact, he was probably working doubly hard and extra long hours since Little Joe was absent. Hoss hears some commotion, with cheers and excitement in the voices. He asks the servant (we’re called him Hop Sing) “Hey, what’s up”. Hop Sing replies “Your brother’s home and your pa is throwing a party.” Even the servants were excited about Little Joe’s return!
But not the older brother. Hoss refuses to join the party. Pa goes out to check on him. He wanted to tell him the good news. He wanted to invite him to join the party. Maybe the servant had told him, “Hoss’ is mad and he won’t come in.” Pa says to Hoss, “Come to the party, son—your brother’s home safe.” “ But Pa,” Hoss replies, “you never let me have a party with my friends.”
Can’t you just hear the jealousy, hurt and anger in these words? Hoss is not thinking about others. He had to have seen the pain and worry of his father day after day, watching for Little Joe to come home. There was no thought about how excited and relieved Pa was. There was no concern about his little brother either—his well-being, his safe return. Hoss gave no thought of how his own actions were hurting his father and his family. All he could think about was himself, and not others. Pa responds “Take your eyes off of yourself, son, Look--can’t you see, son—we have to celebrate. Your brother was dead, and now is alive. He was lost and now he is found—he is home!
Now Jesus did end the story here. But don’t’ you want to ask, “Well, what happened next, Jesus?
Did Hoss go in and join the party? Did Pa pat Hoss on the back and together they walked back home to celebrate? Or did Hoss refuse to join the celebration? Come on Jesus; tell us more of the story. Inquiring minds want to know.
In Jesus’ story, there are some relationships broken because of pride, selfishness, jealousy, and hurt. Sadly enough, it happens in any relationship at times, whether work, church, family, or marital relationships. There are times we think only of self instead of the overall picture. There are times we think of our own desires, instead of what is best for the good of all. We think of ourselves, instead of others- their feelings and their needs. Many times we do not consider how our actions will affect others. We allow our own selfish desires to affect our relationship with others, don’t’ we? It’s a problem all of us are guilty of at times.
1 Corinthians 10:24 reads “No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person.”
Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way.”
But I think Paul adds the remaining verses, for those times when these things do happen in relationships. He adds “Love never gives up. Love never loses faith. Love Is always hopeful. Love endures through every circumstance.”
Don’t you think this is what the father in this story desired of his children. It is what our Father desires of us too! The family relationship in this story was broken. But through the love of the loving Father, the relationship was restored.
Let’s commit ourselves today to follow Christ’s example—to put others before ourselves
and in times when relationships are broken, to seek out the love of our loving Father.
Christ is our ultimate example. He thought, not of himself, but what was best for us-- our needs.
He thought of us when he died on the Cross to give us eternal hope, eternal life. He gave us the perfect ending to the Perfect story. Let’s strive to follow Christ’s example and to live for others
Prayer
Invitation:
Others, Lord, yes others
Help this my motto be.
Help me to live for others
That I might live like Thee.
The words of this old hymn are printed in your bulletin. Let’s quietly, prayerfully sing the words of this song together, as a prayer of commitment to Christ to live as He did-for others.
