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. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast
and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost
and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Meanwhile, the older son was in the
field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called
one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’
he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him
back safe and sound.’
The older brother became angry and
refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered
his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never
disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could
celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your
property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are
always with me, and everything I have is yours. 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.’
When
Ben Ownby and Shawn Hornbeck were recently found
after having been abducted by Michael Devlin, everyone was absolutely
ecstatic. It was so good to hear that
they were both alive after having been abducted from their homes and the press
just ate it up. You don’t hear such
fanfare in the case of a runaway child who leaves and returns home. The only people that really care or take
notice are the child’s family and friends - because the kid probably had an
attitude and left of his own volition.
Whether
someone has been taken captive or has willingly become overtly evil, it doesn’t
change God’s attitude towards them. 2
Peter 3:9 says; “The Lord is not slow in
keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not
wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” We can see that clearly from the parable of
the lost son. The son shows himself to
be completely lost - as he wastes his inheritance on prostitutes and wild
living in a faraway land. Yet that
doesn’t change the Father’s love towards Him one bit. It shows us that no matter how lost someone
is -
God
Rejoices When the Dead Become Quick
I. His
Rejoicing Is to the Extreme
Why
was this in the parable father so excited?
For this son of mine was dead and
is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ He used two adjectives to describe his son -
dead and lost. These might sound like
rather peculiar terms - since the son was still moving and breathing - and he
also knew exactly where he was the whole time.
Physically, he was neither dead nor lost. Yet these were both spiritual terms that the
father was using to describe his son.
Paul uses this same terminology when he talks about unbelievers in
Ephesians 2:
As for you, you were
dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you
followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the
spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived
among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and
following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of
wrath.
Spiritual death in the Scriptures doesn’t rule
out actively seeking evil. Imagine a
lion having dropped into a huge pit in the middle of the jungle. No matter how hard it runs in circles around
that pit it isn’t going to get out. It
is dead meat. This was the danger the
son was in. Once he had started down the
path to self gratification, it would only become worse. The inheritance that the child had would not
last forever. His own
desires would simply consume everything he had and leave him broke and without
a family in a faraway land. He was bound
down a path that would only take him deeper and deeper into despair.
This
is a parable. So in a spiritual sense -
the son represents the millions of people in this world who are going down the
same pathway - that of self gratification.
This is the way many of our neighbors and classmates and co-workers are
most likely headed. Sometimes it leads
to addictions of sex and drugs. Yet even
those who have not fallen victim to those vices - are still sliding. We need to recognize their fate. Like dead and lost people - they are only
wandering through this life - seeking the next sensation for their flesh; the
next bowl of ice cream, the next drink, the newest video game, the next
television, the next computer, or the next sexual conquest. On and on it goes, all the while leaving the
Father who made them and gave them all of these gifts behind - keeping Him and
His Word as far behind as they can get Him - using his or her talents and gifts
to take him or her all the way to hell.
Now
can you see why the father was so ecstatic to see his son again? He actually realized the pathway he was
on. He wasn’t too proud to beg to his
father. Before the son even gets all the
way home, his father runs to him, gives him a huge hug and repeatedly kisses
his neck. Then when they return home he
says, “Quick! Bring the best robe and
put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the
fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.” When the older son came, what did he
find? When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. This was an all out festival - a huge
party. The celebration tells us some
different things about the Father.
1. He’s rich. He’s got a fattened calf and many more he’s
willing to slaughter and servants to slaughter and prepare it. Our God is rich. He owns the whole world. Psalm 50:10‑12 Every animal of the forest
is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the
mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would
not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
2. He’s forgiving and willing to forget
past mistakes. The Father didn’t send
out an investigator to find out everything the son had done so as to make sure
he didn’t get away with anything. Psalm 103:11‑13 For as high as the heavens are
above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the
east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a
father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who
fear him;
3. Look at how generous he is as
well. The father gives the son a ring, a
beautiful robe, and some sandals to walk in as well. Basically, the father treated his son like a
king - and all for what? For running away and wasting his inheritance? No. For the fact that God is gracious and forgiving. If we were to see more symbolism - couldn’t you see how this would
represent the robe of righteousness that God gives us in Christ. When we are brought to repentance and faith -
God clothes us in Christ. This is our
robe - that makes us look like holy kings and priests in His sight. Isaiah 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of
righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride
adorns herself with her jewels. Not only does God wipe out our sins and give
us a blank slate - He gives us Jesus’ righteousness as well!
With
this parable God clearly shows us how generous He has been. Can any one of us accuse God of holding a
grudge or being stingy? Not a one. God loves to be forgiving. He loves it when sinners turn back to Him in
repentance. He loves to clothe them in
Christ. You can tell it from the party
He throws. Sometimes we throw parties
for our children because we have to - and we don’t like all the work it
involves. This forgiveness and mercy is
something God does because He enjoys it!
It’s who He is. In Exodus 34:6 He
even says He is “the LORD, the LORD, the
compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and
faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness,
rebellion and sin.” He loves to
rejoice when the dead become quick - alive.
II. He wants you to rejoice with him
The
whole theme of this service is to rejoice in the Lord’s pardoning love. You wouldn’t think this would be so
difficult. Yet as you can see from the
brother - this isn’t always such an easy thing.
The whole backdrop of this parable was that the Pharisees and Teachers
of the Law were surprised that Jesus was eating with
tax collectors and sinners. Why were
they so miffed at this? Let’s look at
the brother and what he says.
1. Look!
All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. The first reason he’s angry is because of the
way he looks at himself. He sees himself
as having been a hard working son who has NEVER disobeyed orders. He’s self righteous. Yet he hasn’t even enjoyed what he’s been
doing. The prime reason the son is mad
is because looked at his father as a slave driver - and he was angry about
it.
2. Yet
you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. The older son felt as if the Father had been
stingy with him so that he could never have any fun. He acted as if he’d never had a meal on his
table or a bed to sleep on - which was complete hogwash. Yet all he was angry about was that he
couldn’t have any fun with his friends.
I guess the father’s party wasn’t good enough for him.
3. But
when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes
home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ The final thing that makes him angry was that
his brother certainly didn’t earn the fattened calf - much less the robe, ring
or sandals. He remembered all his
brother did - and was mad because he certainly didn’t deserve any of what he
was getting. He even went so far as to
seemingly insinuate that it was the father’s fault - as he called him “this son
of yours.”
The
older brother teaches us something important.
When you’re angry at God for something that has happened in your life -
ultimately it’s probably because of some form of self righteousness. You feel like you’ve somehow gotten the short
end of the stick - less than what you deserve OR that God has been too generous
to someone who “didn’t deserve it.” What
we tend to forget is that we don’t deserve anything from the Father. We don’t deserve to be called his
children. We don’t deserve to be working
in “His house.” Yet here we are, eating
of His body and blood. Here we are,
tasting of His grace and mercy. Here we
are, wearing the beautiful robes of Christ’s righteousness - and being told
that in God’s eyes we are kings and priests.
This is all a matter of faith - a beautiful matter of faith.
But
when self righteousness comes around - and you start doing that comparison
game, “how come HE got the promotion . . . how come SHE looks better than me .
. . how come THEY never get sick”; it just robs you of joy. All you end up doing is worrying about what
everyone else has and getting angry about life.
You start to look at your job, your family, and so many other things as
a burden instead of a gift. Even when
you come to church, it is only because “you have to.” All the while God says to
you,”all I have is yours. If you want to celebrate with your friends,
then take some time off and do so!” Stop
worrying about “getting ahead” and “making a name for yourself.” If I decide not to give you children, or a
promotion, or good health - look at what I HAVE given you, righteousness,
holiness, and heaven. Find some
enjoyment in coming to worship and Bible study.
There’s good stuff in this Bible.
There’s
one other thing that I hadn’t seen until studying for this text - which really
made me say, “wow.”
Look at what the father says to the older brother about his younger
brother. It’s in that little
pronoun. When the son calls him “YOUR
son,” the father responds by calling him “YOUR BROTHER.” Isn’t that interesting? He’s reminding this elder son of who this
prodigal son was - his brother. Couldn’t
he show a little compassion for him - be happy for
him? After all - he is flesh and blood -
like it or not. Even if you were to look
at it from the sense of view of the parable - wouldn’t this brother then be
able to help with the work load as well?
Perhaps also the brother should have gone out searching for him in the
first place?
This
past Wednesday a jury in Florida recommended the death penalty for John Couey, who had sexually molested and then buried little
nine year old Jessica Lunsford alive and left her to die. The defense pleaded for his life saying,
“justice is not revenge.” Maybe it’s not
supposed to be - but justice sure does feel good in this case. Almost all of us like justice - unless we’re
the ones getting it. We hate it when
guilty people get away without paying the crime.
This
is what made the older brother so mad - that his younger brother not only
seemed to be getting away with his crime, but that he was even being rewarded
in the end with more than he got. It
didn’t seem fair. It didn’t seem
“just.” The younger brother deserved to
die broke and penniless in a far away land.
The
only way we can deal with the older brother’s complaint is to see who is
telling the parable. God never lets
anyone get away with anything. A just
God couldn’t. That’s
why Jesus was standing there and talking to these Pharisees and Teachers of the
Law in the first place. Jesus was
standing there in the flesh to take God’s justice. Jesus Himself said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45) Isaiah said, “the Lord has laid on HIM the iniquity of us all.” In Christ, we see God’s justice and God’s
mercy and God’s grace. Believers don’t
“get away” with their sins. They get
punished for them - in Christ. Even with
that forgiveness - they still often suffer from ongoing guilt of knowing what
they did to Jesus - and also in the natural earthly consequences. This is the way God has chosen to work with
us. I had it described this way to me
once - which has served me well.
Justice is getting what you deserve.
Mercy is not getting what you deserve.
Grace is getting what you don’t deserve.
Without Christ - it is impossible to see
justice, grace, or mercy. When you’re
full of self righteousness - it is impossible to think that the Father is fair
to forgive and welcome back a “known sinner.”
It is impossible to rejoice.
Imagine
if John Couey had a death row confession. Confessed his sins, believed that Jesus died
for him. According to the Scriptures, wouldn’t he be forgiven? Raised from the
dead? Eternal heaven? How would you respond to that? Hmm. Make you a little angry? Seem “unfair”? Yeah.
Make you want to storm outside and refuse to celebrate? Sure.
Yet
think of what God does when ANY sinner comes to repentance. God rejoices - because He is an all-merciful
LORD. God rejoices - because that is why
Jesus died - to pay for all sins. Think
about it, if God could be so merciful to someone like John Couey
and forgive him - then He could also be merciful to YOU. If God is THAT merciful - then it is reason
to rejoice - not only for John Couey - but also for
ourselves. For then even we have hope of
eternal life. Can’t we always rejoice
in that for ourselves and all sinners?
Amen.