Topics – Judgment, Love, Covenant
In the story of the prodigal son, the focus is typically on the younger son who runs away and squanders his father’s wealth frivolously. His sin is as obvious as his disobedience. The elder son is also relating badly to his father, but in a more subtle way.
Focus Scripture – Luke 15:1-3HIDESHOW
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3 Then Jesus told them this parable:
3 Then Jesus told them this parable:
Extended SummaryHIDESHOW
In the story of the prodigal son, the focus is typically on the younger son who runs away and squanders his father’s wealth frivolously. His sin is as obvious as his disobedience. The elder son is also relating badly to his father, but in a more subtle way.
Greg reminded us that the context is one in which Jesus is telling parables challenging the religious establishment to reconsider their relationships with God. The Pharisees and teachers of the law often assumed that their religious practices and good behavior secured good favor with God. The story of the elder son shows that this assumption is wrong.
Much like the Pharisees and teachers, the older son is relating to his father through a contract. He’s working hard and behaving correctly to secure his inheritance. He doesn’t seem to be in the relationship for its own sake—he wants to earn his rightful portion of his father’s wealth. So he’s especially mad about his brother wasting half of his father’s wealth and then being celebrated when he returns (which wastes even more)!
The father tries to encourage the older son to come and celebrate but he refuses. Instead he complains that he’s been slaving for his father and has never disobeyed him. It sounds like an attempt to prove that he’s worthy of what the father has to offer but the other son is not. Indeed to most of us, the older son’s behavior looks much better to us than the younger! It’s easy to see why he’d be mad. And this is just where the danger lies. We don’t relate to God through our hard work or our keeping the law, but rather through giving ourselves to him entirely so we can enjoy fellowship with God and share in all he has to give us.
The older son is every bit as separated from the father as the younger son was when he was eating with the pigs. Rather than the bad behavior creating the separation it’s the good behavior and the pride that comes from it that separates the older son from his father. But thankfully, the father pursues the older son just as faithfully as he welcomes the younger back into the family.
Greg reminded us that the context is one in which Jesus is telling parables challenging the religious establishment to reconsider their relationships with God. The Pharisees and teachers of the law often assumed that their religious practices and good behavior secured good favor with God. The story of the elder son shows that this assumption is wrong.
Much like the Pharisees and teachers, the older son is relating to his father through a contract. He’s working hard and behaving correctly to secure his inheritance. He doesn’t seem to be in the relationship for its own sake—he wants to earn his rightful portion of his father’s wealth. So he’s especially mad about his brother wasting half of his father’s wealth and then being celebrated when he returns (which wastes even more)!
The father tries to encourage the older son to come and celebrate but he refuses. Instead he complains that he’s been slaving for his father and has never disobeyed him. It sounds like an attempt to prove that he’s worthy of what the father has to offer but the other son is not. Indeed to most of us, the older son’s behavior looks much better to us than the younger! It’s easy to see why he’d be mad. And this is just where the danger lies. We don’t relate to God through our hard work or our keeping the law, but rather through giving ourselves to him entirely so we can enjoy fellowship with God and share in all he has to give us.
The older son is every bit as separated from the father as the younger son was when he was eating with the pigs. Rather than the bad behavior creating the separation it’s the good behavior and the pride that comes from it that separates the older son from his father. But thankfully, the father pursues the older son just as faithfully as he welcomes the younger back into the family.
Practical Applications (homework)HIDESHOW
In the story of the Prodigal Son, there are actually two lost sons. One is obviously lost, and we often make him the focus of the parable. But Jesus' audience for this story was people who were much more like the older son – and he was just as lost as his younger brother. He was separated from his father's love because he was trying to earn it instead of accepting it for free. He was viewing his relationship as a contract instead of based on agape love. Practice this exercise this week for your homework:
- Most of us have been trained to think that people who behave in "good" ways are closer to God. And most of us try to earn God's love in some way. But in this sermon we see that's not how the Kingdom works! Make a list of the "good" behaviors you do that you would think would make God love you more.
- For each of these behaviors, think back over the last week and remember specific times when you did these things. In your imagination, put yourself back in those situations. Remember how they made you feel. Proud? Happy? Confident? Loved? Write down some of these feelings and remember what kind of worth and significance you seemed to get at these times.
- Now, take these things to God in prayer. In your mind, sit down next to him on a couch like a child would sit next to their parent. Show God each of these situations in some tangible form. It could be that you wrote them out for him, or have a photograph, or a video recording of the experience. But instead of him giving them any time or attention, see him pick each one up, smile gently and set it aside. When he turns back, his focus is on you alone. Not what you've achieved or done. Just you, with all your blemishes and problems. You can't earn God's love. He abundantly lavishes it on you for free.
Reflection QuestionsHIDESHOW
- What stood out to you most from this message and the supporting texts?
- What did the older son say and do that showed he was not in a good relationship with his father? What do these things say about the relationship?
- Greg used the terms covenant and contract to describe how things went wrong for the older son. How was the older son relating to his father? Through a contract or a covenant? What clues suggest this? What difference does this make in the relationship?
- What is the danger the older son faces by relating to the father in this way? How did the father respond to him?
- Read Matt. 21:31. How does this passage relate to the story of the older son?