Thursday Communion

Introduction

Luke 15:1–3 “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable:”

Lk 15:11–32 The Parable of the Lost Son

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But 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. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 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. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 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.’ ”

2 Corinthians 5:16–21 “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

One group - tax collectors and sinners … the other group - Pharisees and teachers of the law

One group gathers round Jesus … the other mutters ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them’

Two sons - younger son … older son …

Younger son knows he has done wrong … 'I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son’

Older son believes he has done everything right … ‘all these years I have been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders’

Father … dresses the younger son in fine robes, gives him a ring, sandals on his feet, feast and celebrate … son is the person of honour at the party

… says to the older son, you are always with me, everything I have is yours … he doesn’t realise

Younger son = tax collectors and sinners

Older son = Pharisees and teachers of the law

‘So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view’ … interesting phrase

It’s about the new creation coming … if anyone is ‘in Christ’ they are a new creation

Explains that this is what Jesus came to do - to ‘reconcile us to God through his death and resurrection on the cross … not counting people’s sins against them’

Father counts people’s sins against Christ Jesus - Jesus takes our place

Our wrong is counted against Christ Jesus - ‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us’ - Jesus takes this on so that we can be reconciled to the Father

Father in the parable absorbs the wrong and doesn’t count it against the son but instead clothes him in the best clothes

Our Father absorbs the wrong in Christ and doesn’t count it against us but instead clothes us in righteousness

Firstly, that results in us being reconciled to God - we can know God as Father - which surely brings us joy

Secondly, Paul says that that makes us Christ’s ambassadors … as though God is making his appeal through us - we can say: look what God has done for me, and encourage others to be reconciled to God so that they can know and experience the joy and freedom and relationship with God that we have