The Younger
Notes
Transcript
Hook: Last Week
Sinners and Tax Collectors - Younger Brothers
Left Cultural and Spiritual Standards
Lived “their way” Perceived Freedom
Found themselves in conceptual salvery
Pharisees and Scribes - Older Brothers
looked very spiritual - Dead inside
Actions - No Heart
Treated the Younger Brothers as Outcasts of Society
Read: Luke 15:11-24
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 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. 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. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
“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! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 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. 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.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 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. 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. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
“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! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 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. 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.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
Young Impatience
Young Impatience
Younger Son - Give me my Share (vs 12a)
Normal thought
birth right
Share = Total inheritance divided by the number of boys +1
Oldest got 2 shares (birth right = +1 shares)
Essau and Issiac
Sold his birthright for a bowl of soup
Didnt care about it
Probubly didnt think it was transferable
Poor decision
Jesus and his audience are thousands of years later (2k?) - Still use birthrights
Abnormal time
This was done at a fathers death
Horrible to ask before then
Very dissrecptful
Society focus on Shame rather than grace
Disrepect is not acceptable ever but esspecialy then
Wishes father dead
I want your stuff but not you
Leaching off of dads wealth, no care of relationship with father
classic 30 yo in basment concpet (not reality)
Fathers resonce (vs 12b)
Shocking action
He DOES IT!
Society
Very Patriarchal
Dad is In charge entirely
Sound good Dads?
As Robin Williams once said playing Genie on Aladin once said
“Phenomenal cosmic powers … Itty bitty living space.”
All the power, and all the blame - talk about stress
Expect lavish expressions of respect and loyalty
for elders
for parents especcialy
This is KEY in this Society
Normal Reaction
Run out to keep from being beaten
at best keep your clothes as you were chased out
Divides Property between them
wow moment for crowd (sinners and tax collectors)
Property in Greek is “Bios”
Bios = Life
He divided his life between them
Dramatic? over the top?
Most of the money was not liquid
if child wants this today
Money is not liquid
could you give up 1/3 total wealth (me 1/4)?
Most Money then was in Land
Father would have to sell land to give son his share
land that was probably in the family for generations
Family farm/ranch
1/3 sold because brother wanted what was “his” - very selfish
Identity comes from land
Younger son asking dad to rip life apart for Him
Would you do it?
Parents give up life for sick or needy kids all the time… but this?
Not sick, not needy, bratty impetutness
Father does it
for the love of his son
This is NOT THE NORM for Today
It was DEFINITELY NOT THE NORM THEN!
The father Patiently Endures Immense Disrespect and a probable marred image with in the community combined with massive pain of rejected love.
We dont handle rejection well
I dont like making phone calls - Dialing is the worse
Like talking
dont mind rings
Dont want to be rejected… hate the dialing
Small but rather text
when we get rejected we
get angry
realitate
try to crush, destroy and forget what we once loved
Why? - hurts to much
The father mainitans this affection for his son and carries the throbbing pain with him
Young Plan
Young Plan
Younger Brother leave (vs 13)
far off country
Squanders everything
Out of control
Reclase living
Rock and Roll lifestyle
Mottly Crew
MC Hammer
Foolilsh
All Money Gone
Disaster happens (vs 14)
If not bad enoungh - Famine
No money, No Food
Got a Job (vs 15)
Porbubly far enoug from home he is not in isreal
Pigs - Unclean; not a place for a good jewish boy (Omaha YG Hotdog; “These are all beef and if they are not you are not going to tell me” Jewish teenager)
No family nearby
No heritage nearby
On the verge of starvation (vs 16)
Young Inspiration
Young Inspiration
Comes to his senses (vs 17)
as if in a dream before - not acting like he truly was
Relazes it doesn’t have to be this way
Realizes dad has lots of food
Plan (vs 18-19)
Go home
apologize
Teaching from the rabbis
If violate community standards apology not sufficient
No Grace or Mercy
Restitution required
You must earn/work your way back
You must repay!
To make that happen he would...
Relinquish hold on family
he was “dead” to the community
He was dead to his family
Sound Harsh?
He was not forcing his way back in… he did not deserve it, nor did he have a claim on anything. He wasted all of his!
become hired hand
This was not some common worker but a skilled craftsman
If his father was willing he would apprentice in a trade and begin to earn his restitution to the family and the community
Sounds something like…Dad, I know i dont have a right to come back to the family, i dont even desereve to be part of the community. You owe me nothing… but if you would apprentice me to one of your hired men so i could learn a trade i will work hard to earn a wage to begin to pay off all that I owe.
Now that sounds like repentance
not just i’m sorry
Now that i said it you owe me
no, humility; heart change willing to accept the conseqences
with that he builds up his courage and goes home (vs 20a)
Young Restoration
Young Restoration
Younger brother comes in view of the house
Father Runs
This is a HUGE deal!
‘uge - I know it, you will know it, everyone knows it...
I dont run…kind of jog, really fast walk… pretty fast for a fat kid
Patriarchal, fathers DID NOT RUN PERIOD
Children Ran
Young men may run
Women could run
Patriarchs DID NOT RUN
They were to distinguished
They were pillars of the community
It would dishonor them
It would be undignified
The father Picked up his robes - showed his legs like a child and ron
He Runs to son
Pours out emotion
Kisses him - Eww smelled like hogs and BO
Dad doesnt’ care
This is big for guys today
This is massive for middle eastern patriarchs
Younger Son tries to get off speak (vs 21)
Tries to float business proposition
Very hard speach
Father wont hear it (vs 22)
Bring out the best robe - Whose robe would that be? THE fathers robe
Who owns that robe? the older brother… dad does not care
Father showing his son, is still his son
Father is restoring the Younger Sons position
Father is not waiting for Restitution or repayment to restore the relatioship
The younger son will not earn his way back, he was simply forgiven and taken back
This was done by the father
With the fattened calf it would have been a recognition for the community
with the fathers blessing he would have been restored to everyone
Not because he earned it, not because he deserved it, because the father said so.
This is Just as true for Today
No mater what you have done, you can come home
The younger son said there was always food at his fathers house but there was overflowing forgiveness and Grace as well
There is Grace - Getting what you dont deserve at our father in heavens Table
There is Mercy - Not getting what you do deserve at our father in heavens table
Not to be earned, but to be given
Read Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
We cannot pay off our debt, but no mater what we owe, God will forgive when we Repent (have a heart change like the younger brother did) and Believe (Jesus life, death, resurrection was sufficient payment for your wrong doing)
Bottom Line
Come Home through Repentance and Belief
Come Home through Repentance and Belief
aoeu
Bulletin outline
1) Y_______________ I_______________
2) Y_______________ P_______________
3) Y_______________ I_______________
4) Y_______________ R_______________
Bottom Line:
Small Group/ Personal Study Questions
We grow best in the community. When we gather and discuss God’s word in a safe environment we grow more like Him. If you are here at Crossroads we encourage you to join a Small Group and talk over the Questions below. The Questions in Bold, are great places for your group to start. The other questions are for further study. May God Bless you in your pursuit of Him - Pastor Neil
1) Which is better for your self confidence, to earn something or be given something? Why does earning something have such a positive impact on us? Can that be taken to far? Why not or How can it?
2) Read Ephesians 2:1-10
3) Where does Paul say we were at the beginning of this chapter? Is that significant? Why or why not? What does it mean we are following the “Prince of the Power of the Air (vs 2)? Who is the “Prince of the Power of the Air” (vs 2)? What is Paul talking about by “lived in the passions of our flesh” or “carrying out the desires of the body and the mind”? Are we not supposed to do these things? Why or why not? Why does Paul separate us from the “sons of disobedience”? Does this include women? Why or why not?
4) What happens to separate us from the “sons of disobedience”? Was it our work or effort that separated us? Did we earn it or deserve it? Why or why not? Why would God separate us from them (vs 4 and vs 7)? Paul says we were dead (vs 1) and made alive (vs 5), how did this resurrection occur (vs 8)? Did we do anything to earn or deserve this resurrection (vs 9)? What should we do now that we have been made alive (vs 10)
5) Does not being able to earn salvation decrease our value? Why or why not? Looking at this passage, is there anything that we could do that could separate us from God making alive? How does that make you feel? How does that impact the way you live (keep vs 10 in mind)? Does someone you know need this this week? Who will you tell? Need help? Ask us, we want to help :)
