The Prodigal
Notes
Transcript
Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke
Matthew was written with the Jewish reader in mind, thus the genealogies, the many Old Testament references and the focus on Jesus’ fulfilment of the OT prophesies.
Mark, on the other hand was written with the Roman reader in mind. Short and concise. The facts and not a-lot of fluff.
John’s Gospel was unique in that it was written from the perspective of God.
But Luke was a gentile physician. He wrote his Gospel, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, with the gentile reader in mind. His Gospel focuses on God’s love for the lost sinner.
The Setup
The Setup
To fully understand the parable, we need to understand what brought on the parable. The context in which it was given.
We see this in beginning of the chapter.
1 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.
2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Jesus responded with three parables back to back to back.
The lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.
The Lost Sheep
Who among you if you had 100 sheep and one is lost would not leave the 99 to find the one?
When he found it, lay in on his shoulders rejoicing.
tell all his friends, rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!
4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
The lost coin
Woman has 10 silver coins and loses one coin.
Light a lamp and sweep the house and search till she finds it.
Calls her neighbors and said, Rejoice with me, I have found the coin that I lost!
10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The lost son
The lost son
Jesus is warming up the crowd!
Sheep
coin
Son
11 And He said, “A man had two sons.
12 “The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.
This is the show closer. This is the story that is going get told first by witnesses to their families.
Sheep are dumb animals.
and its the woman’s fault for losing the coin, but it happens.
But there is no way any father would divide his wealth before he was gone and give it to such a selfish son.
Immediately the scribes and Pharisees would be put off by not only the younger son, but also the father for going along with it. And everyone else would have been slack jawed, edge of their seat.
Although Luke was a gentile, this is a Jewish story. Jesus would have been telling it to an almost exclusive Jewish crowd.
The oldest son would get 2/3 of the estate and the rest would be divided among the other siblings.
It was socially acceptable for the father to give a gift to the other sons before his death of his wealth.
It was also acceptable to sell your property to someone, but until you die you will retain possession and still collect the proceeds.
This is apparently how this father divided his property between his sons.
The father would have looked at with distain as a fool in the eyes of the their community. Shameful and unwise.
13 “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.
We are not told why the younger son wanted his estate. (His J.G Wentworth)
He took everything! Left nothing behind. Nothing to come back and get.
Jordon went to the lake this weekend. He left his dog.
This was not a temporary trip.
No accountability
Went on a journey into a distant country. No father to guide him, his brother wasn’t there to call him an idiot. No real friends that love him enough to say, “Hay wait a minute.”
Loose living. (Better described as reckless)
This is where we get the title : Prodigal Son
prodigal ADJECTIVE spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.
14 “Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.
Two bad things: 1. He spent all his money
2. a severe famine.
15 “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 “And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.
Jewish view on swine. Leviticus and Deuteronomy both declare pigs unclean. But pigs are always used at the worst representation of their stories.
Pharisees and scribes: Well that’s the end of that. He got what he deserved and the father lost a son because he shouldn’t have let his son go.
17 “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!
Remembered the goodness of his father.
Hired men: Three classes of slaves or servants.
Bond Servant (Doulos)- Willingly bind themselves to a good master. Probably lived in the house with their master.
Other servants: Full time employees.
Day Laborers. (Hired Men)
If you want to know the character of a person, look how they treat the people they don’t have to be nice to.
He realized the goodness of his father.
18 ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” ’
That’s the plan. How many times do you think that he rehearsed this speech?
20 “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
The son is repentant, humble, poor in spirit, ashamed.
He is so hungry, the idea of having to eat crow the rest of his life looks appealing.
21 “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
But the father’s reaction shows his heart.
22 “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;
24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
Can I remind you about verses 7 and 10 of this chapter?
7 “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Now for the rest of the story.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
Can you see the strain in the relationship between the father and the oldest son.
There is no relationship.
26 “And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.
27 “And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’
28 “But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.
29 “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;
30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
We can understand his anger can’t we? You’re with your cable, or insurance, or cell phone service for years and they start advertising some great promotion for new customers. So you call up and say, “hay! how about something for my loyalty?”
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.
Huios - Son
Teknos- Child (my child)
32 ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’ ”
Notice How the story just ends here? We don’t know how the older son responded to his father’s pleas.
Application
Application
Jesus was not giving parental advise.
The principals of loving your children, even in the face of rejections certainly apply, but He is not saying we should give our kids everything they ask for.
God’s love for us:
God’s love for us:
Jesus was giving the most extreme example of lostness his listeners could imagine. Total rejections, total abandonment, total sinfulness. And in spite of that, in spite of us, demonstrating God’s capacity to love us anyway.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
This isn’t salvation lost.
Neither son had a relationship with their father.
We are all his creation, but not everyone has a relationship with their creator.
Because this is one of the most beloved parables, it is one of the most analyzed one. And one most apt to be read into.
The father - God the Father, Sone and Holy Spirit.
The younger son - The Lost.
The older son - The religious establishment.
Distant land - level of depravity of our sin.
You must have repentance to be saved.
You must have repentance to be saved.
But when he came to his senses.
Until you understand how lost you are, you can never be saved.
You must understand how grace works.
He puts on your robe, puts a ring on your finger, puts sandals on your feet.
Robe - His covering for sin
Ring - His righteousness
Sandals - His protection.
I heard a preacher give a very familiar testimony. Grew up in church, heard all about Jesus, went to his pastor at a young age and “said the sinners prayer” Got baptized, started living a holy life.....for two weeks. It was too hard to try and live up to God’s standards, fell away.
Felt guilty, heard more messages about Jesus, got convicted, rather rinse and repeat.
Felt like God must be tired of forgiving him for the same sins over and over again. Fell away.
College: heard a message again, and same thing. His pastor refused to baptize him again, and preached Grace.
When he finally understood God’s grace he began to look at sin differently. He would experience temptation and understand that He could sin, knowing that he would be forgiven, but it was that understanding where he would, take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Amazing Grace.
We have to tell people the Good News
We have to tell people the Good News
How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!
He remembered the goodness of his father, but what about those that don’t know the goodness of their heavenly father.
That is our Job.
13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
We can quickly become the older brother
We can quickly become the older brother
Us “Church people” must guard against becoming like the older brother.
Pet sins:
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Don’t forget, we were all prodigal sons and daughters.
The rest of the story
The rest of the story
John McCarther suggest an ending to this story.
The older son rejected his father’s pleas and picked up a log and beat his father to death with it in front of everyone.
That is what happened to Christ.
But like the story of Joseph, What they meant for evil, God mean for good.