The Parable of the Prodigal Son

The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

06–12-2022

This morning we continue with the different parables of Jesus

This particular parable we will dig into this morning and examine the many different parts

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Probably one of the more well known parables

Which means you probably know the just of it

This morning we will dig into it

Luke 15:11–19 NASB95

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. 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. 14 “Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 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. 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! 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.” ’

The younger brother was his part of the inheritance

Which in essence is telling father that I wished you were dead

Just give me my money so I can go on my way

Which probably meant that the older brother would have gotten his too

The younger son would have historically got about a 1/3 and the older son would have gotten a double portion according to old Jewish law

Proverbs 14:16 NASB95

16 A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless.

Then the younger brother goes about living careless and foolish

And because of that foolish living there are consequences for the younger brother

He seems to have run out of money and has to resort to finding a job

Feeding swine would have been extremely low for the Israelite, they did not have anything todo with the pig

Leviticus 11:7 NASB95

7 and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you.

The swine would have been unclean

But because of the foolishness and carelessness of the younger brother he has not resorted to feeding the swine and desiring the food the pigs would eat

We can probably all at some point in our lives side with the Prodigal, not that we have taken all our inheritance and left but done some foolish things

Hopefully most of you have come to your senses, I would same most of you have seeing that you are here this morning

That is a start

I know for me coming to my senses or keeping my senses only happens when I am in the word each and every day

verse about hiding your word in my heart that i might not sin against you

Had this young man that we are reading about done this, I am not sure there would have been much of a reading point

Think of in your own life had we had spent more time reading Gods word and in prayer, maybe we wouldn't have acted so foolish

Are you starting to see moms and dads with young children how important starting a daily quite time with them now is so important

So that when they grow older they are less likely to walk away

But still some what to do it on their own, and so we continue to pray for the them

This particular parable follows the lost sheep and the lost coin

In both of those it is about looking for the lost

In this we don’t see the father leave everything and go looking for his son physically

Luke 15:20–24 NASB95

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. 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.’ 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.

This is what the father did

Waited for his son, kept looking in the far distance

This is also a perfect example of what grace looks like

This son did not deserve his fathers welcome home, did not deserve to embraced by his father

But

We did not deserve to have our sin forgiven and or to be given life because of what we have done

That church is called grace

No matter how far you have traveled away from God, understand that God is still waiting for you to come home

God is still waiting for you to come to your senses and to come to a right relationship with Him

We learned that God sent Jesus to seek and save the lost

You and I were lost and some of you may still be lost

Please know this this morning that God the Father is waiting for you to come to a right relationship and when you do come back

God will embrace you as His child

Because of what Jesus did on the cross we can be heirs with Christ

Romans 8:17 NASB95

17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Because of what Jesus did on the cross we can be heirs with Christ

We can have a relationship with God

There is grace at the cross for the sinner

There is grace at the cross for those who haven known God but run away, there is grace at the cross for those who have never known God

The first part of this parable is just that

For those who have walked away or never known God

But the parable doesn’t end there

Most of us know the story and after the son returns we kinda just forget about the rest of it

As Paul Harvey would say

The Rest of the Story

Luke 15:25–27 NASB95

25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 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.’

The faithful brother who remained now comes on scene

This is the brother who remained and stay with his father and kept the farm and land running

He is coming to work because might I note again this is the brother who remained faithful

I think we forget about this part of the parable because he remained

There is something to be said about the faithful

This is the person who came to Christ and continues to walk with Christ

I think sometimes we think this person doesn’t have any sort of testimony maybe because its not flashy or doesn't sound what we think is cool

But that is not the case

Praise the Lord for the faithful brother

Verse about faithful one who was obedient

The brother in the parable is like the servant who was obedient and faithful to do what the master had told him to do

He went out and did what was told of him

This brother remained and was faithful to obey his father

Luke 15:28–30 NASB95

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.’

Don’t read ahead

This brother is upset

This brother is super duper upset

He sees there is a party happening all because his brother who took the money from his father and left

He left and lived foolishly

The faithful brother and the father may have set around and started to talk about what they thought the younger brother was doing

At some point the old brother was probably shaking his head at what they thought the younger brother doing

But then I think something happens in the heart of the older brother

Is bitterness begins to set in because he stayed to help his father

He remained faithful but because his focus is on his brother and the sin his brother is doing, bitterness begins to set in

Thus the older brother is anger and upset and comes to the house only to leave

I heard this a short time ago and actually had to go and look it up

The same father who welcomed the prodigal son home is the same father who ran after the older brother when he was upset and left

I think what happens in the church today is we see the prodigal sons and daughters come to Christ and their testimony is flashy and people are excited to hear theirs

We must remember that those who were raised in the church and came to Christ and continue to walk with Christ

That there testimony is just as flashy

Becasue God saved them as well, just like God saved the prodigal sons and daughters

That is the testimony that God saved them

That father who went after the older brother who was upset and left had something to say to the older brother

Luke 15:31 NASB95

31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

The older brother almost seems jealous of the younger brother but he forgot that he didn’t get one young lamb to celebrate

In fact He got all of them

The Father says that because he stay and remained faithful

All that the Father has is now His

So yes he didn’t one small lamb but the older brother got like 30 smalll lambs

Those of you who have been in church for what feels like ever, and are continuing to remain faithful

Please know that you have received so much blessing by continuing to walk with God

Luke 15:32 NASB95

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.’ ”

The father reminds the older brother that his younger brother was dead and now alive and that is worth celebrating

We must celebrate those who walk out of darkness and death and into light and life because of a personal relationship with Jesus

Church

The father is waiting for the prodigal sons and daughters to come to a right relationship with Him

The way we keep our senses is to remain connected to God through reading and praying, through big church and bible study

There is more here than just a prodigal son

Those who came to Christ and continue to walk with Jesus have been blessed by that

The same God who desires for the prodigals to come to Jesus continues to seek after you and cares for you

So as we move to our invitation this morning

Maybe you are here this morning and you are a prodigal son or daughter

God desires to have a personal relationship with Him

The way to a personal relationship with Jesus is through repenting of your sin and to trust Jesus

Or maybe you are an older brother this morning and you need to repent and continue to walk with Jesus

Or maybe it is just to come to the altar and spend sometime in prayer

The altar is open