The Watchful Father & the Wayward Sons

Pastor Cuestas, Joseph Luke 15:11-32

Introduction: A farm boy accidentally overturned his wagon-load of corn in the road. The farmer who lived nearby came to investigate.

“Hey, Willis,” he called out, “forget your troubles for a spell and come on in and have dinner with us. Then I'll help you get the wagon up.”

“That's mighty nice of you,” Willis answered, “but I don't think Pa would like me to.”

“Aw, come on, son!” the farmer insisted.

“Well, okay,” the boy finally agreed. “But Pa won't like it.”

After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked his host. “I feel a lot better now, but I just know Pa is going to be real upset.”

“Don't be foolish!" exclaimed the neighbor. "By the way, where is he?”

“Under the wagon.”

I was drawn to the story that resonates so much to many of our own stories. Luke 15 contains the parable of Jesus often referred to as The Prodigal Son. Charles Dickens said it was the finest story that was ever told! Rembrandt, a highly esteemed and world-renowned artists painted a picture depicting the pivotal scene in our Gospel reading and his painting was described as, “the greatest picture ever painted!” Danielle Steele, a number one best selling author, selling over 650 million copies of her books worldwide, authored a book based off of our Gospel reading. This story is so prolific, that Hank Williams Sr himself even sang a song titled, The Prodigal Son.

In our reading I want us to notice several things that can be a help to us as we continue in our series, The Most Excellent Way, while focusing today on, “The Watchful Father & the Wayward Sons”

I. The Setting

A. The Scene Vs 1-2

1. Jesus is speaking

2. There are those labeled Publicans & Sinners clamoring to hear Jesus speak

3. The Scribes & Pharisees rebuke Jesus and condemn Him for associating with such people

B. The Characters

1. God is the Father

a. In the OT God is referred to as “Father” only 14 times, and it is in the sense of being the Father of Israel, not in the personal sense.

b. In the NT God is referred to as “Father” over 250xs and is the predominate way it refers to God. What Changed?

c. Jesus Changed it All

1. First recorded words at 12 Years Old

2. Last words…Father into your hands…

3. Every prayer, He uses Father, except for one…My

God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me

4. The relationship Jesus shared was so intimate uses the word, Abba Father. Hebrew word, “Auv”.

5. Jesus in answering the question of what He’s doing

hanging out with sinners and publicans looks for a way of getting His meaning across that transcends time and place and people and uses the illustration of a Father.

Illustration: Two people, meeting for the first time, spark an interest in each other…takes time to develop a relationship and to be so compelled to love them that you would give your life. Yet, a father can hold their new born baby, and feel in an instant a need and desire to give everything and anything to keep their child safe.

Illustration: Mom when I left for Bible College

2. The Younger Son, typically referred to as the Prodigal Son and refers to the Publicans & Sinners

3. The Scribes are the Pharisees are symbolized by the Older Son.

II. The Story

A. Leaving Home

1. A Heart Breaking Request

a. Give me my inheritance

1.) Typically Given at Death

2.) Typically left with the eldest son

3.) Paint the Scene

b. Every time we choose to go our own way, we look at our Heavenly Father and say, I want to enjoy your blessings, but I don’t want You to be a part of it!

Application:

I’ll enjoy:

· Your gift of Life

· The air that is in my lungs

· The beating heart that sustains me

· I’ll take it, I want it all…but YOU I WANT NO PART OF…GIVE IT TO ME!

2. A Shocking Response

a. Father honors his request

b. Far off country is not a geographical location, but rather distance from God

1.) Riotous Living: Man, that guys a riot – It’s fun for awhile.

3. A Miserable Plight

a. Spent all that he had. When there’s money in my wallet, everyone calls me ‘brother’.

b. Famine arises in the land

c. Takes a job slopping pigs – Bad situation to be in for a Jewish boy

d. To be received back into his family as a son, had

to pay back the inheritance in full back to his father. He’s trying to earn it back…Saddest verse…No Man Gave to Him.

e. Paint the scene, covered in mud, slopping pigs, poor, starved, no one to turn too, utterly alone.

Application: Perhaps today we find ourselves in that far country…

4. A Misguided Plan

a. Right Intentions, Wrong Plan

b. Desires to become a hired servant

B. Coming Home

1. A Wonderful Embrace

a. Every Day the Father was looking out for His son

b. Paint the scene of them reuniting: Son dirty, famished,

2. A Wonderful Exchange

a. Best Robe: Belonged to the Father

b. Ring: Showed power

c. Sandals: Showed is not a servant

Application: As soon as we decide to leave the far country God is not far to be found,

· He watches out for us day after day

· His heart has been heavy

· His eyes looking out through the tears

· Waiting desperately for us to return

· And when He catches a glimpse of us, even though we are still afar off

· HE RUNS TO US!

· And the ill contrived plan that we try to piece together is thrown out the window

· He clothes us in righteousness

· He gives us His power

· He reminds us that we are no longer servants but His child!

C. Despising Home – The Older Son (Scribes & Pharisees)

1. Self-Righteous

2. Angry

3. Yet, the Father came to him too!

III. The Application

A. Both Boys resented their father’s authority

B. Both boys wanted their Father’s things instead of the Father Himself

1. Things motivated the younger son to leave (His portion)

2. Things motivated the older son to stay (His Inheritance)

Application: Do we serve and worship with the intentions that God will somehow OWE us, slaving away at Goodness. You can see a person’s truest form, when the difficult times come.

C. Both boys saw their relationship as something to earn

1. The younger desired to be a hired servant

2. The older pointing out his years of service

D. Both boys broke their Father’s heart

1. Both kept their Father at a distance, and the life the father wanted for His sons was not realized

2. This is the risk of parenting.

E. Both boys could do nothing to stop their Father from loving them.

1. Sons: I want things, Father: I want you!

2. Our Gods loves us whether we’re in the Pig Pen or whether we’re in the Pew

3. The Bible is a story of a God who ever since the 3rd Chapter of the 1st book has been asking…where are my kids?! Just come home and know who I am, and who you are!

Application: Some have learned to avoid God by being very very bad, and others have avoided God by being dutifully good. God does not want mindless servants, nor does He want rebellious children.

We must escape the mentality that God is constantly judging our performance and accept the extraordinary, extravagant, and unceasing love that God has for each and everyone one of us. It is a love that is unearned, given to all, and infinite. And when we sometimes stray, as we all will, our Father in His patience, and though His heart may be heavy, He will run to us and embrace us wherever we may find ourselves as we yield ourselves to Him and cry Abba Father.