Familiar Stories; Deeper Meanings: The Prodigals: Luke 15:11-32

I. The Son Who Left: vs. 11-21

A. The Son who left demanded that his father sell property, that he was tied to both financially, and emotionally (his identity was tied to it) to, so he could have his third/ inheritance now.

B. The younger son was in essence wanting the father to die, so he could move on with his life.

C. This younger son, deemed the prodigal, because the word actually means “recklessly extravagant. spendthrift (as in every penny)”.

D. This young man comes to his senses and realizes that though he would be considered dead to his family, he will try to repay his debt by being an apprentice to his father’s workers.

II. The Searching Father vs. 20-24

A. The Father ran. This would have been unheard of! This was shameful for a patriarch to run, much less take back a runaway son.

B. The Father ignores the son’s plea, and ask for the best robe to be brought. The robe is representative of the righteousness of Christ!

C. The signet ring shows he is a son, not a slave or servant.

D. Slaves didn’t wear shoes another sign of sonship.

E. The fattened calf, was for honarable gues not runaways (vs. 1-3)

F. The whole town would have been invited to celebrate!

III. The Son Who Stayed vs. 25-32

A. The son who stayed was livid. He was like the Pharisees. He kept the law, but only did so in order to save himself. They didn’t love God, they hated Him, as we will soon see.

B. He was self-righteous, thinking of himself as better than his brother whom he wouldn’t even acknowledge as his brother.

C. This parable doesn’t have an ending. Look at the other two parables of this chapter. The father invites both sons to the feast, but only one accepts.

D. How it ended? The older son kills the father in his anger, as the Pharisees would do to Jesus within a short while.

E. How should it have ended? The older brother should have went searching for the younger brother, and brought him back at his own expense, since the father gave both sons their inheritnace (vs. 12) “Our true elder brother paid our debt, on the cross, in our place. There Jesus was stripped naked of his robe and dignity so that we could be clothed with a dignity and standing we don’t deserve. On the cross Jesus was treated as an outcast so that we could be brought into God’s family freely by grace. There Jesus drank the cup of eternal justice so that we might have the cup of the Father’s joy. There was no other way for the heavenly Father to bring us in, except at the expense of our ture elder brother”- Tim Keller

F. The older brother of the story (the religous Pharisee) hated the father and brother due to the fact the father’s mercy came out of his pocket. All these things belonged to him (vs. 12, 31). The older brother we get is Jesus, who paid our debt. Quit trying to save yourself, discover yourself. Let Jesus save you, and define you by a relationship with Him.