Luke 15:11-32: Love of the Father

Track Meet

Now last night we talked about how the world tends to give us bad advice. To follow your gut, your heart, or you do you. All that is is the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. It leads to some dire consequences. so last night we said, “DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD.”

Tonight we are going to look the other advice in that Scripture… The Love of the Father

1 John 2:15–17 ESV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

So we are to not love the world, but instead follow the love of the Father. And no better story in Scripture depicts this love than Luke 15 and the Prodigal Son.

Go ahead and turn there to Luke 15:11. and let’s quickly look at all 3 characters, and note their roles in this story.

Younger Son

Give me the share. (vs. 12).

Now customarily a Father would leave 2/3rds to the oldest son, and 1/3 to the youngest.

But the issue here isn’t the amount he requests, but the timing. Property was customarily disposed by a will executed after a father’s death.

In essence, his request is a death wish to his father.

“You’re dead to me.”

It shames his father and his whole family.

So he goes into a far country. (vs 13).

He’s living his dream. Money, distance, living independently… he has finally made it!

But as always… freedom or capital without character leads to a squandered life.

How many famous celebrities, sports stars, or even pastors do you know who seem to have it all. Have all $ can buy, the fame, the fortune, yet you read about them in the news because they’ve squandered it all.

Capital without Character is a squandered life.

He becomes so low and broke that he’s eating slop with the pigs, something a jew would never do! (vs. 16)

But he comes to himself (vs. 17).

The first consequence of coming to your senses is clarity of thought, and honest self-appraisial of your present state.

He stopped pretending. Stopped faking it in order to make it and got honest… Acknowledged that he’s in a bad spot.

Then he prepares his confession (vs. 19).

And we see in verse 21… he follows through, and lays out his confession.

Prodigal Father

The Father has been shamed. His son had just said, “you’re better off to me dead.” As a Father, I couldn’t imagine the agony and pain that would cause. But he complies, and gives him the inheritance.

vs. 20

His father saw him. His father felt compassion.

That word compassion denotes a deep emotion. Being moved in the deepest parts of your gut. He physically felt his stomach drop.

He ran and embraced him and kissed him.

In that culture, a father running like this would have been shameful as well.

So not only was he shamed by his son, he shames himself, by humiliating himself like this. but he doesn’t care. He could care less about the humiliation… his son has returned.

The Father forgave his sin, and symbolized that forgiveness with the provision of 4 Things!

Robe, put it on him. Covered his shame.

Ring- placing in back into the family, and symbolizing his authority of an heir in that family.

Sandals- Servants would not have shoes. He’s no slave, he’s a Son.

Feast— joy!

Older Son

Now we turn to the older son…

vs. 25… where is he? In the field, and after a long day’s work he comes in and hear’s music and dancing.

He inquires and learn that it’s because his brother has returned.

Look at his response vs 29.

angry

refused to go in.

My 2 year old gets like this… “I’M MAD”

But what does the Father do… He humiliates himself again. He’s the head of the house. The master of the fields, and of the house, and he leaves the party to do what…

Go meet with his pouting, son.

Look at his argument vs. 29

these many years…

I never disobeyed

You never gave me a party.

“The younger son, reckless in disobedience confesses his sin; the elder son, ungrateful in obedience, insists on his rights.”

“but this son of yours...”

you see had written his brother off. He didn’t say, “my baby brother” he said, “this son of yours.”

I dont want anything to do with this family!

But the Father says,

“Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”

The older son, so focused on his rights, has yet to learn that th elove of the father is not achieved by his worthy obedience. It is a gift conferred by the Father’s love!

So there we have it… a character assessment.

But which son are you?

Do you live by the desires of the flesh like the younger son?

Who squandered his life with prostitues?

Do you live by the desires of the eyes?

Recklessly spending his inheritance on what he wants, when he wants it?

Or are youy all about the pride of life? Entitled to things due to your own hard work and accomplishments? Working in the field, day and night, thinking that your hard work earns our acceptance?

Regardless of whic brother you identify with, the remedy for you is the same… you need the Love of the Father

The Love of the Father

Don’t get it confused this story is designed to teach us about the Love of the Father, and there are 3 things I want to point out about it...

The Father’s Love treats you as Sons and Daughters (vs. 19)

That younger son was deeply aware that he was not worthy to be a son of His Father. His sin was too great. His shame was so heavy. In his guilt he deserved punishment in his mind.

But the Love of the Father would have none of it. .

A servant is valued for what they do… a son or daughter is valued for who they are.

The Father treats you as son or daughter!

Robe, put it on him. Covered his shame.

Ring- placing in back into the family, and symbolizing his authority of an heir in that family.

Sandals- Servants would not have shoes. He’s no slave, he’s a Son.

Feast— joy!

Are you aware of how much your Father loves you? That you don’t have to do anything to earn His Love, but it is for you.

1 John 3:1 (ESV)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

His Love humilitates himself in order to demonstrate his love for you.

He ran to the younger.

He went out to the older.

He humiliated himself. And this is exactly what God our Father did, in sending his son Jesus.

Philippians 2:8 ESV

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

He humbeled himself, he was humiliated. Jeered, mocked, spat on, wearing a crown of thorns. He was humiliated, all because God so loved you.

Gospel Presentation

Ultimate this is where his love is most seen. You want to know what the Love of God looks like, it was on full display in Christ.

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The wages of your sin is death. You deserve punishment.

the younger son was right. He deserved to be considered a slave if anything. But even in your sin, Christ died for you.

Law and Order