LUKE 15:25-32

Luke 15:25-32

I have some questions to ask as we begin this morning, because the way you answer will reveal which wayward child you are – the younger prodigal son, or the older Pharisee son. You see, we are all one of them, and sometimes both.

Let’s start with this. Several years ago, I asked, how do you respond when you see sinners acting like sinners? We do understand, sinners sin – that’s what makes them sinners. Some of you may remember this story. On a beautiful Saturday, a couple of pastors decided to go fishing on a small mountain lake. As they rowed their way to a serene setting in a small fishing boat, prepared their tackle and bait, a couple van loads of young teenagers arrived on a nearby shoreline. They began piling out of the vans, and before you knew it, popular but ungodly music was blaring and the teens began doing what unsupervised teens sometimes do – booze was flowing, the dancing was provocative. One pastor thought to himself, how irritating. Come out for a nice quiet day on the lake and have to put up with this nonsense. He was about to express his displeasure when the other pastor looked toward the teens and said, my, how these kids need Jesus.

How do you respond when you see sinners acting like sinners? With condescending contempt or compassionate gospel love? It reveals who we are. Consider, when visitors/guests come to our Sunday worship services, how do you respond? More specifically, do you size them up as those who would fit right in, or those who should look elsewhere? Suppose someone drives up in an old car bearing the marks of years of neglect and a hard existence – the driver and perhaps a passenger lumber out – looking equally hardened by life’s hard knocks. What comes to mind? You won’t fit here, or my, how these people need Jesus. You’ve come to the right place. Or perhaps, a nice, well-kept, newer car drives in with equally impressive, well-dressed occupants. Why, you maybe even know of these people. What do you think? Wow, they’re visiting today? They are our kind of people – they’ll fit right in. Why?

Which begs these further questions: what kind of people are drawn to Alliance anyway? What kind of people do we attract? What kind of people are drawn to you? Is our church known as hospital where broken people can come and find grace, healing and forgiveness, or is it a place for those already put together, who already know Jesus, or only need to add a little Jesus to their already wonderful lives? One said it this way – do people come to be cleaned up, or do people come who are already cleaned up? Penetrating, soul-searching questions.

Luke chapter 15 exists because of the kind of people who were drawn to Jesus, and those who were repelled, offended by Jesus. Sinners, like tax collectors and other immoral people, were drawn to Him. The sick, the poor, the unkempt, the lowly, the marginalized, the disenfranchised, the needy – they came by the droves. Bringing the accusation, this man eats with sinners and tax collectors. Hallelujah. Those who opposed Him – the clean, the shiny, the religious, the moral, the self-righteous – were repulsed by Him. But the truth is, don’t miss it, both needed Jesus.
Luke chapter 15 tells the story of two sons – not just one. We focus on the first and often miss the second. Two sons who were equally lost in need of a Savior. One son’s need was readily apparent to all, the other hid his need behind a veneer of righteousness. The younger wore his need on his sleeves. Oh, everybody could see it. You remember, he demanded his inheritance from his yet-living father. Upon receipt of the wealth – his father’s life – the younger brother quickly liquidated everything, traveled to a distant country, and squandered his inherited estate, his wealth on loose, wild, reckless living – hence the moniker, the prodigal son.

After frivolously scattering everything, he found himself bankrupt. The pleasures of sin were short-lived and did not meet the alluring promise of happy fulfillment. No, the young son found himself destitute, impoverished. That’s what sin does. Last week, I suggested he had hit rock bottom. Not actually. As people often do, when they hit rock bottom, they don’t always immediately come to their senses. No, like this young man, they break out the jackhammer and go lower still.

A severe famine hit. No money, and now, no food. He hired himself out to a citizen of that country – meaning a Gentile. The Gentile sent him into the fields to tend pigs. Now remember, everything about this story would have shocked His listeners – the Pharisees. First, to treat a father with such disrespect was astonishing. Going to a Gentile land was equally shocking. Remember, if you were required to leave Palestine, you would shake the dust off your feet upon returning. But then to hire yourself out to a pagan Gentile – tsk, tsk. You can see the listeners shaking their heads in disgust. But then, horror of horrors, to tend to unclean pigs of an unclean Gentile in an unclean land. This was truly rock bottom.

The young man was literally starving to death, and despite his begging, no one gave him anything. So, he finally came to his senses, and returned home, with well-rehearsed speech. Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Please, make me as one of your hired men so that I might not die. It was clear evidence of this prodigal son’s broken repentance.

Undoubtedly, the listeners thought, too bad. Time to pay up – you made your bed, now lie in it. But remember, everything about this story was shocking. To their utter amazement, the father saw the prodigal returning in the distance, and ran in astonishing cultural display to his son, embraced and kissed him. The son began his speech, but only got to I have sinned, and am no longer worthy to be called your son. There would be no menial, hired-hand disgrace to pay the piper – no, this is my son who has returned in repentance. Bring out the best robe, put a ring on his finger, sandals on his feet, and kill the fattened calf, for this son of mine who was dead has come to life; he was lost but now has been found. And they began to celebrate – in heaven and on earth. Oh, but not everyone.

Which brings us to our text today – Luke 15:25-32.

There were two sons. Both lost in need of the father’s forgiveness. One’s transgressions were evident to all – the other kept his well-hidden. But as the story unfolds, the dam breaks – and the reality of this older son’s self-righteousness – indeed, his disdain for the younger brother and even the father comes pouring out.
Now, I suppose many of us came to Jesus the way the prodigal did – knowing our broken sinfulness, that we had sinned against God, and others, and were desperately in need of grace. But time has passed, and how easy it is to forget. How easy it is to compare. How easy it is to condemn. How easy it is to slide over into self-righteousness, and forget our ongoing need of daily, unmerited, unearned grace.

This text is particularly needed in places where religion flourishes. It was needed in the religious sects of Jesus’ day – especially with the Pharisees and their scribes. And, it is needed today where the church is established and people live within its walls, forgetting or never realizing their need of repentance and grace. Perhaps the attitudes of the older son lurks in our hearts.

So, I am speaking to people who have maybe forgotten what Christ did for you on His cross; I’m speaking to people who have never known the cross and grace of Christ. This is an incredibly important message. Which son are you – the broken prodigal who needs to be reconciled, the broken prodigal who has already returned to the Father and experienced grace and needs to remember, or the self-righteous older brother who has never fully grasped his arrogant, self-dependence – who needs to come to Christ and plead for mercy, for grace. You see, listen carefully, the younger son’s problem was his wickedness; the older son’s problem was his perceived goodness. Both will keep you from the Father; both will send you to a Christless eternity.

Well, let’s look at the second son, the older son – the one for whom this parable, this story was actually told. We know the parable of the prodigal son – but it’s really the story of two sinful sons. You have a sinful younger son, and a self-righteous older son – and in the middle, the story hinges on the loving, forgiving, reconciling Father. Both needed this father. We’ll follow this outline:

I. The Entrance of the Older Son (25-28)
II. The Entreaty of the Forgiving Father (29-32)
III. Then, the Unfinished Story – you see, there is no verse 33. We turn the page and are left in troubling wonder.

Jesus began this third story of lost things with these words, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father…” So again, we know there are two sons, but unexpectedly, the story begins with the younger son – the prodigal son. It would be unusual in this culture to skip the older and go to the younger. Of course, we understand why – it was the actions of the younger son that precipitated the actions of the older son. Or was it? You see, there were also the equally sinful actions of the older son, but hidden behind a veneer of his own goodness. Which sin came first, which sin was greater, more importantly, who more self-deceived?

Understand, the older son is strangely absent until we get to verse 25. Even though it was the younger son’s actions that produced this story, you would expect the older son to somehow be present. He should have acted as mediator between the father and his brother – but no – strangely quiet. You would expect there would be some expression of grief or even frustration with his younger brother’s actions. But now, silence. We don’t know what this older brother is thinking, or what he does until the end of the story. As one suggested, we know the younger brother by what he does, we know the father by how he responds, but we know the older brother by what he does not do. Meaning, there is already some tension early in the parable. This is all a bit odd.

Well, the older brother is out in the field – likely acting as supervisor to the servants, slaves and hired hands. He was dutifully doing what was expected – so far, so good. Remember, we can tell from some incidental details this father was a wealthy man with large holdings – such that the son and the workers could be so far away as to not know what was going on. They don’t know till they get close to home.

But as the older brother approaches the house, he hears music and dancing. These likely would have been hired performers for this very special event. Now, it’s also likely that at least the household and the servants would be present; but given the fattened calf – that’s a lot of meat – and given the hired performers and the fact this was a wealthy man – it’s likely much or all the village was present for this party. They would have come to celebrate – after all, meat was reserved for special occasions – and they would have wanted to honor the man for the return of his son. It would have been a festive party atmosphere. Lots of music, dancing, laughter and joy.

But, the older brother knows none of this. He hears the sounds of celebration, and so he texted one of the servants to come tell him what was going on. Don’t miss this: dad’s been moping for months, missing that little brat – why the celebration? And the servant (the word is actually a young boy) responded undoubtedly with much joy – can you believe it, your brother has come – the thing that your father has longed for – the thing that should excite you as his brother – your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf – that calf reserved for very special occasions – because he has received him back safe and sound. Meaning, physically safe and relationally sound. Yeah, he came empty-handed and is a little on the skinny side, but he’s home, can you believe it? Here’s a party hat and some balloons – come in and join the festivities!

But, he, the older brother, became angry – the word is actually explosive with rage – and was not willing to go in. Of course not – he’s a Pharisee. Sinners don’t deserve forgiveness and grace, and they certainly don’t deserve parties. He was angry – at who? And so, his father came out and began pleading with him. Don’t miss it – on the very same day, the father had gone out to welcome and reconcile the younger son, and now does the same with the older son. What a father. He loved both sons. By the way, my commentaries point out this, too, was unusual. You wouldn’t leave a party as the host to go plead with a spoiled son. You would leave him to come to you. But this father, he pleaded with this son to come in and join the celebration.

This is incredibly important – notice how the older son responds. You see, as I suggested earlier, it betrays his selfish and dishonoring heart. Who he is actually angry with. There’s clearly no relationship with his brother, and now, there seems to be a hidden, strained relationship with his father. He had been out in the field, physically and metaphorically distant from dad.

He answered and said to his father, “Look” – extremely disrespectful. He doesn’t address his father with a term of love or respect – he clearly had neither. Look, pay attention, for so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours. The word serving could be translated, slaving away. Not serving you with joy because you deserve my love, honor and respect. The older brother did not view this as a father-son relationship, but a master-slave relationship. You see, both sons disrespected their loving father. The true feelings of the older brother come tumbling out.

If the younger son was representing the tax collectors and sinners Jesus welcomed, if the father was the God-figure – even Christ Himself in the story, the older brother pointed to and revealed the Pharisees. The self-righteous who thought they had earned, deserved God’s approval. For years I have served you. Although he was a son, he saw his work in the household as simply service – and I have never neglected a single command. I’ve done everything you’ve said – I’ve earned my place. Can’t you hear the Pharisees saying that? Those religious leaders listening to this conversation no doubt sided with the older brother. Because it’s who they were. Now listen, I’ve suggested about everything in this story was counter-cultural, indeed astonishing. Finally, at this point, the Pharisees were thinking, at least somebody is thinking rightly. The younger son, a rotten sinner, the father, a mushy head of this dysfunctional family – at least the older brother confronts what needs to be confronted.

He says, even though I’ve been the model son and served you faithfully, you’ve never so much as given me a goat, yet you gave him a cow. Never given me a goat – much less expensive than the fattened calf – so that I could celebrate with my friends. Notice – celebrate not with you, father, or not with my brother – but with my friends. The disrespect toward the father is palpable.

But when this son of yours – stop right there. Not only does he not call the prodigal his younger brother, he levels a veiled accusation against the father – this son of yours came – you know, the one who devoured your wealth with prostitutes. By the way, that was an accusation, not a fact shared earlier in the story. While it may have been true – after all, he squandered his inheritance on reckless, loose living – there is no clear evidence he had hired prostitutes. The point is, the older brother is casting the younger brother in the worst possible light, and himself in the best. Much like the Pharisees – always pointing out the sins of others while ignoring their own.

You killed the fattened calf for him – actually, it was for the family and community to celebrate the return of a lost son. Remember, that’s been the theme of all three of these stories – there is joy and celebration over every lost sheep, every lost coin, every lost son – every sinner who is lost and now found – joy in heaven over every sinner who repents. Don’t miss it – I did until one of my commentaries pointed it out – the older brother was accusing the father of doing the same thing the Pharisees were accusing Jesus of doing – eating with sinners and celebrating with them. Not immorally so – no, celebrating they had been found. Brought from death to life.

That’s what Jesus did – with Matthew the tax collector and other disreputable sinners. That’s who were drawn to Him, and it drove the Pharisees bonkers. They didn’t expect the Messiah to show up and love sinners – eat with sinners – celebrate with sinners. They expected Him to show up and commend them for their religiosity – their righteousness – we’ve served you faithfully, obeyed all your commands. And when Jesus showed up – they didn’t know what to do with Him. His teaching was gathering a huge following of the riff-raff; His miracles were undeniable. But He was dining with sinners – and that didn’t fit their paradigm. It was unacceptable.

I asked to begin this morning, what kind of people are drawn to us at Alliance? What kind of people are drawn to you. Timothy Keller said it this way:

“The way to know that you are communicating the same gospel message of Jesus is that ‘younger brothers’ are more attracted to you than older brothers. This is a very searching test, because almost always, our churches are not like that. The kind of people attracted to Jesus are not attracted to us. We only attract conservative, buttoned-down, moral people. The licentious and ‘liberated,’ the broken, the people out of the mainstream very much despise us. That can only mean one thing. We may think we understand the gospel of Jesus, but we don’t. If we don’t see the same effect Jesus saw, then we lack the same message Jesus had. If our churches aren’t filled with younger brothers, then me must be more like the elder brother than we like to think.”

Which brings us to the entreaty of the father in verses 31 and 32. We must be careful not to press home every detail in this story – that’s not what parables are for. Clearly, the older brother is representing the Pharisees – and so understand, this was an invitation by Jesus for them to enter the celebration. Further, to receive the grace He came to give. You’re missing it – come in and join the party of grace.

The father, for the second time the same day, sought to reconcile with a son. He had run to the repentant prodigal, and now pleads with the arrogant, self-centered older son. He said to his eldest, Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. What’s that mean – it’s confusing. Remember, when the younger son demanded the inheritance, the father divided his estate between them – meaning one third to the younger son and two thirds to the older son. The prodigal liquidated and spent all his. Which means, what was left was the older son’s. Which means, this extravagant party to include the fattened calf was part of his inheritance – now being spent on the younger brother. We can perhaps understand why he was upset, since of course, he didn’t actually care about his sinful brother’s return. All he cared about was his honor and his stuff.

Now, to be clear, Jesus is not suggesting the Pharisees were in. He’s simply stating the obvious – the older son was still there, and all that was left was his. Of course, legally we know the estate was still at his father’s disposal until his death. But understand, they weren’t in – they were on the outside looking in. We often find them in that unenviable position. Don’t miss it – the outsider had become the insider, and the insider had become the outsider. He was insisting on his own way – that he was in no need of repentance and grace. Look at all I have done. And so, he would remain outside. But, the invitation was theirs for the taking. As it is yours.

The father goes on, we had to – it’s a strong word – it was necessary that we celebrate and rejoice – notice – for this brother of yours. The older brother had denied him when he leveled the accusation against the father, this son of yours, not my brother. The father corrects him – this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live. What an indictment of these self-righteous, arrogant, condescending, judgmental Pharisees. What kind of church are we? Your brother has experienced a resurrection from death to life. He was lost and has been found. The father is graciously and gently confronting this lost son, too – and inviting him in.

And we hold our collective breaths. The Pharisees held theirs. They knew what was right, and what was not, they thought. They knew the older brother was right, and the younger was wrong. A sinner. They were shocked by the father’s response to the sinner son – and his response to the righteous son. Surely there must be some mistake here.

And the story ends. The Pharisees are left hanging, and so are we. We look for verse 33 – it’s not there. We don’t know if the older brother went in or continued in his disrespectful, selfish, arrogant self-righteousness. Jesus, the master storyteller, was allowing them, and us, to finish the story – to write our ending. Will we be the prodigals who return in repentance to the Father through the work of the Son? Will we be the self-righteous Pharisees, who recognize their need of grace, and enter the celebration. Or will they, and we, remain in our arrogant assumptions.

By the way, the Pharisees did write the end of their story. They killed Jesus. They remained on the outside. What will you do? The end of the story is in Revelation 22, “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him come take the water of life freely.”