These are notes from The Gathering on February 12th. We have discussion, fellowship and encouragement. All are welcomed.
Understanding the
Audience – Luke 15:1-2
The audience was composed of two groups of people: Tax collectors and sinners and secondly, the
Pharisees and Teachers of the Law. Jesus
tells three stories about something that was lost and in the first two stories
the owner of the sheep and the owner of the coin spared no effort in recovering
that which was lost. In the third
however, the younger son was lost and the Father waited for him to start home
before reconciliation, but the older son was lost and the Father went out and
sought him.
In the parable about the Lost Sons – the Tax Collectors and
Sinners were represented by the Younger Son who openly rebelled against the
Father. The Pharisees and Teachers of
the Law were represented by the Older Son who “kept the rules” but inwardly
resented how the Father dealt with the Younger Son.
Response to Love the
Has Been Rejected – Disappointed in Someone you Love
Most of the time when love is rejected we begin to devalue
or find fault in the object/person we loved.
We do that to protect our hearts and make us less vulnerable to
continued pain.
The Father loved the Younger Son – no doubt – and the
Younger Son dishonors the Father by rejecting His love and humiliating Him in front
of the entire family and community. “I
want your stuff, but I don’t want you. – I wish you were already dead so I
could get my money!” Then he leaves and
lives in a way that further dishonors the Father. The way he lived seems to be known by all –
the Older Brother brings it up in his rant against his Father. “But when this son of yours who has
squandered your property with prostitutes”
15:30
Did the Father Love the Younger Son? Absolutely!
Did the Younger Son reject/betray the Father’s Love? Absolutely!
How does the Father respond to the Son who rejected His
Love, publically humiliating Him by asking for his inheritance? With contempt or vulnerable love? The Father responds with unbridled love – forgiveness
and restoration. Vs 20. The
Older Brother responds with judgment, bitterness resentment and
abandonment. Vs 28. Even then, how did the Father respond to the
Older Brother’s Sin? “So the Father went
out and pleaded with him.” Vs 28. The Father wanted relationship/fellowship
with both sons! His response to their
betrayal was tender love and compassion.
Rather than protecting Himself – He made Himself more vulnerable.
How do you respond when your love is rejected, you are
betrayed or someone you love disappoints you?
A Picture of God –
Creator vs Father
In the Old Testament God was separated from His people as exemplified
by the Tabernacle and Temple. He was
with them, but separated where only the High Priest would come into His Presence. Seldom in the Old Testament do we see God
referred to as Father. Jesus however,
all through His Ministry He refers to God as His Father. The only time we don’t see this is on the
Cross where Jesus cries out, “My God My God why have you forsaken Me?”
The picture of God in this Parable is not a God of distance,
but rather God the Father who longs for fellowship – a Father than loves –
tenderly waits for His child to come back into fellowship with Him – not to
condemn, but to welcome him home. This
is a radical new concept that Jesus introduces of God as Father. It was especially foreign and offensive to
the Religious Elite/Professionals of the day.
Notice that the Father was filled with compassion – He ran
to the younger son, threw His arms around him BEFORE the younger son could say
a word – before the younger son started his confession of sin. The younger son didn’t have to “convince or
earn the Father’s forgiveness” – the Father met the younger son once he started
home.
An Understanding of
Repentance
Repentance is more than feeling contrite or remorseful for
sin. We have a good illustration of true
repentance from the Younger Son when he lavished in the field eating swine
food.
- There was a change in the way he viewed His Father – Before restrictive but now compassionate. “How many of my Father’s Men”
- There was a change in direction – Before he went to a far country, now, “So he got up and went to His Father.”
- There was a change in how he viewed his actions – “I have sinned against heaven and against you.”
- There was a change in how he viewed himself – Before – “Father, give me!” now “I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
Repentance – true repentance involves more than just an
emotional response – there is a change in the way we think; a change in the way
we view God; a moving “toward God” rather than running from Him; an
understanding that what we did was sin – not just a bad happen or a victim of
circumstance – but we chose to do what we knew was wrong; and a humility – a shedding
of pride. This also can be seen in
Psalm 51 in David’s Confession of sin with Bathsheba.
What Hindered
Fellowship Between the Father and Sons?
Younger Son – Overt rebellion – selfishness and disrespect.
Older Son – He kept rules but was filled with pride, jealousy
and disrespected Father.
Younger Son – Give me what is mine!
Older Son – You have no right to kill the fattened calf –
you have no right to respond that way!
Both sons wanted what the Father had – they didn't love the
Father for who He was – but for what He had.
Both sons wanted to Control the Father – One through
rebellion – one through “Keeping the rules” so he could get what he wanted.
Why was the Older Son so angry? The Father didn't keep His end of the bargain. The Older Son thought that since he kept all the rules that he could tell the Father how to respond. The Older Son thought since he kept all the rules he should determine who was in and who was out. He felt the younger son didn't deserve the Father's Love, Forgiveness and Restoration. Remember - that was exactly what the Pharisees were telling Jesus. The sinners and tax collectors (impure) don't deserve to have relationship/fellowship with God - only we do because we keep the rules and are pure! Religion and Self Righteousness rather than Restoration of a Fallen Son.
There is a great deal of cultural information about this
story that hasn't been mentioned. For
further insight you can listen to Timothy Keller’s podcast on the Prodigal Son.
