4 Sunday in Lent 3/18/07 Text: Luke 15 11-32 Title: A Son is Forever
4 Sunday in Lent
3/18/2007
Text: Luke 15:11-32
Title: A Son is a Son forever
Most of us have heard the parable of the Prodigal Son so many times that we know the plot. A rich man’s wayward son insists on getting his inheritance before his father dies. His father gives into his demands and the son leaves home. He leads a bad life, ends up in a pig pen. He is in desperate shape. He realizes that even his father’s servants are better off than he is, so he heads back home.
His father sees him coming, welcomes him home with a grand party. Everything is forgiven. The older brother gets ticked off and lets his dad have it and the story ends. That is the story; a repentant son, a forgiving father, and a ticked off older brother. From this story we learn that God forgives the repentant and that those who have been faithful to God will sometimes get bent out of shape when a repentant brother in the faith comes back and there is no punishment for the scoundrel.
This morning I want you to consider a different angle to this story. We read that the young man “came to himself.” Now I believe that most of you, because you know the rest of the story, would take that to mean that he was really sorry for the shabby way he had treated his father. You would assume that he had learned his lesson, repented, and headed for home in a humble frame of mind.
But notice that the young man actually rehearsed a speech for his father. Listen to how Jesus told that part of the parable: “But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”
When you think about it, you can almost hear his mind working: “Here I am starving to death while even my father’s lowest servant never goes hungry. Here’s what I will do: I’ll go home and tell the old man I’m sorry. I’ll say I’ll be one of his servants, but I bet he’ll take me back into the house. He never could say no to me.”
That sounds a little more like a scheme than repentance does it not? Of course we have no way of knowing his intent, nor how pure his motivation was, but the very fact that he rehearsed a apology makes me just a little suspicious.
It reminds me of the time when our son was small and persisted in repeatedly doing something I asked him not do. I decided that the only way to stop the behavior was to spank him. When he realized what was going to happen he suddenly became very sorrowful. He kept shouting, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” But by then the sorrys were too late.
I suspect the prodigal’s rehearsed speech was much in that same spirit: “ I know I have done wrong, but I will say whatever I have to say to regain access to my father’s house and three square meals a day.” I might be quite wrong here, but I think it is quite possible that his motive was less than pure.
If I am right, and I think I am, the generous forgiveness lavished on the prodigal by his father could only mean one of two things. Either his father was fooled by his son, or he was not fooled at all, but took him back anyway.
It could not have been the first, for the father did not even wait to hear the prodigal’s prepared speech. He embraced his son and kissed away the rehearsed confession before it was even half-spoken.
This father was no fool. The Bible does not tell us, but I would wager that this young man had given his father a hard time way before he left. It is not very plausible that he just woke up one day and decided to leave his family.
I am sure that the father would have had lots of reasons for not trusting his wayward son. But it did not seem to matter. His son was home and the father was glad.
He does not ask his son if he as learned his lesson. He does not tell him, “I told you so.” He does not set down any conditions for his son’s reentry into the family. Instead, he gives him a ring which was the emblem of family membership. He orders up a feast to welcome the young man home.
This story is commonly called the Parable of the Prodigal Son, but I ask you, who is this story really about? It’s not the prodigal son, it is not ticked off older brother. This story is about the forgiving father. It should be called the Parable of the Loving Father.
This is what makes the story so good. We think that even after we know the story that there must have been certain conditions set, at least a time of good behavior. And the older son, who could blame him? His worthless brother has snuck his way back into the family, just like he probably had done many times before. The father was just a soft touch for the younger son.
But Jesus turns all we think upside down and that is what all parables do. This story is not about either son. It is about the father. It does not make any difference what the boy’s motive was when he came home. It is about his coming home and the father restoring the relationship.
There are several lessons we can take away from this parable, but the one I want you to think about today is this: If, in this story the father represents God and the prodigal represents those of us who haven’t lived like we belong in his family, then this is a great message of hope.
You see, in the church way too many members think that yes, God’s forgiveness is free, but there must be repentance, true repentance to receive it. You have to be truly remorseful and really repent to receive God’s forgiveness.
This parable however paints an entirely different picture. Okay, it says, suppose in your heart of hearts you feel rebellious and unrepentant toward God. Suppose your only reason for being here this morning is because somebody else influenced you to come. You’ve come because your parents made you or you’ve come to keep peace in your marriage or you’ve come because you’ve got a friend here you want to be with, or you come because, well that is just what you do on Sunday morning.
This parable shows much more than a forgiving God, as important as that is. This parable shows a God who says, “You’re welcome anyway,” who says, “Come, be a part of my family. Eat at the table, enjoy the relationships, be included in what this family does. Even be a part of the family squabbles and disagreement. Try it on for size.” And, I think, God says, “Because you’re here, I’m glad. Your participation with the family is what matters now.” I believe that is what this parable is really about; God’s forgiving and welcoming us back into his household, despite our bad behavior.
And that is good news for those of us who have stumbled our way here for less than noble reasons. God invites us to come be in the family as we are, warts and doubts and angers and resentments and all. For while we are in his family, there’s always the chance, the opportunity for our relationship with him to really flourish.
This parable stands here, telling us that love, forgiveness and second chances are part of how God has chosen to relate to us. By taking a look at our own lives we can see that loving and forgiving are pretty risky actions. In once sense, it’s a surprise that they ever succeed, since they are so easily taken advantage of. Yet they do, for they need to be present in the relationship for it to be complete.
None of what I just said eliminates our need to repent. But the parable demonstrates that repentance is not what opens the door. It is the generous, loving nature of God that opens the door.
You see, God because he is God takes the pain of our disappointing him time and time again, for he perfect in his love. God is always watching over us, guiding us while in the family, and watching for us while we wander away into the ways of the world. He waits for us. He calls for us. And when he sees us, he runs to embrace and kiss us. He holds us in his arms and says, “You’ve come home. Let’s put the family ring on your finger again. Let me cover you with the robe of righteousness. Let’s set down at the banquet table! The lost one has been found!”
That is the kind of guy our God is, for once you are a son, you are always a son, and the same holds true for his daughters. Once you are a daughter you are always a daughter. That is the way it is with God. I thank God, because if it was not that way, we would all be in trouble. Amen.
3/18/2007
Text: Luke 15:11-32
Title: A Son is a Son forever
Most of us have heard the parable of the Prodigal Son so many times that we know the plot. A rich man’s wayward son insists on getting his inheritance before his father dies. His father gives into his demands and the son leaves home. He leads a bad life, ends up in a pig pen. He is in desperate shape. He realizes that even his father’s servants are better off than he is, so he heads back home.
His father sees him coming, welcomes him home with a grand party. Everything is forgiven. The older brother gets ticked off and lets his dad have it and the story ends. That is the story; a repentant son, a forgiving father, and a ticked off older brother. From this story we learn that God forgives the repentant and that those who have been faithful to God will sometimes get bent out of shape when a repentant brother in the faith comes back and there is no punishment for the scoundrel.
This morning I want you to consider a different angle to this story. We read that the young man “came to himself.” Now I believe that most of you, because you know the rest of the story, would take that to mean that he was really sorry for the shabby way he had treated his father. You would assume that he had learned his lesson, repented, and headed for home in a humble frame of mind.
But notice that the young man actually rehearsed a speech for his father. Listen to how Jesus told that part of the parable: “But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”
When you think about it, you can almost hear his mind working: “Here I am starving to death while even my father’s lowest servant never goes hungry. Here’s what I will do: I’ll go home and tell the old man I’m sorry. I’ll say I’ll be one of his servants, but I bet he’ll take me back into the house. He never could say no to me.”
That sounds a little more like a scheme than repentance does it not? Of course we have no way of knowing his intent, nor how pure his motivation was, but the very fact that he rehearsed a apology makes me just a little suspicious.
It reminds me of the time when our son was small and persisted in repeatedly doing something I asked him not do. I decided that the only way to stop the behavior was to spank him. When he realized what was going to happen he suddenly became very sorrowful. He kept shouting, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” But by then the sorrys were too late.
I suspect the prodigal’s rehearsed speech was much in that same spirit: “ I know I have done wrong, but I will say whatever I have to say to regain access to my father’s house and three square meals a day.” I might be quite wrong here, but I think it is quite possible that his motive was less than pure.
If I am right, and I think I am, the generous forgiveness lavished on the prodigal by his father could only mean one of two things. Either his father was fooled by his son, or he was not fooled at all, but took him back anyway.
It could not have been the first, for the father did not even wait to hear the prodigal’s prepared speech. He embraced his son and kissed away the rehearsed confession before it was even half-spoken.
This father was no fool. The Bible does not tell us, but I would wager that this young man had given his father a hard time way before he left. It is not very plausible that he just woke up one day and decided to leave his family.
I am sure that the father would have had lots of reasons for not trusting his wayward son. But it did not seem to matter. His son was home and the father was glad.
He does not ask his son if he as learned his lesson. He does not tell him, “I told you so.” He does not set down any conditions for his son’s reentry into the family. Instead, he gives him a ring which was the emblem of family membership. He orders up a feast to welcome the young man home.
This story is commonly called the Parable of the Prodigal Son, but I ask you, who is this story really about? It’s not the prodigal son, it is not ticked off older brother. This story is about the forgiving father. It should be called the Parable of the Loving Father.
This is what makes the story so good. We think that even after we know the story that there must have been certain conditions set, at least a time of good behavior. And the older son, who could blame him? His worthless brother has snuck his way back into the family, just like he probably had done many times before. The father was just a soft touch for the younger son.
But Jesus turns all we think upside down and that is what all parables do. This story is not about either son. It is about the father. It does not make any difference what the boy’s motive was when he came home. It is about his coming home and the father restoring the relationship.
There are several lessons we can take away from this parable, but the one I want you to think about today is this: If, in this story the father represents God and the prodigal represents those of us who haven’t lived like we belong in his family, then this is a great message of hope.
You see, in the church way too many members think that yes, God’s forgiveness is free, but there must be repentance, true repentance to receive it. You have to be truly remorseful and really repent to receive God’s forgiveness.
This parable however paints an entirely different picture. Okay, it says, suppose in your heart of hearts you feel rebellious and unrepentant toward God. Suppose your only reason for being here this morning is because somebody else influenced you to come. You’ve come because your parents made you or you’ve come to keep peace in your marriage or you’ve come because you’ve got a friend here you want to be with, or you come because, well that is just what you do on Sunday morning.
This parable shows much more than a forgiving God, as important as that is. This parable shows a God who says, “You’re welcome anyway,” who says, “Come, be a part of my family. Eat at the table, enjoy the relationships, be included in what this family does. Even be a part of the family squabbles and disagreement. Try it on for size.” And, I think, God says, “Because you’re here, I’m glad. Your participation with the family is what matters now.” I believe that is what this parable is really about; God’s forgiving and welcoming us back into his household, despite our bad behavior.
And that is good news for those of us who have stumbled our way here for less than noble reasons. God invites us to come be in the family as we are, warts and doubts and angers and resentments and all. For while we are in his family, there’s always the chance, the opportunity for our relationship with him to really flourish.
This parable stands here, telling us that love, forgiveness and second chances are part of how God has chosen to relate to us. By taking a look at our own lives we can see that loving and forgiving are pretty risky actions. In once sense, it’s a surprise that they ever succeed, since they are so easily taken advantage of. Yet they do, for they need to be present in the relationship for it to be complete.
None of what I just said eliminates our need to repent. But the parable demonstrates that repentance is not what opens the door. It is the generous, loving nature of God that opens the door.
You see, God because he is God takes the pain of our disappointing him time and time again, for he perfect in his love. God is always watching over us, guiding us while in the family, and watching for us while we wander away into the ways of the world. He waits for us. He calls for us. And when he sees us, he runs to embrace and kiss us. He holds us in his arms and says, “You’ve come home. Let’s put the family ring on your finger again. Let me cover you with the robe of righteousness. Let’s set down at the banquet table! The lost one has been found!”
That is the kind of guy our God is, for once you are a son, you are always a son, and the same holds true for his daughters. Once you are a daughter you are always a daughter. That is the way it is with God. I thank God, because if it was not that way, we would all be in trouble. Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 1:13 PM
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