The Joy of Heaven

Good morning, church.

Our sermon text this morning is Luke chapter 15.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

That's page 821 in the Pew Bible.

Let me invite you to turn there with me.

Our passage today is often and perhaps rightly regarded as the greatest of all Jesus' parables.

It has been the subject of not just endless biblical commentary and preaching since the days of the early church,

but it's also been an enduring subject for great painters, dramatists, choreographers, musicians, writers, even philosophers.

Nietzsche wrote about the parable of the prodigal son.

And yet, as one commentator put it,

none of the parallels or the retellings can measure up to or compare with the moving force of this story as told by Jesus himself.

So friends, let's do just that.

Let's encounter this parable together in its most powerful form in the words of Jesus himself.

Luke chapter 15.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

Let me read this for us.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him, that is Jesus,

and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying,

This man receives sinners and eats with them.

So he told them this parable.

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if the father has lost one of them,

does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country

and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?

And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them,

Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.

Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents

than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin,

does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?

And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying,

Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I have lost.

Just so I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God

over one sinner who repents.

And he said, there was a man who had two sons.

And the younger of them said to his father,

Father, give me this share of property that is coming to me.

And he divided his property between them.

Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had

and took a journey into a far country.

And there he squandered his property and reckless living.

And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country

and he began to be in need.

So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country

who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate.

And no one gave him anything.

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've sinned against heaven and before you.

I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

Treat me as one of your hired servants.

And he arose and came to his father.

But while he was still a long way off,

his father saw him and felt compassion

and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

And the son said to him,

Father, I've sinned against heaven and before you.

I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants,

Bring quickly the best robe and put it on him

and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet

and bring the fattened calf and kill it

and let us eat and celebrate.

For this my son was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

And they began to celebrate.

Now his older son was in the field.

And as he came and drew near the house,

he heard music and dancing.

And he called one of the servants

and asked what these things meant.

And he said to him,

Your brother has come

and your father has killed the fattened calf.

Because he's received him back,

safe and sound.

But he was angry

and refused to go in.

His father came out

and entreated him.

But he answered his father,

Look,

these many years I have served you

and I never disobeyed your command.

Yet you never gave me a young goat

that I might celebrate with my friends.

But when the son of yours came

who has devoured your property

with prostitutes,

you killed the fattened calf for him.

And he said to him,

Son,

you are always with me

and all that is mine is yours.

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad.

For this your brother was dead

and is alive.

He was lost

and is found.

Let's pray together.

Our father,

we are so grateful

for the word that you've given us

in the scriptures

that we can encounter again

and afresh

the very words of Christ

spoken again by your spirit

to our hearts.

O father,

we pray that you would open us

to really hear

and receive

what it is you're saying today

to us,

your church.

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, friends,

I wonder if you've ever been upset

when someone was having fun

without you.

H.L. Mencken once said

that Puritanism

was the haunting fear

that someone

somewhere

may be happy.

Now,

that was completely untrue

about the Puritans.

John Owen,

the great Puritan theologian,

was often criticized

in his day

for being too fashionable.

Imagine that.

He wore knee-high

leather boots.

And his critics would say

he had as much powder

powder in his hair

that would discharge

eight cannons.

They seem to be okay

with having a little fun.

Our passage begins

with Jesus

receiving criticism.

And criticism

for dining

with the wrong

sort of people.

This man,

do you hear the contempt

in their voices?

This man

receives sinners

and eats with them.

According to the

religious establishment

of the day,

Jesus spent

far too much time

with the outcasts,

the irreligious,

and the immoral.

Even sharing

table fellowship

and hospitality

with them,

which was a big deal

in the first century.

And how would Jesus

respond to such criticism?

How would you?

How would you?

And here's how

Jesus' parable

is so surprising.

Rather than respond

with sort of shrill

self-justification

that we've become

so used to today,

rather than simply

attack his critics

as close-minded

bigots,

instead he launches

out in this

three-fold parable,

this tour de force

to actually

try

to win them over,

to change

their hearts

and to bring

them

to the table too.

In the English-speaking

world,

we know this story

as the parable

of the prodigal son.

But the lead-in

in verses

three through ten

is all about

lost things

being found.

A lost sheep,

a lost coin.

So in German,

it's known as

the parable

of the lost son.

But the heartbeat

of this story,

the main character,

is God.

Behind the shepherd,

behind the woman,

behind the father

is the heart

of God

seeking out

the lost

and heaven

erupting

in joy

when the lost

are found.

And that erupting

joy of the father

reaches right

out of the parable

to the critics

themselves

and says,

you too,

come in,

come home.

So let's consider

first Jesus'

point

in verses

three through ten.

All of heaven

rejoices

when the lost

are found.

A shepherd

loses a sheep.

A woman

loses a silver coin.

One-tenth

of her life

savings.

And of course,

they search diligently

going after

what's been lost

and when they find it,

they have a party.

Friends and neighbors

are invited

to come

and rejoice.

Apparently,

Albert Schweitzer

was teaching

this story

in a confirmation

class

and one boy

blurted out,

what a silly

woman.

She spent more

on the party

than the coin

was worth

in the first place.

I don't know

if that's a true story

about Albert Schweitzer.

That might be

totally apocryphal,

but maybe,

you know,

just maybe.

That's part

of Jesus'

point.

The joy

of heaven

over sinners

who repent

is exuberant.

It's extravagant.

Even for one,

Jesus says,

God fills

heaven

with joy.

You see,

what Jesus'

critics were missing

and what we too

often fail to see

is the missionary

heart of God.

God's initiative

throughout Scripture

to bring

his people

back home.

Ezekiel 34

is one of these

places where we see

that.

It speaks of God's

search and rescue

mission.

God's sheep,

Ezekiel says,

were scattered

over the earth

and no one

searched and no one

looked for them.

Israel's leaders

had abandoned

the search,

but God declares

in Ezekiel 34

11 and 16,

I myself

will search

for my sheep

and look for them.

I will search

for the lost

and bring back

the strays.

The missionary

heart of God.

But this missionary

heart of God

in the Old Testament

extends not just

to the lost

house of Israel,

but to the nations

as well.

The book of Jonah

that we read

from earlier

is about God

extending his

mercy to the

pagan city

of Nineveh.

And then,

much like Luke 15,

it's about teaching

the resentful Jonah

about how much

he really does

love the lost.

And how far

God's willing

to go

to bring them

home.

Even if it means

swallowing a prophet

with a giant fish

and spitting him

out three days

later.

God

will gather

his people.

And so,

Jesus,

in fulfillment

of God's mission

here in Luke,

pursues the lost.

When this whole

section of the

Gospel of Luke

comes to an end

in chapter 19,

these words

of Jesus

will be how

it closes.

The Son of Man

came to seek

and to save

the lost.

Why does Jesus

spend so much time

with tax collectors

and sinners?

Why does he eat

with them?

Why does he receive

them as friends?

Why does he do it

so much so that

it's making people

a little uncomfortable?

Why?

Why?

Because he's the shepherd

not giving up

his search

and he's the woman

not putting out

the lamp

until all his

lost are found

and the heavens

erupt

with joy.

Now,

I don't think

many of us

would consider

ourselves Pharisees

this morning

and not many

of us

would perhaps

criticize Jesus

for eating

with so-called

sinners and tax collectors.

On the contrary,

I think most of us

here would commend it,

I'm sure.

And yet,

can we say

that this joy

of heaven

is our joy too?

Do we share

the pursuing,

befriending,

searching,

boundary-crossing

love for the lost

that God

has revealed

in Jesus?

Does it excite us?

Does it fire

our imaginations?

J.C. Ryle

puts it to us

in these,

I think,

quite challenging words.

He says,

the person

who can take

a deep interest

in politics

or field sports

or money-making

or gaining popularity

but take none

in the conversion

of souls

is no true

Christian.

What about us

as a church?

We can get excited

about a lot of things,

can't we?

Projects,

programs,

buildings.

things.

But friends,

it is all

useless

if we don't

share the joy

of heaven

over the lost

being found.

As many of you know,

we're embarking

on a building project.

Why are we doing it?

Above all,

it's so that we can

go on

spreading

the table

of God's grace

and inviting

more and more

and more people

to join.

We want the joy

of heaven

to be increasingly

our joy.

We want to rejoice

more and more

over the lost

being found.

But the question is,

how do we

rekindle that joy?

When we get discouraged

because our friends

and our neighbors

don't seem to be

showing any

real spiritual

interest.

When we get

distracted

by the very

real responsibilities

of work

and family

and even church.

When we know

in our minds

that our joy

should be

for the lost

being found,

but in our hearts

we just don't

feel it.

What do we do?

Did you notice

how verse 1

begins?

The tax collectors

and sinners

were all

drawing near

to hear him.

They were

attracted

to Jesus.

There was

something about

him that they

hadn't experienced

before in other

religious leaders.

He sought

them,

yes,

but they were

also drawn

to him.

Why are

the immoral

and the

irreligious

drawing near

to hear

Jesus?

I think

if we can

see the

reason why,

then we'll

see how to

rekindle

and realign

our joy

with the joy

of heaven.

and this

brings us

to the

center

of our

passage,

the first

half of the

parable of

the lost

son,

where Jesus

shows us

the extravagant

grace of the

father.

He tells us

about the

exceeding joy

of heaven

in verses 1

through 10

and now

the extravagant

grace of

the father.

Verses 11

through 24

are the part

of Luke 15

that have

rightfully been

retold and

recast time

and time

again in

literature

and art

and dance

and music.

But you

know,

let's take a

step back

for a second

and ask

what about

this message

of Jesus

would be so

attractive

to tax

collectors

and sinners,

to the

immoral

and the

irreligious?

At first,

it doesn't

seem like

good news

at all.

In verses

12 through

13,

Jesus exposes

the natural

bent of our

fallen hearts.

The younger

brother requests

his share

of the

father's

inheritance

while his

father is

still living,

then he

sells his

shares of

the property,

turns it

into cash,

deserts his

family,

goes to a

far country

and squanders

his money

in the pursuit

of pleasure.

Not a very

flattering picture

of our humanity,

is it?

But this is how

all of us

naturally treat

God.

We want

his stuff

more than

we want

a relationship

with him.

And whatever

good he

gives us,

we seem

to be

uncontrollably

bent to

use it

for our

own

ends

rather

than

for

his.

But Jesus

doesn't just

expose the

natural bent

of our

fallen hearts,

he also

shows us

the bitter

outcome of

pursuing life

apart from

God.

In verses

13 through

16,

the younger

son goes

on this

downward

spiral.

He squanders

the family

money,

a famine

hits,

his so-called

friends desert

him,

notice how

it ends,

and no

one was

there to

help him.

And he

finds himself

feeding pigs.

Imagine

that.

A Jewish

boy working

on an

unclean

Gentile

pig farm.

So hungry,

he's willing

to eat the

same food

he's feeding

the pigs.

Talk about

hitting

utter

bottom.

And again,

Jesus is

showing us

here that

this is

the eventual

outcome of

pursuing life

apart from

God.

We will,

Jesus says,

hit bottom.

Maybe not

financially,

maybe not

physically,

but certainly

spiritually.

After

showing us

the downward

spiral,

Jesus also

shows us

here the

working of

repentance in

the heart.

The younger

brother comes

to himself

in verse

17.

Realizing

that his

father's

hired hands

have it

better,

he decides

to go home

and confess

his wrong.

But he has

no expectations

that his

father will

continue to

treat him

as a son.

No,

he thinks

the best

he can hope

for is to

be treated

as one

of his

father's

hired

servants.

And then

he gets

up and

he heads

for home

in humility

and in

shame.

he gets

up and

he heads

home.

You see

throughout

this chapter

Jesus is

not saying

that sinners

and tax

collectors

were simply

to be

accepted

as they

stand.

Jesus is

clear.

Sinners

must repent.

The lost

sheep and

lost coin

must be

found.

The

prodigal

son comes

to his

senses and

returns

home.

But again,

why was

all of this

such good

news?

Why the

crowds?

Why were

the

outsiders

and the

irreligious

gathering

near to

Jesus?

Up to

this point,

Jesus just

sounds like

any other

religious or

moral teacher,

right?

After all,

the Pharisees

would have

stressed the

need for

repentance

too.

What made

Jesus any

different?

Well,

the difference

is what

Jesus said

you would

find when

you actually

return home.

What would

you find?

verse 20.

But while he

was still a

long way

off, his

father saw

him.

The father,

it seems,

had never

forgotten his

son, never

disowned him.

He had been

scanning the

horizon, eagerly

waiting and

hoping for his

return.

His father saw

him and felt

compassion and

ran and

embraced him

and kissed

him.

You see, the

father doesn't

wait for the

son to come

crawling back

and beg and

plead for

forgiveness and

then prove

himself.

No, while the

son is still a

long way

off, and

even before

the son gets

out a word,

the father

runs to

him.

I was

thinking about

this yesterday.

Have you

ever run

to meet

someone?

How thrilled

must you be

to run

and meet

someone?

Let alone

embrace and

kiss them.

And the

son said to

him,

father, I've

sinned

against heaven

and before

you.

I'm no

longer worthy

to be called

your son.

But the

father said

to his

servants,

bring quickly

the best

robe and

put it on

him and

put a ring

on his

hand and

shoes on

his feet.

Robe and

ring and

shoes, all

of these are

emblems that

this wayward

son is being

received back,

not as a

servant, but

as a son.

servants

didn't wear

shoes, but

sons wore

shoes.

You get

the sandals,

you get

the robe,

you get

the ring,

you're my

son.

He's

restored and

he's

reinstated and

he's clothed

with honor and

dignity.

But there's

even more.

The father

says, bring

the fattened

calf and

kill it.

let us eat

and celebrate

for this my

son was dead

and is alive

again.

He was lost

and is found.

The father

initiates a

community-wide

party, a

feast, because

his son has

returned.

You know, in

the first

century, meat

was only eaten

on very special

occasions and

this fattened

calf would

have been

something that

they were

saving.

You know, it

was sort of

this special

animal that

they were

feeding and

keeping around

for only the

most important

and special

and utterly

groundbreaking

celebrations.

And here, this

prized gift is

lavished on the

son who

returns home.

I wonder, if

you come home

to God, what

sort of reception

do you think you

would find?

What would be

the look on

the father's

face when he

saw you coming

from afar?

Do you think he

would take you

back only as a

servant with

certain conditions

and certain terms

that you would

have to keep just

in case things

didn't work out?

Or would he

actually take you

back as a son,

as a daughter,

as a beloved

child?

friends, the glory

of the gospel,

the wonder of

Jesus' message

is that the

heavenly father

takes us back

in lavish,

unmitigated,

unrestrained

grace.

no matter how

far we've fallen,

no matter how

lost we think

we are,

there's a robe

and a ring

and a feast

waiting for you

in the house

of your heavenly

father.

You see, the

promise of the

gospel isn't just

that God's going

to forgive you,

but that he's going

to honor you

and that he's going

to rejoice over

you.

And he's not

going to do it

because you deserve

it or because

you've earned it.

You could never

do that.

He's going to do

it because he

loves you.

Because he loves

you.

Do you see now

why the tax

collectors and

sinners were

drawing near to

hear this Jesus?

Here was a

teacher saying

that God

accepted us

by sheer

undeserved

grace apart

from our

works that no

matter how far

we had fallen,

no matter how

reckless and

sinful we become,

no matter how

much of a mash

we've made of

our life,

there's a place

of honor ready

to be lavished

upon us.

Not for the

deserving,

but for the

undeserving.

Not for the

worthy,

but for the

unworthy.

The father's

eyes are

scanning the

horizon.

His feet are

ready to

run,

his arms

are ready

to embrace.

And for

sinners,

that is such

good,

good news.

But not

everyone sees

it that way.

There's another

son in this

story,

you remember.

And here's

the real

point Jesus

has been

driving toward

the whole

time.

there are

some who

think they

are righteous,

as verse

seven puts

it,

and who

think they

need no

repentance.

It's obvious

that Jesus

has characterized

his critics as

the older

brother in this

story,

isn't it?

The Pharisees

grumble that he

eats with tax

collectors and

sinners,

years.

And this

older brother

is angry,

grumbling,

that the

father would

celebrate at

the return of

the younger

brother.

But Jesus

says,

don't you

see,

this is the

very mission

and joy of

heaven.

The father is

full of

extravagant grace,

rejoicing because

the lost are

found.

And you,

Pharisees,

you're like this

older brother,

angry and

resentful because

the father is

celebrating his

lost son's

return.

And in this

paragraph,

Jesus suddenly

turns the

story upside

down.

One writer

drew out the

contrast this

way.

He said,

you know,

you see the

younger son

who's reckless

in disobedience

and confesses

his sin.

And then you

have the

elder son,

ungrateful in

his obedience,

insisting on

his rights.

The younger

son renounces

all his claims

to sonship

and invites

servitude.

servitude.

The elder son

complains of

disappointed

sonship and

despises the

servitude to

which he thinks

himself unfairly

reduced.

Notice in

verse 29 how

the older brother

says,

look,

these many

years I've

served you.

Literally,

he says,

I've slaved

away for you.

The younger

brother receives

mercy from his

father.

father,

the elder

accuses the

father in

resentful

self-righteousness.

The younger

son confessed,

I've sinned

without excuse.

The older

son complains,

I have served

without recompense.

The great

irony here is

that at the

story's end,

it's the older

brother who's

outside the

feast and

estranged from

his father.

father, the

very ones who

thought they

were in, are

actually out.

And that

makes us wonder

who really is

the lost son of

Luke 15.

The reality is

they're both

lost.

The younger

brother broke

all the rules,

the older

brother kept

all the rules,

and in the

end, they

both need to

be rescued.

And here's

where Jesus'

story surprises

us the most.

He's not

done yet.

The father

goes out to

the elder

brother too.

And while the

older brother

never calls him

father, did you

notice that?

The father

still calls him

son.

And he doesn't

use the ordinary

word for son,

the father

uses the word

technon, which

here is a term

of endearment,

full of affection

and warmth and

compassion.

You see, this

older son is

bitter and

resentful.

He's self-righteous

and proud.

He is lost.

He's lost in the

most pernicious

and dangerous

way because on

the outside he

looks so good.

He is lost.

But to him

too, the father

comes in love

as well and

says, son,

you're always

with me.

And all

that is mine

is yours.

You know, this

is the really,

really scandalous

thing about

God's grace.

Not just that

we all need

it, but that

we all can

have it.

If you and

I were telling

this story, we'd

let the Pharisees

have it, wouldn't

we?

The younger

son would be

celebrated and

the older son

would be thrown

out.

He would

get what's

coming to

him.

Outer

darkness,

exclusion,

you're done.

We'd let the

older brother

get what's

coming to

him.

But don't

you realize,

friends,

literally, by

definition, that's

not how God's

grace works.

It's undeserved

favor for the

undeserving.

If there's hope

for the

unrighteous, then

there's hope for

the self-righteous

too.

And that

hope is the

undeserved love

of the Father.

I sometimes

wonder how the

older brother felt

as he heard

those words

coming out of

his own mouth

in verses 29

and 30.

Have you ever

been there when

you start speaking

and you surprise

yourself at what

starts coming out?

Do you think he

surprised himself?

I've slaved

away for you

and you've

given me

nothing.

And the

son of yours

comes home

having ripped

apart your

property and

spent it on

prostitutes and

you give him

the biggest

party.

In that

moment, I

wonder if he

saw his

self-righteousness

for what it

truly was for

the first time.

And I

wonder if he

was uncertain

in that

moment how

his father

would respond

to his

ungratefulness

and his

resentment

and his

bitterness.

If he

was uncertain

at that

moment how

the father

would respond

to his

own sort

of rejection

of the

father.

And the

greatest surprise

of all is

that the

father responds

here too

in grace.

But just

as the

younger son

needed to

repent and

come home,

so the

older son

needs to

repent and

come home

too.

And

practically,

what that

meant for

him was

this.

Coming back

into fellowship

with his

father has

to mean

coming back

into fellowship

with his

younger brother

too.

Notice the

father says

in verse

32,

this,

your brother.

He's reversing

the older son's

word in verse

30 where he

said,

this son of

yours,

he says,

disowning his

brother on the

spot.

No, the

father pushes

back.

This,

your brother.

And the

solidarity that

the older

brother has

to acknowledge

with the

younger brother

is more

than just

biological.

They are

from the

same family,

yes,

but more

than that,

they're from

the same

spiritual

family.

In other

words,

the older

son is

just as

unworthy

to join

the father's

feast as

the younger

son.

And he

needs to

get that.

they are

truly

brothers,

they are

truly

equals,

that is,

they are

both

sinners in

need of

radical

grace.

And that

is where

the parable

ends,

with an

invitation.

Will we

recognize

our need

for grace

and having

done so,

join

repentant

sinners at

the table

of the

father?

and seeing

ourselves

in need

of grace

just as

much as

everyone

else,

will we

celebrate

with the

joy of

heaven at

the lost

being found?

And yet

the parable

still isn't

complete

until we

see one

last piece,

until we

see that

the true

and better

elder brother

isn't the

one in

the story,

but the

one telling

the story.

After all,

on what

grounds does

the father

reinstate

the younger

brother?

Have you

thought about

that?

If the

inheritance

has already

been divided,

then the

younger brother

had already

received his

customary

one-third

of the

estate,

and,

as we

know,

it's been

sold and

spent.

It is

gone.

The

remaining

two-thirds

of the

father's

property now

belong

entirely

to him.

The

elder

brother.

When the

father says

in verse

31,

all that

is mine

is yours,

that is

literally

true.

All that

is left

belongs by

right to

the older

brother.

So,

who then

pays the

price for

reinstating

the younger

brother?

And who

bears the

cost of

receiving

this sinner

home again?

it's

supposed to

be the

older

brother.

But the

brother in

this story

seems so

unwilling to

pay.

And yet,

we have a

better older

brother.

Do you

want to

realign your

joy with

the joy of

heaven?

Do you

want to

rekindle your

love over

the loss

being found?

Do you

want your

heart to be

thrilled by

the mission

of God?

Do you

want your

heart to

come aflame

with a

divine love

for the

lost?

Then you

need to

fix your

gaze on

your true

elder

brother

Jesus,

who was

willing to

leave heaven

and go

into the

far country

after us.

And he

was willing

and glad

to pay

the cost

with his

own life

so that

we could

become the

sons and

daughters of

God again

and come

home.

This is

the mission

of God

and the

joy of

heaven.

And Jesus

has done

it.

Are you

ready to

join him

friends?

Are you

ready to

let his

joy invade

your life

and invade

our church

and send

us on

this glad

mission of

redemption?

Then fix

your eyes

on Christ.

Let's

pray.

Amen.

Father, we

ask that

as we

prepare to

come to

this table

where we

remember

the shedding

of the

blood of

your son

and the

breaking

of his

body.

Oh Lord,

we pray

that you

would

rekindle

in our

hearts

a deep

abiding

gratitude

gratitude

for your

grace

for us.

Lord, it's

so hard

for us

at times

to acknowledge

that we

aren't worthy

of your

love and

your grace.

Lord, fill

us with a

vision of

the love

of Christ,

taking off

his robe

and his

ring and

coming down

to be

spent for

us, to

make room

for us and

to make

time for

us and

paying the

price of

our

reinstatement

as your

children.

Oh, fill

our hearts

with that

vision and

rekindle our

love for

you and

our love for

those who

don't yet

know you.

We pray

this in

Christ's

name.

Amen.