CMLC 2025-03-30 Sermon

Well, howdy Well, apparently now I'm middle -aged

so Yeah, ended up turning 45 this last week So

I swear as soon as that happened I I saw extra

gray hairs popping up right there They just instantly

just grew out of nowhere. So I don't know I could

swear my right hip is starting to hurt a little

bit more. So No idea, but you know the thing

is with that is with birthdays is that there's

always this little part that my sister loves

to tease me a little bit because she's always

she's younger well she's always younger that's

how it works but you know she's going to be like

well well the good thing I'm not middle -aged

yet or anything like that you know or good thing

I don't have all those gray hairs or anything

like that and the thing with it though is that

She still likes to act like the older sibling

to try to boss me around though So it somehow

doesn't seem to work out the way that she expects,

but still you know being the older brother You

know that's the thing with this though is there's

a certain role a certain place that you end up

having in the family But because of that it's

sometimes hard to read a story like the prodigal

son It's hard to read something like this where

you end up seeing what happens with the older

brother. But the thing is, is that as we're looking

at this, it ends up helping us to understand

and unpack the story even more. You see, to realize

that the prodigal son, it's a parable, not a

story. Okay, a parable, not a story. And what

do I mean by that? Because a parable, it's meant

to communicate an image. It's meant to try to

communicate a message. through it. You see the

thing is that what happens in parables, these

are things that are supposed to be a little different

than reality, a little different than what you

would normally expect. So with this is that the

parables, they're supposed to be something that

goes beyond what you would literally experience.

So as we see it though, the reactions that we

have, the way that we approach it, it allows

us to unpack our own feelings. not just with

the things that we've experienced in our families,

but also through that, to see what it is that

we're experiencing with the world around us as

well. But where do we start? Well, as we look

through it, well, let's go ahead and start where

it is that we see Jesus starting. Let's go ahead

and start off with the younger son. Now, what

we have to remember here, is that Jesus is showing

us what I've always known is that younger siblings

are always troubled. Just always. Younger siblings

are always troubled. Always making things difficult

somehow, right? But, you know, honestly, all

kidding aside though, in this story, we don't

see an actual issue between older and younger

as much as the younger son really shows something

that we can all associate with at some point.

Now, What's difficult in this part though, is

that this particular son is the worst version

of what you could imagine. Because not just that

the younger son wants to go off and have as much

fun as he can, is that in reality the younger

son actually wants the dad to be dead. What do

I mean by that? What we see is that as soon as

it starts, what does he want the father to do?

divide the property up among us. Now that should

be strange. It is strange because you don't divide

up property when the parents are still alive.

You only divide up the property when the parents

have passed. And with that then, what we end

up seeing is that this son betrays what it is

that he truly feels inside. He has no use for

that father. No real desire, no real interest

in that relationship. What does he want? He wants

what's coming to him. Which is funny, since in

reality an inheritance is a gift, not really

something that you're necessarily owed per se.

But when we see this, we not only end up discovering

how he feels about his father, but also how he

feels about the world around him. The world is

just meant to try to get the most out of it that

you can, and then just walk away when you don't

feel like staying. But as we end up seeing this

sun, this prodigal sun, prodigal does not end

up focusing on the idea of wandering. Prodigal

focuses on the idea of reckless. It comes from

the idea it's a sotos. From the Greek and it's

this combination of ah for not and sozo from

save or preserve So the one who does not preserve

the one who does not save and so therefore what

we end up seeing is that this son is reckless

But as he has now gone up and spent everything

he had he didn't even worry what was going to

happen next He left home. He apparently doesn't

have any real job skills And so then all of a

sudden, life happens. And whenever the famine

comes through and there's hardly anything left,

what does he end up discovering? He has no one

and nothing. Well, as he is there, he ends up

pursuing what is very clearly offensive to the

audience for Jesus at that time. See, the Jewish

people... would not be keeping pigs. They were

unclean. There's no reason why you would have

them. So, where was this young man? He was out

with the Gentiles. He was out working among them,

but not only that, serving them. And now he's

feeding the very pigs that make the people unclean,

in a sense, showing what's on the inside on the

outside. But even that he's so desperate. He's

trying to eat with even the pigs are trying to

eat themselves How sad how desperate must this

be? But the thing with this is that we end up

seeing him coming up with a great idea I'm gonna

go back to my father. I'm gonna try to be a hired

hand notice this this isn't hey Dad, I'm really

sorry. Would you welcome me back? this is would

you bring me on as a hired hand? I'll work for

it. I will go ahead and try to earn a living

and earn back some place in this family. Now,

this would have been fully acceptable to the

people listening, especially the teachers, the

Pharisees, the others. Why? Because if you want

God to forgive and to love and to welcome you

back, then you better deserve it, right? Isn't

that what we constantly think of in our society

is whether or not people have somehow deserved

or earned what they are given? Doesn't matter

that most all of us would pretty much give everything

to our own children, but in society as a whole,

people have to somehow prove and earn that they

are worthwhile. And so this part would have made

a lot of sense to those Pharisees listening.

Yes, you go and you earn it. Well, he does go

to the father But when it's time for him to say

father, I want to reconcile myself I want to

somehow prove to you that I am worth it I need

to somehow get myself back in there. We might

be expecting that the father is gonna be Maybe

I'll let you maybe you can prove this to me.

I guess maybe I'll let you do something here

But what do we see? See, I think that we as Christians,

we've gotten so used to the prodigal son story

that we don't get just how drastic this is. The

father comes running out to him. The son who

wanted him dead, the son who never wanted to

see him again, the son who just took what he

had. Remember, he's taking a third of the property,

even though the older son gets a double portion.

That's still a third. of everything, land, property,

possessions that had to be sold right away so

that this son could go out and have his good

time. Not only was he rejecting the father, but

also rejecting everything he stood for. And what

does the father do? He comes running out. He

wraps his arm around him. He doesn't even let

him get to the idea of, could I have a job? No,

this is my son. He was dead, but now he's alive.

He is so excited. And that's the thing about

this is that that's what we end up discovering

about love. This son had been the most terrible

of anything that people would be picturing. And

then what does Jesus go and do and surprises

everyone by showing that he is welcomed back

with open arms and loved. This isn't about practicality.

I mean, yes. I mean, the son ended up spending

everything that he has. He doesn't really have

a bunch of inheritance to go from then forward.

He's not going to now be able to say, oh, I have

all these parties to throw. But that doesn't

change the fact that his father has now called

him back as a son. This ends up going beyond

the fact that our world does have consequences

to sin. But even so, Grace gives us the joy of

being welcomed back But now what about the other

son and and as we're doing so is that I have

to admit I struggle with this I'm the older son

I'm the one looking at this. I still remember

there was this one point in elementary school

Where my dad had an idea? That he was going to

take me and a bunch of the other boys from my

class and we were gonna go play video games this

one day now Doesn't that sound like a great thing?

but you see here's the problem a bunch of those

boys that he was inviting had been a bit mean

to me and Had not made life very difficult very

easy And so there it was that we were about to

go to this place that I had never been to I've

never played video games there before I had absolutely

no idea what even inspired this but all of a

sudden we're gonna go to this place and my dad

is going to bring all of these young people with

us and I was angry oh my word spent the whole

time just like okay well if I have to play video

games I guess but man There was just this part

of me that was just seething Why is it that we

had to do this with all these other kids that

I don't even really like? That haven't really

been nice to me But now we have to bring them

along But in seeing this it also then begs this

question of Why does the older son not also realize

how blessed he is? and that's the thing about

the older son is that in many ways he doesn't

really have a use for the father. If you notice,

whenever the younger son is wanting to go ahead

and do all this and take what's there, the older

son doesn't really stop them. He doesn't really

intervene in any way. He's not trying to play

the intercessor. I mean, isn't that what a good

older son should do? Try to make things better.

But even more than that, this son has been the

good son. Done everything right and therefore

has a feeling of what he deserves. I'll be honest,

I know what that's like to try to do everything

right because then you think that you're going

to get something good out of it. But that's the

funny thing is that life is not about the reward

but rather is a question of the person and their

character. because what we end up discovering

is that this older son doesn't appreciate who

he is and where he's at. You see with all this

is that he now has this feeling of entitlement

even though everything he has is still a gift.

And even beyond that is if you really notice

as we get to the end as his father is trying

to bring him in he reminds him everything I have

belongs to you. But even though all this food

all this fun everything else could still be something

that the older brother Can enjoy as well? He

could probably even invite his friends But it's

because of why? It's a question of why they were

having a party Because he does not want to join

in a celebration in a party that is for somebody

he feels is undeserving. And that's what we end

up seeing with this piece is that both brothers

end up showing a lot about themselves. But it

ends up not being ultimately about either one

of them. In reality, the story, it's not about

the father. Sorry. It's not about the younger

son who has now walked away but been welcomed

back. It's not even about the older son, even

though the audience members are Pharisees and

they almost definitely realize that Jesus is

talking about them. That even though they already

have the kingdom as it was promised to Moses,

Elijah, the kings, all of those prophets by faith.

is that they are still angry that now God wants

to open it up to the Gentiles. But who is ultimately

the key figure? The key figure in the story is

actually the father. Because all of this really

ends up being about how the father is loving

his sons. Because no matter what the children

do, notice that the father is patient, and gracious.

The younger son, he wants his inheritance. Well,

apparently my son doesn't really want to be here

with us. So let him have it. And second, well

now he's coming back and he's just so grateful

that he's alive because he knows his son who

was pretty inept and that he was worried the

whole time about him. But even third even the

older son who is angry and prideful and doesn't

want to share anything with anybody The father

is still saying everything. I have is yours Come

join the party Because what do we end up seeing

is that instead of trying to look for the sons

to prove themselves? He starts with love and

compassion he starts with welcoming both of them,

no matter which place that they're at. And instead

of focusing on the hurt that he must have inside,

knowing what sorts of people his sons have become,

is that instead he focuses on love and gratitude

and the joy of them having life. Because between

them is that the Pharisees listening to this

are not hearing a story of Jesus saying the prodigal

son now has everything and you're deprived of

everything instead It's Jesus saying there's

room for both of you And you're both loved Is

that even a message? That in today's world we're

willing to hear Are we even ready? to admit that

God in His kingdom has openness for everyone.

That this isn't a question of we have to make

sure you don't get anything because we need enough

for them. But to realize when we realize how

blessed that we truly are in this world. That

there is so much for everyone. But that's where

we want to finish with this. is the grace and

the nurture for both of the sons. See, the father

was never seeking to reject either one of them,

just like he's never seeking to reject us. I

had to come to terms with how angry I was, with

how frustrated and how much that even though

I hadn't actually asked my father to take us

to play video games. that I was angry at the

idea that he would dare to do that for anyone

else. And through that, having to grow and realize

that I was the one who needed to change. But

we've all been not just maybe the older son,

but at some point we've been the prodigal too.

We've been reckless. Maybe not with our money.

Maybe not with our position in the world. But

how often do we spend our time our energy what

we have on things that don't really matter How

often do we lose sight of the kingdom of God?

And all we really care about just making ourselves

happy today But when we realize all that we have

Then that's when we can truly be grateful and

gracious Because as long as we don't pause to

realize everything that God has been giving to

us, then it's harder to welcome others into the

same blessing. And so as much as we struggle

with this feeling and this hurt, that others

would receive the grace that we've been given.

That you have spent your time out in the world.

You have been out there. You have wasted grace.

You have walked away from God. How dare you decide

to come back? Then that shows us that we haven't

realized how much we've been given as well. Because

all of us, all of us have needed to be given

the grace of God. And so my hope and prayer is

that if you discover, as I have, the times in

which we haven't been as open to other people,

that maybe it's a chance to see what needs to

change inside of ourselves. So wherever we might

be in this story, may we continue to come back

to the Father who welcomes us back with open

arms and gives us everything more than we will

ever deserve because of His love. not because

of anything we will ever earn. Thanks be to God.