Lent: Grace to the Rebel and Self-Righteous

But we are in week four of going through the season of Lent.

So if you remember, Lent is the 40 days leading up to Good Friday and Easter weekend.

When I looked at the lectionary, which is a series of texts for different Sundays, and this story was the story and the text out of the Gospels for this Sunday.

There was a part of me that's like, ah, you know, like, man, like we a lot of us know this one.

You know, it's like, you know, uh, like, how am I gonna, you know, how am I gonna re-preach this?

I've preached it a lot.

Um, there's always that feeling for preachers when a text is overly familiar for a lot of people.

Not everybody.

For some of you, it may be a news story, but incredibly refreshing.

But for all of us, because even as I got into it this week and I read it, I was like, this story's always good.

It's like the movie that you you just you know, it's like Shawshank Redemptions on TBS at 3:30 on a Saturday.

You end up watching it.

Like it's just the story that just never fails.

Such a good story about this younger son who asked his dad for his share of the inheritance would have hurt the father's feelings.

And then the son runs off in reckless living and squanders it.

So we're gonna work our way through the passage that Reed read for us and make some points along the way.

We'll jump in, Luke 15, verse 12.

Luke 15:12

And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of property that's 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 in reckless living.

And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.

So, point number one is this we have belonging, yet we are prone to wander.

We do have belonging.

We have a home, we have a family, we have a father.

We were created by God.

We have a belonging, yet we're prone to wander.

This past summer I spent a few days by myself hiking and fishing and driving through Idaho.

And one day I took this road called Trail Creek Road.

Here's a picture of it, coming out of Ketchum, Idaho, going into the salmon choss national forest.

It's a secret.

I shouldn't even tell you because nobody's there.

It's like everybody goes to Colorado and nobody knows that Idaho's right there waiting for us, and nobody was there.

Ten minutes out of town, ten minutes out of town, this is what you hit.

And I just keep driving down this gravel road and eventually you drive up through the pass, you get over the pass.

So you're driving up through the pass, you get over this pass, you get on the other side of the mountains.

It's desolate, distant country.

Your phone does not work, you don't see anything that is man-made.

Nothing.

Nothing is man-made except the gravel road you are on.

Finally, I got out of the car, and here's a picture.

I was so happy.

I mean, I was I was just like, oh, I just got out, and I mean, you don't see any other car.

There's there's nothing.

There's nothing.

And you know, it's so quiet.

I don't know if you've ever been in that place, it's so quiet.

Your ears are trying to like trying to find something, and it almost hurts your brain a little bit.

Like my ears kept trying to find the sound, and like there's not even a sound.

I mean, it I I love that.

Like, I mean, I eat that stuff up.

But it is desolate.

I mean, that is desolate, distant country.

Like, if if that car doesn't re-crank, I mean, that's the thought I had when I got out.

I turned the car off.

You know, I walk out one of those fields, you know, kind of like all by myself, you know, just having this moment.

And there's that little bit like, what if it the car doesn't crank back up?

You know, like, right?

What if I have a heart attack out here?

My phone doesn't work, there's nobody driving by.

Nobody even knows about this road.

Like, I mean, it is desolate, right?

You're far from home, you're far from safety.

Now, maybe maybe nature's not your thing, but I felt the same thing at the back of an IKEA.

Because maybe you've been at the back of an IKEA, not the front.

The front feels really good and safe, and they have some food up there you can buy, but by the time you get to the back, years ago we were first married, and IKEA came to Atlanta.

I don't know if you remember when that happened.

That was a big deal.

IKEA came to Atlanta.

We made the just horrible marital decision.

We're gonna spend a Saturday.

You know, it's gonna be a great Saturday, you know.

Go to IKEA, and we work our way through all the displays, you know, heaven forbid they actually sell the products there.

You know, work your way through.

We get to the back, and I just look because I'm like, I'm out, like I'm suffocating, I gotta get out of here.

Like you can find the$7 vase on your own, you know?

And I'm just like, hey, I'll I'll meet you outside.

Okay, like you have a time of your life, I'll meet you outside.

And I just try to get my way.

Some of you have tried to get out of the back of an IKEA.

And you try to wig your way through the displays, and it's a maze, like there's no clear shut out.

And then you have to go through their warehouse.

Like they have you laboring in their warehouse before you check out.

I mean, that was brilliant.

Yeah, right?

Like you went to shop and you're working in their warehouse.

I mean, it's unbelievable.

You barely get out of there, right?

It's really distant in the back of an IKEA.

It's the same feeling as the middle of Idaho.

Like you're just you're far from home, far from safety, far from peace, that's for sure, for most of us, right?

Now, let's think about the boy, okay, and the story.

Think about the boy.

He's running to a distant country, far from home, far from the safety of the father.

We've all felt this.

Some of us actually have run to those places in real life, not even the metaphors I just shared.

Here's what we're learning.

We are learning, we're becoming aware of, it's only when we recognize we're in desolate country when we finally cry out for rescue from the Father.

And isn't that disappointing that we're that stubborn?

You're just like, but I am, I am, and so are you.

At verse 14, the boy begins to starve and is in need, and still he doesn't go home.

Right?

Like that hit me this week.

I'm like, he still doesn't go home.

He's out of money, he's starving.

He could go home then.

No, he still is resisting turning back.

He's still resisting.

We all desire we all desire to belong, but we all resist the Heavenly Father.

We have a belonging need.

Where do I fit in?

Who will accept me?

Will someone accept me?

Will someone validate me?

A very fragile, sinful self that's inside of us that we have belonging with our Creator, we have belonging with our Heavenly Father, and yet we resist it.

We wander.

I'm rereading the book Abba's Child by Brendan Manning.

The subtitle, look down at the subtitle this week while studying for this, the cry of the heart for intimate belonging.

And that we all have that, right?

Our core identity is children of the Heavenly Father, and yet sadly, in our sinful condition, we look for belonging in all different places.

Distant country stuff.

And then we're like the boy who, even when he's starving, still insist on performance or self-reliance.

In his case, he's gonna solve this problem.

He's not gonna go home.

Not ready for that yet.

He's gonna try to feed himself, hiring himself out.

We can see the story.

Jump back in at verse 15.

So he went and he hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country who sent him into the 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 remember a couple weeks ago we talked about that, that word, when that word's in scripture, gar?

Like something, something's about change.

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.

Point number two is this we are called home by our need, but our pride keeps us in self-reliance.

Our need is telling us something.

He's calling us home to the Father.

But even then, part of our wandering is this self-reliance.

Right?

The boy went from outright rebellion to self-reliance.

He's still not yet dead to himself, to his attempt.

He's not surrendered, humble enough to come home and say, God, I really do need you.

But, but, verse 17, he came to his senses.

Came to himself.

So he thinks, well, maybe my father will have me back.

Will he still love me?

Forms that little speech.

I've sinned against you in heaven, not worthy is your son.

Hire me out.

And he just starts in on that speech when he gets home.

It's a beautiful image we have of when he finally comes home and he starts in on that speech because he's thinking in his mind, I'll now perform, I'll perform to the father.

He still doesn't get it yet.

How much his dad loves him.

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 have sinned against heaven, and before you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

But again, right?

Gar, that's that Greek word, something something's about to happen.

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.

Point number three is this we naturally want to prove something to God, even when we come to him, give, give him our life, and surrender to him, say, Jesus be my Savior, even in that softening.

We want to prove something to God that we are worthy to be his child or worthy to be a Christian.

Even then.

So we naturally want to prove something to God, but God loves us without requirement.

Priest and author Robert Capin said this about this parable.

He said, This parable is a festival of death.

A festival of death.

We see three deaths.

The son has to die to himself as to return.

Death number one.

Death number two, the father has to die to himself as to accept the son.

Right?

It's the humility of the father that allows the son to come back in and welcomes the end and begins to throw that party.

Death number three.

The calf, which is the image of Christ, has to be sacrificed for the party to begin.

The party is about enjoying the free forgiveness that we have in Jesus' death.

Free to us.

The party is about the free righteousness that we have.

That's put upon us.

Our sin is put upon the crosses.

Righteousness is given to us.

The party of free righteousness.

And that we are rescued out of shame religion and guilt trip motivation.

We are free to rest and grow in the grace of God.

What does this mean for you?

Three ideas.

Number one, I don't know where you come from, I don't know your story, how far you've wandered to the back of the IKEA and feel stuck.

We are always welcomed home by the Heavenly Father.

Number two, the party of faith is provided by Jesus' work for us.

That calf being sacrificed so a party could begin, not our work for him.

See, the party of faith is a party of grace.

And number three, the more we come alive to the love and embrace of God to our wandering self, the more we grow to honor him with our lives.

The parable doesn't call us to shame motivation as to have behavioral change.

The parable presents what it means for our hearts to be reconciled and healed to the Father through the death of Jesus so that our hearts are changed and so that our life would honor Him.

Verse 25.

Now, now his older son was in the field.

And he came, drew near to the house, and he heard the 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 has 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 never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends.

But when this 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're 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.

Point number four is this we reject God when we run in rebellion, or stand in self-righteousness.

Right?

Two sons, one in rebellion, one in self-righteousness.

Both refusing the party of grace.

The older brother couldn't even see that the father wanted to relate to the younger brother and to him in grace.

So often we feel like the older brother, the older son.

We kind of like reading this, you're like, yeah, that's not fair.

Like the older brother has a valuable point here, right?

Like this older brother, like he's been working really hard.

He's never even gotten like a like a calf or a good party.

Good point.

Like we kind of can associate with him.

But this brother is proud of how good he is.

He's judgmental, self-righteous, self-consumed with his own record.

He makes himself feel better by comparison with no ability to extend compassion to someone hurting.

Alright, so that was two sentences I just read.

I just rattled those off.

The first time I heard those two sentences read, I was driving from my office at Church of the Apostles.

It was probably 12, 13, 14 years ago, driving from Church of the Apostles to walk the loop around Chastain Park.

I was on Blackland Drive, driving by those beautiful Buckhead Estates.

And I had a sermon CD.

Remember C D?

Circle.

Don't scratch it.

Be careful.

Don't scratch it.

Yeah, I was listening to Sermon C D, driving down Blackland.

And the preacher says that.

He says this, I'll say it again.

The brother is proud of how good he is, judgmental, self-righteous, self-consumed with his own record.

He makes himself feel better by comparison with no ability to extend compassion to someone hurting.

I heard it, and it nailed me accurately, still, still does.

Pulled my car over.

I'm blackling, which is a sketchy thing to do when you're an old forerunner because they think, like, and you're writing stuff down, like, you know, like you're casing something out, and everybody's, you know, they're not sure.

I write down every word of those two sentences.

Still have them.

Man, God, I'm more of an older brother than I thought.

Like there, there's a lot of that in me.

My journey hasn't been much of being a younger brother.

Maybe yours has.

Maybe yours is right now.

You really associate with that younger brother.

But maybe your journey's been the older brother.

And it turns out, this is a really bad thing.

Turns out it's real easy to be a younger brother.

Come to faith, give your life to Jesus, and swing on over to being an older brother.

Like it's so easy even to do that.

And that older brother, deep in his heart, he's just so insecure.

That poor guy.

Feeling like he has to prove himself to stay in this family, unsure how this relationship with the father works, and the whole time the father said, Hey, do you not get it?

All this is yours.

This party's all yours.

Author and priest Henri Nowen, he wrote this: As long as we belong to this world, we will remain subject to its competitive ways and expect to be rewarded for all the good we do.

But when we belong to God, who loves us without conditions, we can live as he does.

The great conversion called for by Jesus is to move from belonging to the world to belonging to God.

That's our conversion.

Now we have that conversion in the work of Jesus.

That's what makes it secure for us, his work for us.

Now back to the book I'm reading, Abba's Child.

I got so curious about this.

Is the image on the front of the book.

I said, oh, it's the prodigal.

It's the prodigal son.

It took me a second to realize that I had to Google for a second.

Cover art, Abba's Child.

It's the prodigal son, it's drawn by Charles Macassie.

So Charles Macassy was the visual artist.

His recent book is probably sitting on your coffee table, The Boy, the Mole, The Fox, and the Horse.

Macassy became a Christian years ago while sitting on the toilet.

And he heard he heard the song, Oh Happy Day.

Some of you have you've sung that song on the toilet.

You had some victory.

It was your own journey.

We don't need to know about it.

That's how he was converted on the toilet.

Now Macassie drew a second picture.

The prodigal daughter.

And here's the image of the prodigal daughter.

And just keep that picture up while I read.

Just in closing, I'll read that text that he has written in the background.

This is the story of the prodigal daughter.

It should really be called the running father, who waited every day for his girl to come home.

The daughter who had rejected him so badly.

But when he saw her from a long way off, he ran to her and hugged her and kissed her.

That's our story.

Let's pray together.

God, thank you for your grace to us that is known perfectly in the Son of Jesus, the very one who taught this parable, for us to understand the Father's heart to us, to show us our need of the sacrifice of the calf.

For us to see our need, for the party to begin, a life of faith and grace to begin, that it is your work for us on the cross.

May we come more alive to that lavish love that you have for us, the sufficiency of the cross.

May we root deeper into who we are as your children.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.