The Prodigal Son

Shall we pray, Father God, may your word encourage us and enthuse us and challenge us, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.

What would Jesus do? Encourage, shape us and lead us home.

Hope. How do we keep hope alive when we're faced with this story today?

What does that actually look like in our lives?

And on this day which is full for us all of mixed emotions, of fathers that loved us, guided us, encouraged us and parented us well,

for the ones who made sacrifices for us, the ones who struggle or abdicated their responsibilities as a father,

the ones who left too soon, the ones who became fathers to us and took us, who took on that role for us,

maybe as stepfathers, carers, foster parents, grandfathers, the ones who have gone home to be with our Heavenly Father.

And as a father, I had hopes, I have hopes for my children.

From the day they were born, it may be even before that.

We have hopes for our children that they will be grounded, faithful, prayerful,

they have lives that are fruitful, honest and caring.

And in this story this morning that resonates, what happened to this son who decided to leave?

Who says, I'm off.

Not only is he leaving, the son asks for his share of the inheritance.

And this isn't given until the father dies, within the context, by asking, the son is saying,

actually, I wish you were dead.

You know, perhaps parents here know what that is like.

The pain of a child saying that to you as they leave, either as they leave physically or emotionally.

A parting comment or words that cut you deep.

There is nothing more painful than a child that turns to a parent and rejects their love.

Our story today is complex.

It rips us apart for the father and the son and the older brother and the whole community.

The question is, when we read this, is where did it start?

We aren't told.

And many of us here and listening, maybe on a podcast as well,

would struggle perhaps to know the day when a domestic situation

or an issue within the family or an issue within their child

turned from a happy, loving child who was fun to be around.

The rich memories of growing up, of holding this child in your arms,

and now the painful reality of how the child has turned into a painful, hurtful teenager

who didn't want or seems to gel with the family anymore.

There is nothing in this story where I guess the father hoped

that the clock just wouldn't spin back a few years.

Some here will know the pain of that.

And our prayers are with you.

There are crucial messages in this parable

that shocked the listeners of Jesus' day.

The Pharisees, the religious people who kept the law

and believe me, did they keep the law.

In Jesus' time, you did not dishonor.

Your father or your mother.

It brought shame.

This was a public shaming

by a son openly in rebellion against the father

and indeed his whole house and the older brother.

For the father,

others would judge him.

This is shame on lack of authority and control

that others would be placing on the father as well.

And rebellion was not to be tolerated.

In fact, the father would publicly

rip a piece of his own clothing

off of his garment

in the temple or before the people

to show that he had actually cut off his son forever,

that there was no way back.

Why didn't the father do this in the story?

Because this isn't the father of the culture.

This is the father that shapes the culture.

Really need to hear that this morning.

This isn't the father of the culture.

This is our heavenly father who shapes the culture.

Because this is where we should play the song Frozen.

Let it go.

Let it go.

Because that's exactly what the father does.

Perhaps the most shocking part

for the listener of Jesus' day

is that he gives his son the share

and lets him go

and bears the cost.

That's the thing, isn't it, in this story?

The father bears the cost.

It points again to the cross.

It points to everything.

The father bears the cost.

And the point that we often miss

is that the son takes it

and he knows exactly what he's doing.

The son takes it free at last.

Free to do what?

Free to go and sin and rebel.

Does that speak maybe to us of a culture for today?

Maybe as we look around us,

maybe even again,

look inside our own church national structure

of a culture of rebellion

against the father's teaching

and the father's love

and the father's kindness.

Free at last, really?

Maybe he thought so at the beginning.

And what of the older brother?

What of the older brother?

Scandalous!

Me!

Me!

Me!

Me!

The older brother!

You know?

I remain.

I, the one who has to stay,

the one who is still working

until his father dies

to see anything of the wealth of prosperity.

You know?

Imagine then the resentment

that is born in the older brother,

simmering

simmering

as he sees his younger brother

seemingly rewarded

for his rebellion

as the father lets him go

with no sign of cutting him off forever.

This is the story

not of one lost boy

but of two.

One has left home

the one that stayed at home.

Both were lost to the father

in different ways.

One in open rebellion,

one in simmering resentment

and anger.

And the older son

cuts deep with many Christians

because the older son

carries on, doesn't he?

Doing the things the same way.

Faithful,

fed,

comfortable,

waiting for his inheritance

at the end

because he has a right.

I deserve it.

It's mine.

And others who don't conform

don't deserve

the same forgiveness

and grace

that I receive.

Does that resonate

with some Christians

that we have met?

Who did the father love most

at that time?

You know,

this is God

we are talking about.

Jesus knew

that the story

would challenge

the listeners

to the core.

Maybe it does today.

And the one thing

I ask of us

as a church

on this day

that we never become

like the older brother.

You know,

Tim Keller

in his book

The Prodigal God

speaks of the son

who was lost

at home.

Tim Keller says,

Elder brothers

expect their goodness

to pay off

and if it doesn't

there is confusion

and rage.

If you think

goodness and decency

is the way

to merit

a good life

with God

you will be eaten up

with anger

since life

never goes

the way we wish.

You will always feel

that you are owed

more than you are getting.

you will always see

someone doing

better than you

in some aspect

of life

and ask

why this person

and not me?

After all that I've done

this resentment

is your own fault.

It is not caused

by the prosperity

of the other person

but by your own efforts

to control life

through your own performance.

but it will constantly

cause you

to lose your rooting

and footing

in various ways.

We also see

that the elder brother

has a strong sense

of his own superiority.

He points out

how much better

his own moral record is

than the lover

of prostitutes

and in disdainful language

he says

this son of yours.

He won't even

acknowledge his brother

as a brother

anymore.

Elder brothers

base their self-images

on being hardworking

or moral

or members

of an elite clan

or extremely smart

and savvy.

This inevitably

leads to feeling

superior

to those

who don't have

those same qualities.

In fact

competitive comparison

is the main way

elder brothers

achieve a sense

of their own

significance.

Racism

and classism

are just

different versions

of this form

of the self-salvation

project.

This dynamic

becomes

exceptionally

intense

when elder brothers

pride themselves

above all

for their

right

to religion.

what would

Jesus do?

The parable

spells it out.

This gives us

a picture

of the love

of God

his patience

his persistence

his character

his never-ending

hope

in reversing

the bad choices

that we so often

make.

He watches

and he waits

and he never

gives up.

And we know

our prodigals

and we know

our prodigals

won't come back

smelling sweetly

many of us

didn't.

We know that.

But what we knew

is that we came

back and we were

welcomed

by a loving God.

They didn't come

back with a deep

sense of wanting

maybe to sing

old hymns

that they'd learned

as a teenager

because tradition

control

and judgment

may be one of

the few things

that drove them

away.

What they want

to meet

is the gracious

and forgiving

love of the

father

and not the

older brother.

Many years ago

many of us

went to a

conference

it's probably

one of the most

significant conferences

that I've ever

been to

and it was

by Rob Parsons

Care for the

Family

and it was

called

Bringing Home

the Prodigals

and it

challenged my

heart for the

Prodigals

and for the

elder brothers

in the church

brothers and

sisters

who so often

wait to pour

condemnation on

other people

in Christ

there is

no condemnation

as we welcome

people home

and Rob

shared

when the

father's house

is full

of the

father's love

the Prodigals

will come

home.

Our job

is to fill

our house

with the

father's love

because I

believe at this

time there is

an urgency

for our

Prodigals

to come

home

and we

need to be

here and

welcoming and

ready.

In our

reading this

morning it

challenges us

in hope that

having prayed

and watched

and waited

to throw

our arms

around our

returning

Prodigals

and more

importantly

to own

the struggle

that makes

us recoil

in judgment

and disgust.

The father

saw the son

far off

he's been

watching.

Who amongst

us are

the watch

keepers on

the walls

looking out

for those

who are

returning home

and praying

for them to

come home

and when we

saw the

son

and when

he saw

the son

dragging

himself

home

with his

rehearsed

story

in his

mind

and maybe

that resonates

with you

as we come

back to the

father with

this rehearsed

story of

I am so

sorry I

know what

I have done

and whatever

he is there

coming through

returning home

and when he

sees the son

ready to live

as a servant

to grovel

in humility

the father

in this

story

didn't stop

to ask

the son

all the

questions

he didn't

ask the

question and

said what

have you

done

he didn't

say what

what did

you do

with my

hard-earned

money

he didn't

say why

did you

spend my

money on

sex workers

he didn't

say why

did you

use it on

drugs and

gambling and

squandering

it on

people you

didn't know

he didn't

know he

said he

didn't say

you have

brought shame

on me

and it's

punishment

time

no

he runs

to him

in several

different

versions in

different versions

of the gospel

the father

runs to

the son

this is

shocking

the father

in those

times did

not run

but he

did

and before

the son

can say

his rehearsed

speech

he puts

a ring

on his

finger

and restores

him to

the status

straight away

of the

son

no

off of

course

no

grovelling

he restores

him to

the place

that he

needs to

be

in his

dignity

and

authority

and before

he can

say anything

he puts

a robe

on him

this is

my son

who was

lost

but now

is found

he is

home

let's

celebrate

is that

what we

expect

of our

father's

love

of our

father

god

do we

party hard

when people

come and

return

do we

party

maybe

for many

of us

who have

long and

long prayed

for our

children

to come

back

to the

father

we never

stop loving

them

but do we

party

and do we

celebrate on

those days

do we

party

when people

join us

in whatever

mess they

come

sadly the

older brother

is the

only one

who doesn't

go to the

party

Tim Keller

reminds us

again

this is

act two

comes to

an unthinkable

conclusion

Jesus

the

storyteller

deliberately

leaves the

elder son

in an

alienated

state

the bad

son enters

the father's

face

but the

good one

will not

the lover

of prostitutes

is saved

but the

man of

moral

rectitude

is still

lost

we can

almost hear

the Pharisees

gasp

as this

story ends

it was

the complete

reversal

of everything

that they

had been

taught

Jesus

does not

simply

leave it

at that

it gets

even more

shocking

why doesn't

the elder

brother

go in

he himself

gives the

reason

because I

have never

disobeyed

you

the elder

brother

is not

losing

the father's

love in

spite of

his goodness

but because

of it

it is not

his sins

that create

the barrier

between him

and his

father

it is the

pride he

has

in his

own

moral

record

it is not

his wrongdoing

but his

righteousness

that is

keeping him

from sharing

in the

feast

for his

returning

brother

sadly

maybe our

prayer this

morning is

today

oh lord

let me

never be

like the

elder

brother

doing this

just because

it makes

me feel

righteous

in my

own sight

and of

others

the father

watched

the father

prayed his

son home

I like you

have been

forgiven

much

each and

every one

of us

have

we know

that's why

he has

placed his

hope in

you and

me

to bring

and welcome

the prodigals

home

and as we

look out

we look out

with hope

and grace

and I

pray at

this time

with a

sense of

urgency

where else

would people

find such

amazing grace

than in the

arms of our

heavenly father

and of his

church

people will we

continue to

keep watch for

our prodigals

will we keep

praying

when they

return seeking

will they be

met with

grace

and overwhelming

love

I don't know

what pushed

or led them

away

but we're

high enough

on a hill

to see them

coming

and to

welcome them

home

God has

given us

space and

resources

we are free

to welcome

them

it will

change us

it will

challenge us

and it is

messy

the father

didn't smell

too good

I guess

as he held

his son

tightly

it won't be

about us

it will be

more about

hope

love

perseverance

grace

and character

I'm going

to leave

the final

word today

with Rob

Parsons

with a

story that

he told

on that

day

which

probably

changed my

life forever

in a village

near here

is a large

old house

an elderly

lady lives

there alone

and every

night as

darkness

falls

she puts

a light

on in

the attic

her son

left home

25 years

ago

rather like

the prodigal

in this

parable

but she

has never

given up

hope that

one day

he will

come home

we all

know the

house

and although

the bulb

must

occasionally

need

replacing

none of

us have

ever seen

that house

without a

light on

it's for

her son

I pray

that Christ

will be

that house

that the

light of

Christ

will welcome

people on

God's

terms

not on

ours

it will

burn so

bright in

love

that people

would be

drawn to

him and

to us

Lord

Lord what

can I

do

what can

we do

to increase

that love

my son

is home

I'll tell

you what

let's throw

a really

solemn

religious

service

for him

no

let's just

throw a

party

and welcome

them home

no matter

what's

happened

let's keep

the lights

on

let's keep

the father's

house

not for

ourselves

but for

those that

are coming

this morning

Tim can we

thanks

whether we

came home

some time

ago or

whether we

haven't

been home

for years

we know

the father's

love

whether

today it's

you maybe

listening to

this podcast

that suddenly

you've

realised for

the first

time the

overwhelming

gracious

love of

God

if you

are stumbling

back

not sure

if you

are good

enough

don't

hesitate

the arms

of love

are waiting

for you

and you

don't even

have to

practice

any excuses

as to

why you've

been away

I'm going

to invite

you to do

what we

did many

many years

ago

down at

mine

head

at that

conference

and I'm

going to

invite you

to come

if you

wish

and write

the name

of your

prodigal

who you've

been praying

for

on a piece

of paper

and put it

at the foot

of the cross

to the

welcoming

arms of

the Lord

maybe you

don't even

want to write

a name on

it but you

just want to

you know

who that is

and just

want to

come and

put that

there

because you've

been praying

long and

hard

to be

restored

and renewed

maybe the

name that

you're going

to put on

that sheet

is for

yourself

because you

know

personally

what that

love of

God was

when you

came back

and found

his arms

around you

and you

want that

for everybody

else

because you

know

and we

know

what that

meant for

us

to be

restored

and renewed

and welcomed

home

in Jesus

name

please feel

free

as we

say

you

you

you

you

you

you

you

you

you

you

you

you