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.