Day 75

Luke 15:11–32 (NIV)

¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. ²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ ³¹ “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

Pray for God to show you something to use from the passage

Read the Passage

Who is in the passage?

What action verbs do you see?

What other words stick out in your mind

Questions

How is this parable different than the other two before it?

Why would the Father accept the son back as part of the family? What does this parable teach for about how to repent?

Why is the oldest brother wrong in his attitude? Which attitude do you have when an enemy comes to know God?

Notes

This parable continues Jesus’ answer to the Pharisee grumblings about "sinners" (vs 1-2) But now Jesus ups the ante. We are not dealing with animals or objects; we are dealing with humans, more than that family! Jesus tries to once again get the Pharisees to see their error and understand grace. Not just grace for others but also grace for them.

vs 11-13 The younger brother humiliates the father. First by asking before the father is dead for his portion (1/3 of everything the father owns, eldest gets 2/3). Secondly the insult is furthered by selling it all, meaning the land and possessions goes outside the family. Then the insult continues by leaving to go far away, (very disrespectful in this day, suppose to stay and care for needs of family) and finally by spending it all on the things his father would disapprove of the younger son rejects all values of the father. It is as abusive as the son could be without outright killing the father.

vs 13 squandered- word means thrown to the wind

vs 14-16 now life gets complicated- the son begins to learn life lessons. Famine causes crisis to the point that the son gets a job feeding pigs for a Gentile farmer (pigs are unclean animals and not allowed in Jewish lifestyle) and the son wishes he could eat the pig’s food. Jesus' point, the younger son can go no lower. He has nothing! (vs 19 - no one gave him anything)

vs 17-20a- redemption begins with waking up to what you have done. The son doesn't even entertain the thought of going back as a son. How could he after what he did! He thinks, the father will be kind enough to have me as the lowest of servants. (the day laborer is what he means, he would have been paid the least of anyone on the farm. ) Then at least I will have food to eat thinks the young son. The key is he realizes his sin not just the father but also against God! At that moment he opens his life up to be redeemed. He had to swallow pride and meet the father face to face. Proving the father was right and the son was wrong.

vs 20b-24 The sons plans of how things would go are obliterated by the father! Look at what the father does

· Filled with Compassion - why? Why not filled with contempt for this son who had been so disrespectful to him?

· The father is seeing the son takes off running (running was not socially expected of a father. One was to be deliberate and calm showing you were in control)

· Bear hugged him and kissed him! (again highly unusual display for a father)

Son probably dumfounded by the father's love shares his heart. (How much easier it must have been to do so based on what the father did. The father was not going to make him suffer, do penitence, the father accepted him!) Son ask forgiveness.

Father continues his graceful actions

· Doesn't allow the son to finish his rehearsed statement, Quick- no doubts in what to do

· Best robe, ring, sandals - all indicate restoration as a son

· Fatted calf- best cow out there, usually reserved for religious observance

· Feast celebration

· Biggest point of restoration - the father says MY SON- what the son had done in disowning the family is now reversed

vs 25-30- Oldest son- been faithful to the father- how does he take it?

· anger verse compassion of the father

· refusal to enter his father's house to celebrate

· Misunderstanding what family is- slaving, never disobeyed orders- family isn't about slaving or orders, it is about relationship! It is about love! Being glad that a brother who was lost both physically and spiritually is now back!

· Refusing to accept the brother back into the family- says this son of yours not this brother of mine (vs30)

Father's response to the elder son-

· seeks him out, pleads with him vs 28 (hasn't Jesus been doing this with the Pharisees) He wants the son to come in to the celebration but just just the younger son choose to leave the house now the elder son also has the choice not to come to the house.

· explains what family is- It's not about possessions (you have it all), it's about love, delight in a lost son finding the need to ask forgiveness and coming home. That is what we celebrate; not things, not position but restoration!

Jesus leaves the story unfinished- what will the older son do? How will he respond? - leads to the question of how the Pharisees will respond to what God's family is all about. Will they continue to look down on the "sinners" or will they come into the great banquet?