Sermon - January 17, 2010

The Problem with Prodigals: The Perfect Son
Psalm 51:10-19, 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, Luke 15: 

       Today we are going to visit the estate of a wealthy man and his two sons, one more time. Two weeks ago, we watched his youngest son demand all his inheritance, pack up, and take off for the far country. A free spirit, loosed from Daddy's influence and control, the upstart spent all his money on wine, women and song. Then a famine came to that country, and he was destitute. He took a job feeding pigs, but was so hungry he longed to fill himself on the pig slop. Starving, broke, friendless, homeless, he decides to return to his father, confess he was wrong, forfeit the right to be his son, and work for Dad as a hired hand. That was the plan.  But as sonny boy come up the lane, filthy, weary, prepared to offer and be rejected, Dad comes running down the path, throws his arms around the lad, kisses  him, and calls for the best of everything to welcome him home: his best robe,  sandals, a  ring, and a party! Kill the fattened calf, let's celebrate!
      The people hearing Jesus would know the extent of this party. Killing a fattened calf meant a huge celebration. That much food was intended for a feast for everyone to come and enjoy, not just the household, servants, and hired men. It was a big ta-doo!
Every one is there: with their families, feasting, dancing, celebrating...well, almost..
   The older brother is working in the field, but as he comes up to the house he hears the music and saw people dancing. He doesn't go to see for himself, he has servants for that. Now if there's a  party going on, I didn't know about (especially if there's steak and music),  I think I might mosey up and ask one of the folks, “This looks like fun, what's going on?”  But the elder brother does not get personally involved, he hollers to a servant,” What's going on?”  The servant tells him the latest news: Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.”  I'd say that's good news. The elder brother is happy, right?
     Nooooooo. He's furious, outraged, his nostrils flair an inch wide. Look, vs. 28: “But he was angry and would not go in.” vs. 28  He's standing near the house, the party is going on, but he wants nothing to do with it. And then, look what's next: Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.  Because his eldest was angry, Dad did a very unbecoming thing for a host in his time and culture. He left his party guests, thus being humiliated in the company of his family, friends and neighbors, to plead with his firstborn. He didn't scold his son. He didn't demand his son.  He didn't drag his son by the hair into the house. Instead, from the depths of his fatherly heart and wisdom, he pleaded with him. In his fatherly love he honored his son's free will, but begged him to join the party. Look at the son's response: vs. 29 So he answered and said to his father,   'Lo these many years I have been serving you;  I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.  But as soon as this son of yours come, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him!” No small amount of resentment there! Several red flags we see in his response.
    Superiority: I've served you all these years and never transgressed
    Insecurity:  You never gave me a young goat, that I might have a good time
    Alienated from younger brother:  But as soon as this son of yours (not my brother)
    Accusation:  who has devoured your livelihood with harlots.
    Favoritism: You killed the fatted calf for him.
    For all outward appearances, the firstborn is a perfect and dutiful son. He has remained on the home place. He has worked hard.  In the past he has done everything his father has asked of him. So why is coming to a party, such an infuriating request?
    The problem with prodigals is when they return and are lovingly received, they upset the family apple cart! We  thought this story of the prodigal son, was about the younger son. But actually both sons are lost. One came home, and the other never left. But all the elder son did was to gain his father's favor: just that: to earn his place in the family sun.
 It was not done out of love for his father. If the elder son truly loved his father and wanted to make him happy, he would have laid his resentments aside, gone to the party and welcomed home his brother.
   Dad doesn't give up easily. Look how tenderly he answers the wrath of his eldest son;  vs. 31 And he said to him, ' Son you are always with me, and all I have is yours.'  That was true, particularly after the youngest son had taken his share before he left home. All that was left would have been the inheritance of the  firstborn.  But hear the father's wisdom, “It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.”  Dad's perspective is that one lost son has come to his senses and is now back safe in the fold. Even though the older brother attempts to distance himself, Dad refers to his second son as “your brother”. Dad does everything possible to foster reconciliation.
    There the parable ends. We don't know what the elder brother did. Did he come around to his father's point of view?  We would hope so.  Or in his pride of every having transgressed his father, did he go to the party as one more dutiful act with seething resentment and an unchanged heart?  Or did he turn on his heel, fume and plow off his frustrations in the field? Jesus doesn't tell us. Remember, this story was told and aimed at the Pharisees, the elder brothers, who resented Jesus' association with sinners, the younger brothers. Jesus was engaging them outside the party, like the  pleading father to write their own ending for themselves. Will they receive His message and join the feast, or reject His gospel and continue as they were, unchanged?
    In this story, Jesus divided all people into basically two groups:  the free-spirited driven-to-discover for themselves, and the immovable stay-safe moral conformists: There are all shades in between, but each of us fall somewhere along that continuum.. This tension plays out in our society and especially in our politics. The far right conservatives see the left liberals as free wheeling and dangerous to traditional values.. The left liberals see the right conservatives as narrow minded, self-righteous inhibitors of self-expression and freedom. Yet all of us are in error, all of us are loved, and all of us are in need of God's grace. There are two ways to attempt to be your own Savior, which is Idolatry:  either by breaking all the moral laws, and setting your own course. Or, by slavishly keeping all them lovelessly without  joy, and without real intimacy with God.
    Jesus doesn't divide the world as moral good guys or moral bad guys,   To Him people are lost and found. “For the Son of Man has come  to seek and save that which was lost.” Lk. 19:10 He came for both ends of the continuum and all of us in the middle.
 Jesus told the story of the Pharisee in the front row seat of the Temple who praised himself before God, and the sinner who stood in the back beat his chest, “God be merciful to me a sinner. Lk.18:13 “I tell you , this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” In God's eyes, the humble are in and the proud are out.  
    Sin isn't just a matter of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. Sin is a matter of the heart: a heart that rebels against God, or a heart that warms to God, seeks God, and desires first and foremost to be in deepening relationship with God. The younger son rebelled against his father by demanding his inheritance, running off, and living in the squalor of immorality and depravity.  The older brother remained home, but by his very words  “All these years I have worked for you, I have never transgressed against your commandment,” presumes that he earned the right to ownership of the father's goods. Instead of remorse over his misdeeds, he had pride in his good deeds.   He did everything right. He used his moral track record to put his younger brother, and his father, and God in his debt.  And though the elder son may have thought he loved his father, really what he loved most was what his father had to offer. And all of that,  he believed was being jeopardized by the return of his kid brother. In fact, it just might be that the elder brother was part of the younger brother's problems.
  The grace of our Father God grace can never be earned. Only received. If we think because we have done all the right things, lived right, we deserve His grace to live well, think again. What delights God is not just our good deeds – especially if they are borne to earn heaven. Psalm 51 tells us what God truly desires: vs. 16-17  For You don not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;  You do not delight in burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – these, O God, You will not despise. Be real with God and God becomes very real to you.
    The problem with elder brothers is that they think that they're just fine. They do everything right. What is there to repent or confess? How do you know when you are acting like or being an elder brother?  Here are signs, symptoms of elder brother-itis:
  One, elder brothers have difficulty forgiving or accepting others whom they deem morally inferior to themselves. Their stance is “I would never do something like that.” without realizing, there but for the grace of God, they might. Two, elder brothers do good to others out of obligation, not for the delight of simply delight of doing them, for the help of others, or for the pleasure of God. Deeds are born out of self-centeredness, not selflessness. They are really feeding and clothing their own egos.
    Three,an elder brother's spirit is lack-luster, joyless, and follows fear-based compliance. There is no spontaneity or freedom in fear. The fear of criticism from others and judgment from God prevents the joy of knowing and savoring His love.
   Four, the elder brother lacks confidence in the Father's love. “You never gave me a goat to make merry with my friends.” There is no dancing and no festivity in the elder brother's relationship with the Father. There is no sense of delight in the Father's presence. The Father's love is abstract and distant, not a daily encounter of sweetness and pleasure. Five, uncertain of the Father's love, the elder brother can never be sure of forgiveness and  feels irresolvable guilt. The tell tale clearest symptom of little assurance of God's love is a dry prayer life. Though there might be diligence, and discipline, there is no awe, no wonder, no unspeakable joy in communing with God.    
    We can look at our human relationships and conversations to catch a glimpse our relationship and conversations with God. Consider a business associate, a friend, and your spouse. Conversations with associates tend to be business-like, and goal oriented. They are social transactions in a structured relationship necessary to get the task done. Conversations with a friend are less formal, and more personal. You may share with that person problems or successes you have. But with your spouse you will speak the of things you most endear, what you most love.
    These are roughly like three kinds of prayer and ways we come to God : petition to ask God for what we or others need. Confession in which we share our problems or our victories as we would a friend. And Adoration, when we just come to God for no other reason than to delight in Him. The deeper our relationship, the more praise and adoration will be evident in our conversation with our Lord. This why joys, thanksgivings, and praises are just as important as our concerns in our prayers. When we praise and thank God, we are rejoicing in Him for Who He is, not just seeking Him for what He can give us – like the elder brother.
   There is a brother who Jesus does not mention in the story – the true and perfect brother is the one who is telling the story. Jesus demonstrates love that is impartial, that embraces the black hats as well as the white hats, and all the gray hats, red hats, pink hats, brown hats -name your color - in the spectrum. The perfect brother sacrificed everything, not out of obligation, but out of love for the father, and love for us that we did not deserve.  The perfect brother is our Keeper, and desires for us to have His life in us, and then by His power and tenderness, change our lives from the inside out, so that our life reflects His.
   The story of the Prodigal Son is really about the prodigal Father and his two lost sons.
The problem with prodigals is that all of us have to some degree something of the younger son, and something of the elder brother in each of us, the Perfect Brother, the Perfect Son came and died to redeem, so that we like Him, may resemble our Prodigal God. Amen. 

  

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