Second Presbyterian Church

"Party Time!
Preaching From the Gospel of Luke"
April 17, 2005

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Sermons Homepage » Sermons for 2005 » Sermons for April 2005 » Sermons from the Series on Luke

#47 in the Series on Luke
The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.

• Ezekiel 34: 11-16
• Luke 15: 1-32

Let's face it; the Gospel seems very unfair, sometimes! It is particularly unfair to those who are trying to become righteous by their own efforts, and not by the Grace of God. In fact, it is the Grace of God that feels particularly unfair. I'll try to explain.

The scribes and Pharisees were grumbling against Jesus again. They could not understand, nor accept the fact that Jesus was associating with tax collectors and sinners. Tax collectors were particularly onerous because they were cooperating with the enemy, Rome. Sinners could be anybody who could not qualify to enter and worship in the Temple. Perhaps they were unclean. Or they were people who did dishonorable things, such as prostitution.

Jesus responded with three parables, three of the most famous parables in the Bible: the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin, and the Parable of the Lost Son(s).

Now, frankly, these parables can hold their own. Whatever I try to do to explain them away or retell them will take away from the power of their own message. Yet, I do want to contribute some contextual insights so that the impact of these parables will be clearer.

I
REPENTANCE

For example, the notion of repentance, most of the time we understand repentance as turning around. The assumption is that we are to repent. We are to stop serving ourselves, turn around and begin serving God. Or, we are to stop putting ourselves first and put God first in our lives. This is valid enough. The only problem with this is that it is impossible to do.

If we understand the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost younger son as examples of sinners, then repentance takes on a who new meaning. What lost sheep can repent, or turn around and find his way back to the shepherd? When sheep stray, they are notorious for straying; they become confused, stand still and bleat loudly. It makes it easy for the shepherd to hear the lost sheep, but it also makes it easy for animals of prey to hear the lost sheep. In the parable the shepherd goes out and finds the lost sheep and brings it home.

This is even clearer for a lost coin. A coin is obviously inanimate; there is no way a coin can "repent" and return to the woman. It has to be found, just like the sheep.

Now, the lost son, the younger one might, at first seem different. He has told his father to drop dead and that he wants his share of the inheritance. Instead of kicking the son out of the house, the father gives the younger son his share; the younger son takes it and goes to a far country, uses it up in extravagant living. A famine strikes and he becomes destitute; he, being a Jew, is forced to feed pigs, a dirty, abhorrent animal to Muslims and Jews. Then the passage says, "He came to himself" and he notes that hired servants at father's house are better off than he is. So, he devises a plan, he will confess to his father how he is not worthy to be his son, and ask fatherif he will take him on as a hired servant. If father does do this, then the son can work, earn and save money, pay back his inheritance and regain his sonship.

Don't be fooled by the phrase, "He came to himself!" The younger son still had one card up his sleeve to play. It was a humiliating card. He had to admit foolishness and defeat. But it was a plan, HIS PLAN, for regaining his status, much less feeding his stomach!

So he heads back to his father; his father sees the son while he is still a long way off; father runs to his son, falls on his neck and kisses him! Younger son begins his spiel, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you…" But father interrupts him; he won't let his wayward son finish! He calls out to his servants, "Hurry, bring my best robe, place a ring for his finger, bring some shoes for his feet, and kill the fatted calf!"

The sheep couldn't do it by itself; the coin couldn't do it by itself; neither could the younger son. The possibility of repentance came from those that represented God: The Shepherd, the Woman, and the Father who did not rest until that which was lost was found. Repentance can only happen when God has found us, not when we have found God! Repentance is being compelled to accept being found by our Lord.

II
IT IS GOD WHO SEARCHES US OUT

The second point is similar. It is illustrated by the shepherd, the woman and the father. The lost are so valuable that God seeks out the lost. When we, or anyone else commits to Christ, ultimately it is a demonstration of God seeking out the lost, not the lost seeking out God. Even if you are lost and are genuinely seeking out God, it is God who placed the desire in you in the first place to "seek" Him; He is already finding you!

Some wonder what to do with the last part of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, or the Seeking Father. Some think it is a second parable. It isn't. It reminds us that the very beginning of this chapter described some grumbling religious leaders. Those who already believe that they are "in" have a hard time with those who appear lost, who seem no good, and yet somehow they are unfairly accepted anyway. What did they have to do? They haven't worked hard like we have in the church! Why should we accept them?

So the elder brother hears the dancing and the music, inquires, finds out what happened, gets very angry, and refuses to come inside where the party is going on.

And once more, the Father comes out to his son, his older son to plead with him. Note, again, the initiative is from the father. The father went out to the younger son. The father went out to the older son. Yet, we do not know the ending of this part of the parable. But Luke clearly wrote it for members of synagogues and churches who resent those who enter into the fold and don't seem worthy of the honor!

PARTY!

And how does Heaven feel about finding lost sinners? It is time to rejoice! It is time to celebrate! It is time to kill the fatted calf, invite friends and angels and whoop it up! For what was lost has been found; what was dead is now alive! Heaven is thrilled when a tax collector (like Zacchaeus) or a sinner or anyone else has been found and has come to life! Heaven celebrates like the shepherd who found the lost sheep. Heaven celebrates like the woman who found the lost coin. Heaven celebrates like the father who found his lost son.

It is in complete contrast to the grumbling scribes, Pharisees, and older brother. How about you? Have you imagined the celebration in heaven because Christ has found you? Can you imagine that heaven celebrated Christ finding you? If you can imagine it, then you have a glance at the costly, wonderful love that Christ has for each one of you. You are a miracle! You have been found by the Lord! Don't presume it was the other way around! It is God who finds; it is God who saves! Hallelujah! Amen.

The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.