There Were Two Brothers
Luke 15:11-32
INTRODUCTION: This parable is the third of a trilogy of parables. The first parable in the group was that of the shepherd and the lost sheep. This parable told of the shepherd leaving the 99 sheep and searching for the one lost sheep. The truth communicated is that God rejoices more over the salvation of the lost than those already in the kingdom. The second parable deals with a lost coin, and reveals the truth that God will go to great lengths to search for lost souls. Now, as we approach this third parable, the Lord seeks to contrast the lost with those who are not. Our tendency is to focus on the younger son in the parable, and to completely miss the elder son. Today, I hope to be the exception to that tendency.
I THE ACTIVITY OF THE YOUNGER SON – Luke 15:11-20
A The rebellious request of the younger son – 15:12
1 “Give me”
a Asking for share of the estate
b In reality, demanding independence from the Father
2 Man has sin the origin of sin had a desire to act independently of God
a The Father gives the son what he asks for
1) The son is now in full control of his life
2) Out from the control of the Father
3) Bible would call this “stiff necked”
a) Refusal to submit to God’s Control
b) Desire to have own control
B The rebellious activity of the younger son – 15:13-14
1 Notice the timing – “not long after that”
a Rapid transition time
b Long enough to gather things
c The temptation of “freedom” makes us VERY productive
d Really seeing the hidden nature of sin
1) Desire to distance ourselves from God
2) Discontent with God and his will
2 Notice the direction
a Don’t know the direction
b Just know it was far
c It was DIFFERENT from home!
1) A place where resources could be squandered
2) A place where sin could be rampant
Luke 8:14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
3) And also a place where the influence of the word of God can be chocked out!
ILLUSTRATION: On the side of the parsonage, between the house and the garage is a small area of ground that we have put a pond in. We have dressed it up to kind of be a peaceful spot. I have even attempted to grow some wildflowers there. One of the interesting things that happened is that spearmint has sprouted. In fact it is so prevalent there that it produces a significant smell of the mint itself. We like spearmint, and so we have enjoyed the aroma, that is until just recently, when we realized that the wonderful aroma we have enjoyed has come at the expense of EVERY other plant there. The spearmint has overtaken the area compel – to the point that there are no other flowers, and the pond area itself is now threatened. We never realized it, but so very slowly the spearmint chocked the rest of the flowers out!
3 Notice the duration
a Long enough that his independence permitted him to use up all of his resources.
b Long enough that the resources given to him by his Father were used unwisely and squandered.
C The problem with rebellion – Luke 15:14-16
1 Situations change
a Resources are gone – change #1
b Problems arise – change #2
1) Famine
2) Personal need
SIMPLY PUT EVERYTHING THE YOUNGER SON HAD BASED HIS LIFE ON COULD NOT HELP HIM NOW
Ephes. 2:12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
c Deserted and alone
1) Friends are gone
2) Friends cannot help – they are in the same predicament!
D The cure for rebellion – Luke 12:17-20
1 Repentance
a Repentance is the beginning of sanity – it is insane to live apart from God
b Repentance is the beginning of understanding the reality of our need – We NEED God
2 Acceptance
a Accept the truth that the worst of God’s servants is happier than the person apart from God
b Accept the truth that we may claim the right of a son, yet we all serve the Father!
3 Action
a Got up and left the old life
b Got up and left for the new life!
II THE ACTIVITY OF THE FATHER – Luke 15:20b-24
A The Father waited and sought out the younger son
1 God is diligent in His desire for people to repent and return to Him
2 God is willing to accept us the way we are
a Remember this son came from slopping pigs
b There is no worse job he could have
1) A rabbinic saying runs, ‘Cursed be the man who would breed swine’ (Baba Kamma 82b).
2) The pig was unclean (Lv. 11:7) and the Jew under normal circumstances would have nothing to do with it at all.
3) The fact that no one helped him shows the low esteem into which he had fallen.
4) Pigs were more valuable than he was when he came back to the Father.
B The Father desired to express His love to His younger son
1 No interest in the sons belief regarding his punishment
2 God has already set the punishment – the death of Christ – AND IS SATISFIED WITH THAT.
3 God is waiting for us to return so that…
a He can give us a robe – a position of honor
b A ring – a position of authority
c And a pair of shoes – a position of freedom
4 God sees our return as a reason to celebrate!
III THE ACTIVITY OF THE OLDER SON – Luke 15:25-32
A The Older brother had never left the house
1 Supposedly the one who was faithful
2 Had not sinned
B The Older brother was in the field and so far away from the house that he did not know what was going on
1 Did not understand the reason for the celebration
2 Was too busy working for His Father’s favor
a Thought his work for the father would obtain the Father’s blessing
b Thought his work for the Father distanced him from personal sin
C The Older brother was ignorant of the Father’s love
1 Expressed in his anger
a Really self-righteousness
b Never sinned
c Always worked
2 Expressed in his perspective
a No concern for his brother is ever expressed – ONLY contempt
b Not concerned that the house was full again, but that he was not appreciated
3 Expressed in his attitude
a Jealousy masquerading as faithfulness
b No real desire to fellowship with the Father – notice he wanted the kid to celebrate with his friends, not with his Father!
c Salvation and repentance were not worth the excitement he was seeing!
4 Expressed in the outcome
a This type of inward thinking will fill the lake of fire before it fills the gates of heaven
b God wants it the other way around
Luke 14:23 "Then the master told his servant, ’Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.
IV THE HIDDEN SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE BROTHERS
These points were taken from the article by Bob Deffinbaugh, Th.M. – Luke the gospel to the Gentiles, Page 51 – bible.org
A Both sons wanted a celebration—a banquet.
1 The younger brother “partied” with the pagans in a foreign land.
2 The older son protested to his father that he had not been given a party.
B Both sons wanted to celebrate WITHOUT THEIR FATHER.
1 The younger brother partied in a foreign land, with the wrong kinds of friends.
2 The older brother refused to celebrate with his father (and younger brother), but he indicated a strong desire to have been allowed to have a banquet WITH HIS FRIENDS.
C Both sons seemed to feel that joy and celebration were not possible with their father.
1 The younger brother left his father, his family, and even his nation to have a good time. Joy, to this fellow, was not possible in the confining environment of his faith and his family.
2 The older brother, too, seemed to feel that joy was not possible with his father, and thus he wanted to celebrate with his friends, not his father. Slaving seemed to be the principle governing him in his relationship with his father, not celebrating. I understand the “fatted calf” to have been the symbol of celebration. The father’s words to his older son seem to say, “The fatted calf (celebration and joy) were yours to enjoy at any time.” The older brother did not think so. Neither did the Pharisees, for their early protest to Jesus had to do with His celebrating (cf. Luke 5:27ff.).
D Neither son seems to have really appreciated or loved their father, even though he loved both of them.
1 The younger son did not enjoy his father, so he left him.
2 The older brother did not leave him, but did not enjoy him either. In response to the father’s words to the oldest son, “My child, you have always been with me,” the older son’s response, though unstated, seems to have been, “So what?” or, “Big deal!.”
E Both sons were slaves.
1 The younger son was first of all enslaved by his passions (sins), and also by a foreign employer. He returned to his father, hoping only to be received as a slave, but not dreaming that he could be a son again.
2 The older brother was really a slave, too. Listen to his words to his father, “But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders’” (Luke 15:29). Because this brother thought he had to work for his father’s approval and blessings, he was no less a slave than his younger brother.
F Both sons were materialists.
1 The younger son loved material things—money—more than his father or than his family, because he asked for his portion at the expense and risk of his family. The younger wanted his inheritance to spend on himself.
2 The older brother, too was a materialist. His anger toward his brother and his unwillingness to receive him back was due to the fact that he had squandered part of his father’s possessions. If the younger brother wanted money to spend, the old brother wanted it to save, and thus (it would seem) to make him feel secure. Both sons loved money; they only differed in what they wanted to do with it, and when.
G Both sons were sinners.
1 The Lord had left unchallenged, at the beginning of this chapter, the assumption on the part of the Pharisees that while others might be “sinners,” they themselves were righteous. But this final parable proves this assumption to be entirely false. The sins of these two sons were very different in their outward manifestations, but inwardly they had the same roots.
2 You see, we tend to appraise sin (and “sinners”) by merely external standards and criteria. Jesus always looked at the heart. We quickly grant that stealing, murder, rape, and violence are wrong, especially when they are perpetrated on us. But Jesus goes on to show us in the gospels that prayer, giving, preaching, or showing charity can be sinful, when the motive of the heart is wrong. We would look at the compliant, hard-working older brother and commend him. There is no outward rebellion here. No, there is not, at least not until the celebration. But the inward attitudes and motivations of this older brother as just as evil, indeed, they are more evil, for there is much self-righteousness concealed behind his outward conformity to his father’s will and to his hard work.
Just being IN THE CHURCH does not make us fully His!
