All That He Has Is Yours :: Luke 15:11-32
In our Gospel reading for this Third Sunday after Trinity, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem (Lk 9:51), where all things written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled (18:31). The opposition of the scribes and Pharisees has increased markedly. They have begun challenging him, interrogating him (11:53), scrutinizing his every Word, hoping to find a way to bring him down (14:1). Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to [Jesus] to hear him (v 1), because he invites all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge that we need the forgiveness of sins every day.
When the scribes and Pharisees see this, Jesus tells them a series of parables about a wedding feast (14:7-14), about the invitation to the great supper (14:15-24), and about the lost and the found (vv 1-32). The repetition of teaching assures sinners who desire to be hearers of the Word that the messianic feast is a divine necessity. He longs to exalt you. He longs to fill every seat in his house. He longs to give you a reason to rejoice with him.
I have found the lost, he is saying. Come and receive my means of grace.
In response, the scribes and Pharisees do nothing but complain. Look ... He’s receiving sinners and eating with them (v 2), they grumble at each other. They still see no reason to take the lowest place at the table (14:7). They still believe they have every reason to skip the feast on account of their land, labor, and lovers (14:18-20). They still believe that they have no authority to forgive (7:49).
So Jesus tells us another parable ... actually three.
5. We will call them the Parables of the Found, but we will focus on the last one.
This parable is not about a prodigal son ... as in only one. As [Jesus] said, A certain man had two sons (v 11), a prodigal son, and a pretentious one, and this certain man spares no expense loving them. While his young son was still far off, he saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him (v 20).
One of the problems in preaching about the so-called Prodigal Son is that ... like the Pharisees to whom Jesus directed this parable ... we can sit and listen to such a sermon without ever feeling personally involved. Think about it ...
How can we who were born here ... who were baptized here, who were confirmed here and married here, who raised our children here and our children’s children, who seldom miss a single service ... how can we identify with the younger brother?
How many of us ... how many of the Pharisees ... actually demanded that our father give us our inheritance while he’s alive?
And even if one of you actually did that, which I am sure none of us have, how many of us then wasted it all in extravagant living?
How many of us who have never eaten the meat of a pig, then long to eat pig slop?
How many of us can actually look at the younger son and say, Yep, that’s me!?
To be sure, there is a real lesson in this parable about repentance and amazing grace. But it’s clear ... Jesus knew that the Pharisees would not be comparing their situations with that of the Prodigal Son. So he told us the Parable of the Pretentious Son. And by doing that, Jesus is holding up a mirror for every Pharisee to scrutinize.
4. It’s almost frightening that the Lord could portray all of us as vividly as he does here.
Like the older son, we view ourselves as honorable, respectful, loyal, dependable sons and daughters. Like the older son, we fear the idea of dishonoring our father. We long to have a role in our salvation.
In real life, we don’t ask for our father’s inheritance before he dies. When the younger son did that, he was actually saying, Father, you are dead to me. I never want to see you again (v 12)
Instead ... being dutiful older sons ... we refuse to take what belongs to our Father.
I love you, Dad. ... So I will serve you without complaint. ... I love you, Dad, so I promise I won’t be foolish and squander my life like my brother. ... I promise to work hard. ... I promise to take on congregational responsibilities. ... I promise that while the rest of the world sleeps in on Sunday morning or goes fishing or deer hunting, I will go to church. ... I promise to obey every jot and tittle of the Law so that you will be proud of me.
Yes, like the older son, we view ourselves as temperate. We don’t even go out partying and overindulging on weekends. We don’t get drunk. We don’t shack up with our girlfriends. We are dutiful ... respectful ... dependable.
3. It must have been a wretched life to be so pretentious.
And, oh, how his ears must have burned when he heard the music ... a symphony actually ... coming from the Father’s house while he worked the fields (v 25). So he asked one of the servants ... not his own father ... What’s up with that?
When he learned that the brother he disowned had come home, and that his father had received him with hugs of wholeness, and had clothed him with royal robes of righteousness, and had given him new sandals and a signet ring, and had slaughtered the slaughter of Wisdom (Prv 9:2) ... the older son found himself burning with bitterness and wrath (vv 26-28).
This isn’t the way we do things around here, he is crying out.
How could this father of mine offer the family a feast on behalf of this guy!?
I have never rebelled against your command, the older son says. And you never gave me a young goat that I might experience euphoria with my friends. But when this son of yours came, the one who devoured your life with prostitutes, you sacrificed for him the fatted calf (vv 29-20).
Brothers and sisters in Christ, nothing the older son said was true.
Do you hear the self-pity and self-righteousness? Repent now!
Do you hear the ungratefulness? Repent now.
Do you hear the joy that our heavenly Father offers us!
There will be [more] joy in heaven when one sinner repents than when ninety-nine righteous ones need no repentance (15:7).
This whole parable stands in condemnation of those who spurn the gifts of grace of our Heavenly Father ... whether you are younger or older or both. It should be breaking our hearts, shattering our pettiness, uprooting our jealousies, crushing our lovelessness. Then when it does, it should also be encouraging you to Cast your burden on YHWH, knowing He redeems you ... and saves you (Ps 55) ... that his table will be full with the sinners that Jesus invites to the table to feast with him (14:24; v 28b).
No matter if you are younger or older ... you the Baptized of Christ ... when you reach the end of your rope ... you should have confidence to return to the baptism your extravagant Father showers upon you ... to receive his incredible absolution ... and to join the extraordinary feast that he prepares for you every Lord’s day. It is the never-ending feast of forgiveness that is the Sacrament of the Altar that was prepared for you to give you comfort (v 28b).
Now rejoice with me, our Lord is saying, for I have found my sheep. ... Rejoice with me, for I have found what was lost. ... It is necessary to be euphoric and to rejoice for this your brother was dead and is now alive. He was lost and is found (vv 6, 9, 32).
2. [Honor your Father and mother]
Please open your [Lutheran Service Book] to page 321, and join me in confessing our faithful doctrine from the Ten Commandments. As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household ... What is the Fourth Commandment? ... What does this mean? ...
Therefore listen again to your Heavenly Father ...
ALL THAT HE HAS IS YOURS THROUGH HIS MEANS OF GRACE
1. He loved you in this way: Sending his only son into the flesh to be devoured by your sin.
Jesus humbled himself, taking on the form of a servant, as one of the father’s hired hands. He faced the false accusations of his brothers, who accused him of impious living. He faithfully bore the heat of the Father’s wrath for your sin. He consumed the slop of your sin. He was left for dead along the road, beaten and bloodied for your sin. He was pierced for your refusal to forgive your own brother. Jesus died for you and was buried for your ill will.
But He is now risen! ... And he has ascended. And he will come again for you because as the Father says to all of us: Child, you are [now] always with me, and all that is mine is yours (v 32). [Therefore] it is necessary to celebrate ... And as Saint Paul writes, Though [we] were formerly blasphemers, persecutors, and insolent, we have received mercy, [on account of] Christ Jesus, who came into the world to save sinners. In us, [he is able to] display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
Therefore, let us always rejoice.
And now to the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever ... in Jesus’ name. ... Amen (1 Tm 1:12-16).