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Luke 15 And he said,
A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them
said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And
he divided unto them his living. 13 And
not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey
into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all,
there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined
himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed
swine. 16 And
he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and
no man gave unto him. 17 And
when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have
bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my
father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before
thee, 19 And
am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to
his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had
compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to
be called thy son. 22 But
the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him;
and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the
fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead,
and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in
the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and
dancing. 26 And
he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy
brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath
received him safe and sound. 28 And
he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated
him. 29 And
he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither
transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid,
that I might make merry with my friends: 30 But
as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots,
thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31 And
he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should
make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and
was lost, and is found.
The
theme of having joy when the wayward is returned flows throughout this entire
chapter. In verse 6,7, Jesus
instructs the Pharisees and scribes to have joy when a lost sheep is returned.
In verse 10, Jesus instructs them to have joy when a lost coin is found.
In verse 25-32, Jesus pictures the Pharisees and scribes as the elder
brother who ought to have joy when the younger brother is returned.
This illustration is one part of three illustrations that make up Luke 15.
The main focus of the illustration is to show the self-righteous Pharisees and
scribes that there is righteous joy when a lost, or wayward son returns home.
The son is human, has an eternal soul, and has feelings. The joy felt in a human
home when a wayward son returns is very great. In this same manner, there is joy
in heaven when one sinner repents. The scribes and Pharisees ought to rejoice
when one sinner repents. No one should ever look down their long nose at
anybody!
I. There are many applications to parables and Scripture. There is only one
interpretation. I have heard this parable preached many different ways, with
many different applications. I want to give you the proper Biblical
interpretation.
A. The parable can be interpreted as:
1. The Gentiles coming into the kingdom of God.
a. The Gentiles would be the younger, rebellious brother.
b. The Jews would be the elder, more faithful brother.
2. The entering in of more saved sinners into God's kingdom. An
application like this would fit us today. When people are saved, and join
the church we are already a member of, we ought to be very happy for them,
and accept them. We don't need to think that our control of the church
will be diminished. Actually, we shouldn't have control of the church. The
church belongs to Jesus Christ - He is the head. He should have
control. When our control is diminished, that is good, especially
when the control of Christ is increased.
a. The younger brother would represent the "new" converts.
b. The elder brother would represent the "older" converts.
B. The truth is that these two thoughts are one and the same.
1. Christ wants the Pharisees and scribes to understand that they ought
to have joy when Gentiles, Samaritans, publicans and sinners seek Christ
and His righteousness.
2. Christ wants us to understand that we ought to have great joy when a
fallen, rebellious sinners is saved.
II. In the previous two parables, the sheep and the coin do not seek
Christ.
A. In this parable, the younger son is pictured as seeking Christ.
1. This "seeking" is very similar to the way the lost coin
and the lost sheep sought their rightful owners.
2. They didn't "seek" at all!
B. The young son seeks Christ only because God has first
enlightened his conscience that there is a better way.
1. If God didn't put this light into the heart of the younger son,
there would be no light there at all.
2. He would continue in the filth of this world, not knowing there was
a better way, or even a different way.
III. Notice some things about the condition of the lost sinner.
A. The lost sinner is selfish. He desires to get all he can and is
impatient of delay.
B. Sinners waste their blessings, and reduce themselves to a state of
want and wretchedness. Living in sin causes spiritual weakness and being
unsatisfied with those things we do have.
C. Sinners do not think about the future. They don't think about the
future result of their sinning here on this earth or in the world to
come.
D. Afflictions are often used to bring sinners to God. When sinners have
plenty, they often forget about God, but when they come into affliction,
their remembrance turns to their father. But notice that he first turned to
his own source of comfort (the citizens of that country) before he turns to
God.
E. Some of their miseries:
1. He has spent all -- there is nothing left of all that he left home
with. He finds no comfort in anything.
2. He is away from God and his Christian friends. This is because he
left them.
3. His condition is very bad.
a. Physically.
b. Emotionally.
c. Spiritually.
F. Verse 15 - The sinner goes to the wrong source for comfort and help.
He will not seek his father yet, instead he tries new things and different
ways trying to find comfort. He finds no help or comfort at all. There is
nobody who really cares for him like he wants.
G. The repentance required in the gospel is the return to a right mind,
(verse 17). When the young man left home, he was not thinking on things as
he ought to. Now he is repentant, looking on this world as in vain, ----
eternity is near and awful; and none acts with a sane mind but he who acts
on the belief that he must soon die; that there is a God and a Savior -- a
heaven and a hell.
H. When the sinner returns he knows:
1. He is in great danger of dying.
2. That God is willing and able to save him.
3. He has a hope that God will give him salvation and forgiveness.
4. He resolves to go to God.
5. He will confess he is no good and has sinned against the father.
I. True happiness is a voluntary act. It is not forced.
J. The real penitent feels that his sins have been committed against God,
not against people. (Verse 18)
K. He is also willing to acknowledge his offences against his parents,
brothers, friends, and all men. (Verse 18)
L. A real penitent is humble, (Verse 18). He has no wish to conceal
anything, or to be thought more highly of than he ought.
M. God is willing to receive the true penitent. None need hesitate to go.
God will never send them away empty.
N. The joy at the return of sinners is great. Angels rejoice over it, and
all holy beings are glad.
O. We should not be envious at any favors that God may be pleased to
bestow on others. He has given us more than we deserve, and if it pleases
Him to bless others more, then we ought to rejoice also in that.
P. If God is willing to receive sinners, we should be willing to work and
pray that God would save sinners and cause rebellious people to return.
Q. If God is willing to receive sinners now, then sinners ought to return
to Him now.
IV. The condition of the elder brother.
A. Romans 3:1,2 - I believe the true interpretation of this parable is
that the elder brother represents Israel, who holds the oracles of faith.
There are many applications, only one interpretation.
1. Any true church of the Lord Jesus Christ, or any true disciple of
the Lord Jesus Christ should place themselves "in the shoes" of
the Pharisees and scribes.
2. True disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ should rejoice when the
wayward returns.
3. The wayward should be received and welcomed into the fellowship of
believers, but not to doubtful disputations.
4. Rom. 14:1 - Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to
doubtful disputations.
B. He was aware that his younger brother had left.
1. Since he was older, he would remember the time when the younger
brother demanded his share of the inheritance and left.
2. He would be aware that the younger brother had taken much wealth and
prosperity from his family.
C. He was unaware of the wretched condition his younger brother had
fallen into.
D. If he was aware of the fact that his Father watched longed for the
younger brother to return home, he had pushed that thought out of his mind.
1. If saved people are aware of the condition of lost people, they push
that thought out of their minds.
2. If saved people are aware of the Father's watching and longing for
the rebellious to return to the family, they have pushed that thought out
of their minds.
3. If saved people are aware of the joy that would be in the family
when the rebellious return, they push that thought out of their minds.
4. If saved people are aware of the many lives than can and will be
saved as a result of a rebellious returning to the family, they either
don't care, or push that thought out of their minds.
E. He was unaware of the fact his younger brother had returned.
1. He was busy working in the field, but not busy watching and longing
for his younger to return.
2. It is very possible for saved people to be busy working in God's
field, yet have no fervent prayer for the lost to be saved.
3. Saved people can be so engrossed in their own affairs that they are
unaware of everything else going on around them.
4. Saved people can be so engrossed in their own affairs that they will
get to the place where they don't care if sinners are saved or not.
F. He was jealous of the joy of his family when his younger brother
returned.
1. He told his father that his younger brother wouldn't have anything
to return to if he (the elder brother) hadn't stayed home, worked hard,
and increased the prosperity of the family.
2. He complains that nobody had recognized his stedfastness, faith, and
stick-to-it-ness.
3. It is very important to realize that the father does recognize the
stedfastness of the elder brother.
a. The father is very thankful the elder brother has remained with
him and been faithful.
b. The joy for the return of the younger brother is not like the
thankfulness for the elder brother.
c. The thankfulness is more solid, secure, and familiar.
d. The joy at the return of the prodigal son is newer, less concrete
and dependable at this point.
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