There was a man who had two sons …

Luke 15:11

So begins one of the greatest stories ever told, the story that we call “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.” It is a story told by Jesus, of course. It is his longest parable, and probably his best known. And thought by many, including Charles Dickens, to be “the greatest story ever told.” 

There is so much to love about this story. It is fairly simple, really, but has layers and layers of depth. To me, it never gets old. And there are so many ways to approach this story in a sermon. So many directions I could take. 

But this time around, I want to invite us to think about the circumstances that led Jesus to tell this story. Context matters. And in this case, we are told the situation that prompted Jesus to tell this great story:

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus]. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:1-2).

In response to these complaints, Jesus tells this story, along with two others: The parable of the lost sheep, and the parable of the lost coin. You might call this story, then, the parable of the lost son. Or, you might say, the lost sons. Because this is a story about a father who has two sons; and both are lost, though in very different ways. 

And Jesus includes both sons in the story because of who he is telling the story to. Jesus knew that the tax collectors and sinners would identify with the younger son. And he knew that the Pharisees and scribes would identify with the older son. And since this story is about a man who had two sons, Jesus probably assumed that some who first heard it would identify with the father. 

Where Are You in this Story?

Part of the power of this story, in other words, and the reason why it is still so impactful, is that we can relate to any of the three main characters in this story. And at different times in our life, we will relate to this story very differently.

At times, we will certainly relate to the younger son, who has wandered far from home, at least spiritually speaking, spent all he had, and is ready to go back home. 

At other times, we will relate to the older son, who has never left home, who has always tried to do the right thing, and who is frustrated that God loves the prodigals among us. 

And then there will be times when we relate to the father – concerned about people in our life, praying for them, hoping and longing for the day that they finally come home to the embrace of our loving God. 

Where are you in this story today? 

Are you the prodigal, thankful to be welcomed home by such a loving and forgiving God? Are you the elder son, a little frustrated with how generous God is with that love and forgiveness? Are you the father, concerned for loved ones who have wandered from the faith, praying and hoping for their return? 

I want to look more closely at each of these people. And I’ll start with the father, before we look at his sons. 

The Loving Father

The father is critical to this story because he teaches us about God, and about God’s Son, Jesus. 

The Bible has sometimes been described as both a book and a mirror. It is a book that teaches us about God, and a mirror that teaches us about ourselves. The father in this story has much to teach us about God. And I think that he teaches us primarily by the ways that he surprises us in this story. A surprising father to teach us about our surprising God. 

Go back to the beginning of the story, and the father surprises us by agreeing to give his younger son the share of the property that will belong to him. He didn’t have to do this for his son. It doesn’t even seem like a good idea. But the father did it anyway. Parents who hear this story probably know why: Sometimes, you have to let your children make mistakes. You can’t live their lives for them. 

God is like that, too. God lets us all make mistakes. Gives us free will. Even when our decisions hurt God, we still get to make them. 

The younger son, of course, gets his inheritance early, and heads off to a distant country. When he returns home, the father sees him while he is still a long way off. And filled with compassion, he ran and put his arms around his son, and kissed him. Another surprising act by the father who teaches us so much about God. 

There is nothing that God loves more than welcoming back a prodigal child. No matter what they have done, God loves when they return. He drops everything and runs to meet us. Without a word of judgment or condemnation. 

Oh, and there is one more surprise from the father, when his older son refuses to join in the party celebrating his younger brother’s safe return home. The father actually leaves the celebration to search for his older son. 

Sometimes, in other words, the father waits for us to return. At other times, he comes to meet us where we are. Both are done in love. And in either case, the father does not force us to go back to him. 

God’s love is not forced on anyone, but offered to everyone. That’s the nature of love, isn’t it? And how our heavenly father loves us! God is always ready to welcome us, and to throw a party the likes of which this world has never seen. Just like the father in this story. 

The Younger Son

Okay. But let’s look at the two brothers in this amazing story a little more closely. Let’s start with the younger brother, the prodigal. The one who represents the tax collectors and sinners, who have come home to Jesus. 

And what I have come to believe is simply this: That we are all the prodigal. We have all left the father, at some point or another. We have all squandered our inheritance. We have all done it. 

In fact, I have come to believe that whenever we feel distant from God, we are the prodigal. Not necessarily because we have done something wrong. But because we are being invited home. 

Whatever the reason, when we feel distant from God, we can think of the prodigal. The reason we feel distant from God might not be our fault. We might have been hurt by the church, or let down by God. We might feel frustrated or disappointed in God. Or struggling to even believe. 

There are many reasons why we can feel distant from God. But in every single case, the invitation is the same: Come home to the loving embrace of our heavenly father. No matter the reason for our separation, just come home. 

And every time we do, every single time, our heavenly father will run and embrace us. Every time. So why would we ever stay away? 

There is an ongoing debate among biblical scholars over whether or not the prodigal son is truly repentant in this story. He is hungry and knows he will be better fed at home. He has a prepared speech, admitting his sin. But is he truly repentant? The answer, it seems, is both simple, and surprising: It doesn’t matter! Whether he is truly repentant or not, his father will celebrate his return home. 

Jesus doesn’t care why the tax collectors and sinners are coming near to listen to him. It doesn’t matter to him. He just welcomes them. 

And so does our heavenly father, every time we turn to him. He is just happy we are back. Every single time. No matter the reason. That is the nature of grace, of unconditional love. 

The Elder Son

And that brings us to the Pharisees and scribes, and to the second part of this story, which focuses on the older son. Remember, Jesus tells this story with the Pharisees and scribes in mind, who are complaining about Jesus welcoming the tax collectors and sinners. Because they are the elder son. The one who never left home. Who has always tried to do the right thing. 

Maybe we can relate to him. When we get to his part in this great story, this son is angry. And rightfully so, it would seem. His father has never thrown a party for him. And now, he’s doing all this for his brother, who left home with his share of the inheritance, who squandered it all away, and now has the nerve to come back home? The older brother is angry, and we can see why. 

But even if he is justifiably upset at the way in which his younger brother is being received, is it worth missing this great party taking place at his house?

That’s what the Pharisees and scribes have to figure out. Jesus, after all, is the Messiah that the Pharisees and scribes have been praying for. He is the fulfillment of everything they have been hoping and longing for. He is right there with them. And yet, they are angry. Because this so-called Messiah is not doing what they expected. And is welcoming people who have not been faithful. The Pharisees and scribes are so upset that they are missing the greatest event this world has ever known, our Creator’s son taking flesh and living among us. The long-awaited Savior. 

They have never left the faith, but they are no less lost than the tax collectors and sinners. And whenever we get caught up in judging the faith of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are the elder son. We, too, are lost. 

The father in this story loves the elder son no less than he loves the prodigal. He pleads with his older son to come and join the celebration. But does he? 

Jesus ends this story without telling us whether the elder son ever joins the celebration. Did he go in and welcome his brother home? Or did he choose to stay outside? We don’t know. Jesus doesn’t say. 

Closing

And all these many years later, the question still remains, for those who identify with the elder son. Just as the invitation still remains for those who identify with the prodigal son. 

And this question, and this invitation, turn out to be the very same thing, don’t they? The invitation to come home to our loving God. The invitation to join the party, without concerning ourselves with who is there, and whether they are worthy. None of us are worthy, after all.

We are all lost without Jesus. Whether we have fled home or never left. We are all lost without him. And all that matters is to be found by him. To let ourselves be found by him. 

And whenever we are, there is great joy in heaven. Every single time. Thanks be to God. Amen.