and he said, “A certain man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”‘ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'”
Luke 15:1-32
Before we face David’s question, I have been asked by a number of you why I always clip the whole of Luke 15 and not just the relevant parts to head the Gems. The simple answer is I want to encourage you to keep the whole chapter before you and not just the small pieces. It always comes clearer when we look at the whole.
Now for David Stewart’s second question or point:
The other big question I have, is that with the Jacob / Esau story, the Pharisees totally identified themselves with the younger son, where in this parable the younger rebellious son who repents, seems clearly to represent the “publicans and sinners,” and the Pharisees, the older son who will not accept the younger son. The similarities of the two stories are certainly striking, but at the vital heart of it is this vital change-over in interpretation.
The interesting thing is that the Pharisees identify with both the older son and the younger son. Yes, firstly they adopt the Jacob story because it is Israel’s story. The story of Jacob and Esau was one of the Pharisees’ favourite stories – how Israel came be known as Israel. How it was established and protected by God and how the younger son gained what had been promised to him despite his obvious shortcomings / sin. His name means “twister” or “deceiver”. Jacob went on to become the nation of Israel, while Esau became the nation of Edom. To the Pharisees, Jacob was Israel and as the keepers of the Law and Book, they identified with him. Yet the Pharisees also referred to themselves as the “older brothers”, the ones who kept the nation from moral decay and by their minutiae of laws they sought to guard the nation’s righteousness as the ‘elders’ or the “older brothers”. It is fascinating that the Pharisees identified strongly with both main characters in the story.
It is no coincidence that Jesus has chosen this story to retell. It is perfect for His purposes. It is a story the Pharisees and scribes know by heart and laid great importance upon. They would not have been in any doubt that Jesus was telling “their story” on a number of different levels and in a number of directions. He makes it clear that their precious Jacob / Israel was a scoundrel. He was clearly a sinner! That was clear in the Old Testament version of the story and it is even clearer in this case. Remember they have accused Jesus of receiving and eating with sinners and tax collectors. They considered the latter the lowest of the low. The accusation of “eating with them” was highlighted by the Pharisees in their challenge to Jesus. This One not only receives sinners but he eats with them too. That was abhorrent to the Pharisees. They were careful to separate themselves from the riff raff and the sinners. Yet these sinners flock to Jesus. Hence, the Pharisees draw attention to that fact. To eat with such people was the worst thing you could do. You could choose who you ate with. You can’t stop them coming to you but you can choose not eat with them. The Pharisees went to extreme lengths to keep themselves pure.
Interestingly, this chapter is filled with three feasts to which the villagers are invited. One following the finding of the lost sheep, one following the finding of the lost coin and finally, the one following the return and restoration of the son. The heavenly feast is also alluded to when all of God’s children are home, with the rejoicing of the angels in heaven. It is like Jesus is saying to the Pharisees, “You accuse me of partying with sinners. You ain’t seen the half of it. There’s more to come.” Don’t forget the main reason Jesus came to earth was to seek and save the lost. (Luke 19:10) And He is still doing it! The Pharisees have dared to challenge the very reason why He came.
We mostly focus attention on the Prodigal Son story. But remember, it is all the prodigal son story. Even the sheep and the coin is a part of it. It all goes together. I have told you that this chapter was initiated by the Pharisees challenge to Jesus receiving and eating with sinners. Well, that is right. That is after all, why He came. But this chapter is not here solely because the Pharisees asked this question. This chapter and this parabolic response of Jesus is the culmination of a series of altercations or adverse encounters with the Pharisees. It has been escalating since their accusation that He gained His power from Satan. I listed for you in Gems 1009 a number of encounters He had with the Pharisees. They were focused on the trivia of keeping the law as the big brother but wanted nothing to do with sinners. They considered themselves high and aloof from sinners. Luke depicts Jesus going from one encounter with the Pharisees after another. This current encounter is the one that Jesus launches His counter “attack” on them. We don’t know what their response was to this story but I am sure it shocked them. Remember I told you in Gems 1038 and 1039, this was a shocking story to all who heard it. But I think it was even more shocking to the Pharisees when they realised that in answering their challenge, Jesus had turned the point of the story back on them.
I totally agree with David Stewart when he said that the vital heart of these stories is found in the [vital] change-over in interpretation. Most of us miss the point that it is the older brother who is in focus not the younger brother. We miss the subtlety of the story where Jesus indicates both brothers received their inheritance early. The mastery of the unfinished story laid the heart of the Pharisees bare for all to see. It must have shocked them to realise they had been made the focus of attention now. What would they do? Jesus had backed them into a corner.
Can they get out of it? More in the next Gem as I intend to bring this chapter of Luke to a close. I plan to make the next Gem the last one on this passage. That will make it exactly 29 Gems spent on this parable. That has to be enough.
The Soap Opera will end.
To go a full week without admitting at least one of your OPINIONS was wrong means you’re neither listening nor learning.
Rick Warren
If you aren’t prepared to change your mind, don’t ask for input.
Ian Vail
Don’t be angry that you can’t make others as you wish them to be, since you can’t make yourself as you wish to be.
Thomas á Kempis
Most people would rather make excuses than admit that they have failed [sinned]. That’s why they never change.
Jeffrey Rachmat
The wages of sin is death. Repent before payday.
Anon
Faith is putting all your eggs in God’s basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch.
Anon