March 14-Lent 4-St. Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

‘Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.’ (Ps. 19:14) Amen.

‘Grace, mercy and peace will be with you, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.’ (2 John 3) Amen.

‘Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”’ (Vv. 1-2)

Do we complain when someone does not eat with the “right” people? That is what the Pharisees are doing in our lesson. They are complaining because there were social implications to who Jesus was associating with. If Jesus really were who He claims to be, to their thinking, He would only associate with the “right” people.

By this they mean that Jesus would not be sitting around with the outcasts of society. Jesus would not even walk on the same side of the street with a prostitute or tax gatherer or leper. Such people made you unclean according to Mosaic Law. Jesus knew this and so did all the other people. Even by His associations, Jesus was teaching the people a new thing.

Jesus is teaching us through His associations that we see in the Gospels that it does not matter to our spiritual cleanness who we associate with. It is more important that we speak to these people the message of the Gospel: the free forgiveness of sins and everlasting life with Jesus for all men. The Pharisees and scribes are showing that they still did not understand this reality. They betrayed the fact that it was all about the outward appearances for them. What they thought mattered was whether the rules of the Law were fulfilled. The thoughts and beliefs of the heart did not enter into their spiritual calculus.

Some of the time, you and I find ourselves doing as Jesus does. We show that we understand the importance of the Gospel very well. You or I are out speaking of Jesus to those around us. You do not worry about what others will think if you are seen with, him or with her.

Some of the time, you and I find ourselves doing as the Pharisees and the scribes. We show that our Old Adam is very much alive and still swimming. In spite of our daily contrition for our sins and repentance over those same sins you and I cannot seem to drown that old sin nature. We begin to worry very much about what others think. We start to wonder about so-and-so. After all, he or she was seen last week talking with that person!

‘Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in.’ (Vv. 25-28)

The Parable of the Prodigal is interesting especially when we reach the final portion. That part that has to do with the older brother. There is reason to name the Prodigal of this parable as the younger son, that is, you; the father, that is, Jesus or the Father in heaven; or the older brother, that is, the Pharisees listening to this parable!

All of these work.

There are different reasons for seeing each as the prodigal. Often, when pastors give sermons on this parable, they tend to focus on the first two options. They do not directly address the Pharisees as a possibility for being the prodigal. Yet, the older son is just as prodigal, though for different reasons, as the other two main characters of this parable. There is actually more reason for concern when it comes to the older son. After all, his encounter with the father is not resolved.

So, when we first meet the older brother he has been working out in the field. We are to think that he is the good son so-called, he is the one who was faithful and remained with the father to work at the home property. He, seemingly patient, waited for his portion of the inheritance. The younger son had been very disrespectful. He had asked the father for his portion. Doing this while his father was still alive was about the same as telling his father to just go ahead and die already!

Now the elder son gets close enough to hear the sounds of music and dancing, a celebration. He knew of no good reason for a celebration, this party did not make sense. After all, there was no big festival, no birthday, nothing. It was just another workday. Perhaps it was a Wednesday; the one we commonly call “hump day”. The middle of the work week seemingly without a break in sight.

So this son grabs one of the servants going about his work. Perhaps this servant had come out with an empty platter or other hand from inside the house. In other words, he would know what is happening. So, the elder son stops this particular servant. He asks what is going on. The servant responds matter of factly with the words of the Head of the House. The father also said what this servant repeats. He tells that the younger son had returned. He was alive! So, naturally, there was a feast held. If you had a family member who headed off on a trip and somehow became lost to you. That is, you heard no news for long enough to begin wondering about whether the loved one was alive or dead. In such a situation, if that family member that returned suddenly you would immediately hold a party to celebrate. This is how the father had thought regarding the younger son, so he celebrates.

Instead of behaving as we would expect, the older son is angry! We might think that this one would be just as overjoyed for the return of his brother. Yet, this is not the case. He is angry with his father for being glad to have the son back, and alive on top of all else.

‘His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’’ (Vv. 28-30)

This party is the celebration that Jesus had spoken of in the previous parable. At the end of the parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus says, ‘“Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”’ (St. Lk. 15:7) This is being illustrated for Jesus’ hearers in the parable of the Prodigal. The one who repents, the younger son has returned. So, the father celebrates with a huge party. The family and the servants are all celebrating. The only killjoy in the whole thing is the older brother.

When the father leaves the party to encourage and plead with the older son to join in the celebration, that son objects. He complains that he has always served his father and he never was given anything to celebrate with his buddies with. The young goat is the minimum basis for a party in the first century. He is whining as we first heard the Pharisees and scribes complain. They were complaining about who Jesus was spending time with. Here we have the older son doing the same thing. He is complaining that his brother has lived the life of an abject sinner only to receive a celebration upon his return.

We who have spent our lives in the church sit in the position of the older brother. We have always been doing what our Father in heaven has taught and commanded us to do, repent and believe. We never have been given even the smallest celebration. In fact, we as believers are told by Jesus that the world will hate us for our faithfulness. When someone returns to the church after a long absence, our sinful flesh and the devil tempt you and me to think. “What, that one has been living the life of a sinner and enemy of God all this time and now all he needs to do is repent and all of heaven celebrates? How can this be?”

Yet, this is precisely what Jesus is telling us. This does not mean that you are any less loved or any less of a son of God than the one who has just come to the faith. All this means is, one more has been received into the kingdom! Rejoice! Remember, all the Father has is yours already. Your brother has returned he was dead but now is alive. Rejoice!

In Jesus’+ Name. Amen.