Luke 15:25-32

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ 28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 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. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ 31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 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!’”

You can call them grumblers, complainer, or gripers and they come in all shapes and sizes. It’s not hard to spot the pouting prodigal who proudly position themselves in the pews, they are the ones who are seldom happy and are constantly complaining. They usually begin a sentence with, “now I don’t mean to be critical but…” and then that’s exactly what they do, they criticize. What you want to say to them is, “come on in and join the party.” The problem is that many of them would rather be miserable and stand on the outside with their arms crossed, holding onto their critical spirit than celebrate. Just like the older brother we too can suffer from a sickness that sours the soul, where we would rather criticize than celebrate.  It’s easy to get upset and even angry at the prideful pouters but we must remember that the Father loves them, and we must as well. Chapter 15 begins with these words: “Now the tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” It was to this group of “godly grumblers” that Jesus told the three parables which highlighted God’s extreme grace and their extreme lack of love. The father in the parable states that, “this son of mine was dead. Death here is not a physical death, but the death that comes from disobedience. It’s the results of rebellion and running away from a relationship with God, sin always separates and causes suffering. In Ephesians Chapter 2 Paul says: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world…All of us also lived among them at one time…But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead…it is by grace you have been saved.” What we tend to forget is that we were all dead at one time but because of God’s grace we were saved. Our God is like a lovesick Father, who longs for His children. When we return in repentance He does not hold our sins against us, but forgives us and throws a party. While we are still a long way off, God runs to us, and embraces us. Are you running to repentance or rebellion? One son sought the Father the other sulked. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law who were represented by the older son, became angry and refused to go in to the party. They got mad at God because He didn’t play by their rules. Not only did they reject the idea of repentance but they rejected God’s rejoicing. They were angry because God chose to rejoice and welcomes sinners. When Jesus told the Pharisees the parable he was reminding them of who God really was and what He was really about. But did the Pharisees and the teachers of the law get it, and more importantly do we get it? Do we really see how great a God we serve? Are we grasping His grace or groaning at the “sinners.” Are we living in awe or in anger over His forgiveness? Does His mercy motivate us to love and pursue the party or live life separated from His lavish love?  How do you respond to repentance, are you running to God or wrapped up in pity? Where are you in this parable? Are you on the inside participating in the party and celebrating, or standing outside with your arms folded, refusing to come in because God doesn’t play by your rules? And who is the real prodigal in this parable? Is it the one with the shady past, or the one who stays outside? Is it the one covered in the filth of the pig pen or the one who won’t forgive? The harsh reality is that the dead and lost one is the one who stubbornly chooses to remain outside the Father’s party. There are prideful pouters in every pew, who get upset when people raise their hands to God in worship, yet they willingly lift their hands in the air as they shout “touchdown” at a football game. They would gladly shout their praise in a football stadium yet refuse to praise in the Fathers sanctuary. Let me ask you why would we go wild over a touchdown yet be so timid and reserved over worship? Why do we so enthusiastically celebrate the temporary but remain stoically silent over the eternal? Why do we act like sour pusses when it comes to praising our Savior but shout when it comes to sports? Not only was the pouting brother performance driven, possessions blind and relationally removed but he focused on:

• Pity not praise

In all three parables, God was the One who was celebrating. So to every pouting prodigal, God says, come join me in MY celebration. In Luke, right before the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus says in verse 10: “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The angels join in the joy over the one who repents, so why wouldn’t we? The religious while they haven’t sinned by running off and going wild, chose not to rejoice at the radical change of the rebellious. What has always intrigued me about this story is the ending; unlike Hollywood that tries to neatly tie up the ending this one is left wide open. Our hearts are left hanging; does the older brother storm off into the sunset or turn to his father and ask for forgiveness? Does he go to the party and join in the praise or pursue the path of pouting? The parable simply leaves the older brother fuming outside the party. What did he do? We don’t know but we do know what the Pharisees who symbolized the older brother did. Instead of rejoicing at the return of Israel’s “lost sheep” who were gathering around Jesus, the Pharisees and teachers of the law conspired to kill Jesus. Instead of rejoicing and life, there was anger and death. The greater question than “what did the pouting son do”, is what are you going to do? Are you going to be a pouting prodigal caught up in the poison of your pride or will you join the party and rejoice over the rebel who repents? One thing is for sure, if you are going to proceed to the party then you better check your bitter, complaining spirit at the door. It’s the prodigal people that flock to Jesus, because they are really thankful, and it’s the pouting people that keep finding this offensive. They have little room for love because their lives are full of rules and record keeping. In their arrogance they are blinded by their own achievements. While others sin is so seemingly obvious, they are blind to their own. They let ingratitude rob them of hearing the heart of the Father. The older son acted like he was the one who had been hurt by his brothers actions, yet he had lost nothing, it was the Father whose heart had been hurt. Hurt not once but twice, by both the rebellious son and the self-righteous one. It’s sad when the Father’s heart is hurt by those who willingly walk away from Him and squander the blessings, but what about the wounds from the sanctimonious sons? The problem with the pious is they never enjoy the party. Are you a party pooper, sitting on your pity potty refusing to praise and give thanks? The younger brother learned more about true riches out of the poverty of his poor decisions than the older brother did out of the piety of his proper ones. What party are you going to, the pitty party or the party of praise? Are you going to spend your time pouting or praising?

Luke 15:25-32

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ 28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 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. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ 31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 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!’”

Not only was the pouting brother performance driven and possessions blind but he was also

• Prideful

While we are quick to see the sin of the prodigal son do we even notice the sin of the pouting son? His sin of pride was probably the more poisonous, yet for many of us it seems to be the more acceptable. Isn’t it interesting how we seem to classify sin into those that are bad and those that are benign? When in truth there are no respectable sins, they all ruin. Yet this older brother somehow failed to see his own faults, or at least was able to dodge or dismiss them. How did he do that, he had an inflated sense of goodness. He did what many people do today; he exaggerated his own goodness while exaggerating his brother’s wickedness. Five times he used the first personal pronoun: “All these years I’VE slaved for you; I never disobeyed you. You never gave ME a goat so I could celebrate with MY friends!” Second he then compared himself to his brother, “this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes.” Now we are not told in the previous verses that the younger brother visited any prostitutes, that’s just what the older brother said about him. Self-righteousness always needs a bigger sinner in order to look like a saint. Pride will always promote self while painting a poorer picture of others. Not there is no way that he had been totally obedient to his father for all those years as he claimed. When it comes to steel the I-beam is the strongest beam, but when it comes to self-it’s the strongest temptation. We get so full of I that there is no room for anything else. This brother was so wrapped up in his own sense of righteousness that he failed to see the repentance and restoration of his brother. He was blinded to anything but his own feelings. How could he fail to miss the forgiveness of the father? Well you can block the light of the sun with a tiny penny if you hold it close enough to your eye. Some of us are so short sighted that all we can see is self. Have you gotten caught up in the comparison game, judging your sin against the backdrop of other sinners instead of the sacrifice of the cross? It’s easy to look good, just hide your sin and show case the sin of others, but we are not called to look good we are called to love and live for God. Comparison kills, it breeds a false sense of righteousness. We become blind to our own sin because it seems somehow smaller in the shadow of others far more superior sins. Instead of looking up and seeing our need for forgiveness we look down at the faults of others. Pride always produces Pharisees. You may not have wasted your life on wild living, but the sins of jealousy, pride, anger, and resentment are just as wicked. We are quick to point out the sin in others but do we see it in ourselves? Not only was he prideful but he was:

• Relationally Removed

In verse 30 He described his brother as “this son of yours.” He may have been successful in life but not in love. Rules ruin relationship.  The younger son may have been physically separated from the Father but the older one was emotionally removed. He may never have left home physically, but his heart was far from the Father. The older brother reminds us that you don’t have to run miles away from home to be distant from your dad. His disease was one of distance, not physically but emotionally. How many today are far from the Father, oh they sit in the pews but they are not singing His praise. What is sad is that while he lived on the father’s farm he failed to learn the father’s heart, and the father had to remind him, “Son, you are always with me.” Are you a prodigal son or a pouting one? God’s message to the pouting Pharisee in the church pew is clear: “I treasure our relationship more than your work.” When the father told him in verse 31 “you have always stayed by me” he was reminding the son that it was not his work that he cherished, it was him. God doesn’t want your service as much as He wants you. Remember the story of Mary and Martha? Martha was slaving over the stove; Mary was sitting at the feet of the Savior. When Martha became angry with her sister Jesus said, Mary has chosen the one thing that will never be taken from her, time with Me. Our relationship is the real riches; it’s the jewel and the joy not the job. Some Christians work so hard they have substituted work for worship. Some of us are finding our identity in what we do instead of in who we do it for. Here the Father is reminding the son that it wasn’t the work it was simply knowing that he was here at home with the father that gave him a sense of enjoyment. Second he reminds His resentful son, you have access to all of my resources, “All that I have is yours.” As believers you are not just an heir, all of His resources are available to you right now. In essence He was saying, “If you wanted a goat I would have been glad to give you one, but you never asked.” Sometimes older Christians look around and are jealous at the blessing God bestows on others and not them. But is it possible that “You have not because you ask not.” James 4:2. Sadly, so many Christians are left wanting because they are too busy working, they think they have to earn His blessings, when it’s all part of God’s grace. Lastly he says to the pouting Pharisees it’s my party, so come and celebrate with me. What is the Father really saying in verse 32 when He says, “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!’” He is saying son, you and I HAVE to celebrate, it’s not your younger brother’s party, it’s MY party. We make the party about the prodigal when it’s really about the Father. He is the one who is celebrating because His son was dead and now is alive. The Father was calling the older son to join Him in celebrating, not for his brother’s sake, but for His. The party was not for the Prodigal son it was for the loving father. That’s the point of all of the three parables in Luke 15, it’s a celebration over lost things being found. Through these three stories we see the Trinity at work. The Shepherd found the lamb, which reminds us of the work of Jesus the Son. The woman found the coin, representing the searching work of the Spirit. The dad forgave his wayward son, reminding us of the forgiving work of the Father. So here is the question, are you rejoicing or are you relationally removed? Are you going to get caught up in His worship or your work? Don’t let pride cause you to miss the party.