[Machine transcription]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Brothers and sisters, looking at the gospel reading for the text today, please be seated.
That gospel reading is the probably familiar parable of the prodigal son.
And there’s several angles to take in looking at this parable, and my approach today is looking at
looking at the two brothers and comparing them, because that’s what often
happens. Well, I guess it’s more of a contrasting them because of their
seemingly different attitudes and actions. The younger or prodigal son can
often get admired, being seen as a young independent sort of fellow who wants to
set out on his own with dreams of freedom and even though he completely
messes up his life and even hits rock-bottom, he eventually does the right
thing and comes out on top again. The older brother, well, he just appears to be
ungrateful jerk. But actually the two brothers are very much alike. I mean they
both got their inheritance. Something we kind of overlook in the reading is
notice in verse 12, the father divided his property between them. Sure it was
the younger brother who came asking for his dough, but the father gives it to
both of the brothers, so they’re very much alike. They both get an inheritance, and
that’s all before the younger son then decides to cut out. And both brothers,
they both got to be who they wanted to be in the parable. One at home, the other
away. But mostly the two brothers are alike in that they’re both sinners. I
know that’s kind of a, well, duh sort of thing, but we know from human nature and
from Scripture that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The
brothers are both sinners but in slightly different ways. I think people
most like to identify with the younger prodigal son in his sins as perhaps
they’re more identifiable and in some ways we can sort of relate to them.
Perhaps you too have tried to run off on your own or squander all of your
resources, especially gifts that you were given, and spend all of your money on
frivolous things and living recklessly or not caring at all about the source of
your abundance. I think we sometimes can identify with that and maybe we can
even identify with hitting rock-bottom like the younger brother did. And we
like to identify with him because he eventually realizes his sin, confesses it,
and seeks help, humbling himself and seemingly doing the right thing. But
identifying with the older brother is a bit more rare, or something we
don’t think about too much perhaps, because his sin seems to be just being a
and his case seems legit. He’s upset about unfair treatment, but making such
a claim, which we too might do, is a sin of smugness, of self-righteousness, and
making our rules for God’s justice. It’s as if the older brother says to his dad,
dad I haven’t done any major sins I haven’t disrespected you I’ve been good
with my resources I haven’t stolen gobs of money I haven’t murdered anybody I
haven’t committed adultery physically I’m not that bad and I’m darn sure not
like my brother and notice he doesn’t even call him brother in the reading he
calls him this son of yours yeah that brother maybe we don’t see ourselves
that way but God doesn’t look at this brother as having a legitimate kind of
argument God doesn’t see it that way and we see that how God sees it in the way
he treats both of the brothers he treats them alike both of them are sinners and
their father treats them both according to their sins because really the two
brothers aren’t the point of this parable it’s the father see he’s the
prodigal and the word prodigal if you didn’t know it means basically spending
in an extravagant and reckless way. That’s why the younger son is called
that, because he recklessly and extravagantly spent all of his money.
But the prodigal father is also extravagant and reckless to both
brothers, not with money, but with mercy and forgiveness. That’s obvious in the
prodigal son, in the younger son, the father unloads mercy on him, looking for
him, running to him, hugging, kissing, hearing his confession, and gifts then of
a robe, a ring, and a celebration feast. No doubt there of extravagant forgiveness.
but the father is also a prodigal to the older son for one he doesn’t slap him
and call him a jerk he but it’s as if the father says to the son son I know
this all seems unfair but you’ve always had all of my gifts and even though
you’re kind of a jerk right now, that is a sinner, I’m still with you and all of
my blessings are still yours.” The father treats them the same, giving each of the
brothers extravagant, even reckless mercy and forgiveness. It helps to
realize that this parable is the third of three right in a row that Jesus
tells back-to-back, and they all involve something or someone being lost.
And they’re best read, all three of the parables are best read in context of
verses one and two that we kind of lose track of because they’re not actually
part of the parable, but when it says there in verses one and two,
“‘Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus, and the Pharisees
and the scribes grumbled, saying, “‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.'”
this criticism of Jesus that he receives sinners and eats with them is actually a
compliment of Jesus and it’s really the point of the parables then that Jesus
answers their criticism and it’s a very welcome thing for us to hear that Jesus
receives sinners and eats with them. I think it’s why then Jesus tells this
parable that the prodigal father shows the extravagant reckless mercy and
forgiveness that God has for us. In fact in the parable God is really the
prodigal. Jesus receives sinners. That is, He welcomes us, accommodates us, puts up
with us, forgives us, and even throws a banquet feast for us in the Lord’s
Supper. Because like the brothers, and we’re really no different than they are,
we’re certainly no better than them, we are sinners too. And no matter how much
you’ve tried to run off on your own, squander all of your resources, and spend
all of your money on frivolous things and live recklessly, or not caring about
the source of your abundance, or even when you hit rock-bottom, and even if
you’re self-righteous and smug, saying, I haven’t done any major sins, I haven’t
disrespected my parents, I’ve been good with my resources, I haven’t stolen gobs
of money, I haven’t murdered anybody, I haven’t committed adultery physically, or
you end up saying, hey, I’m not that bad, and I’m sure not like that guy in the
parable. No matter how much of a jerk you are, Jesus receives you and all sinners,
and he gives them extravagant, reckless mercy and forgiveness. Because when you
confess your sin and want Jesus to take you back home. He looks for you. He runs
to you. He hugs and kisses you and gives you those gifts of extravagant and
reckless mercy and forgiveness. Jesus is the prodigal who receives sinners. Now
St. Paul Lutheran Church. We’re in a different time of transition now because
the new shepherd that we’ve been looking for and praying for and looking forward
to has been identified, right? We know that he’s coming. But let’s remember why
it is we have a shepherd. Yeah, there’s lots of things that we’d like our pastor
to do and and to be here at St. Paul, how we’d like him to lead and care for us.
But he will serve us first of all and most importantly in proclaiming God’s
Word and administering the holy sacraments, bringing to us that
extravagant, reckless mercy and forgiveness of the prodigal Jesus. Jesus
is the real prodigal son. Our shepherd will always remind us that Jesus
receives sinners and forgives them. So in this new time of transition, an even
more joyful time as we look forward to our new Shepherd. Okay, let’s hang on for
another three months, okay? That’s not that long, all right? Believe me, I know.
Let’s keep faithful and joyful and trusting in our in our prodigal Savior.
Amen. Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
