7/24/16-Luke 15:11-32-The Heartbeat of God Pt. II
It gives our Father in heaven the most joy when His sons and daughters turn from a life of sin and wrong and return to Him.
–Often we picture God as only being sad and serious, troubled at the brokenness and pain of the world, and make no mistake, God does grieve, weeping with the victims and angry at the perpetrators.
…but even in the midst of the darkness, a light shines forth! Even in the pain, there is hope: The good news of Jesus Christ is still reaching people, and God is still saving people by His grace, for this message is smashing down walls and saving people and God is using His church (us!) to bring them into His kingdom.
–Therefore, even in the mess and chaos, God still has that constant joy for all this is part of His plan. For God is still in charge, and He is drawing people to salvation like an ice-cold water draws a desert-parched traveler.
–So the party in heaven does start after 1,000 people repent. The party does not start after 100 people repent. Rather, the party starts just after one person turns from evil and follows Jesus, and so the party is always happening and is on full blast!
–It is this joy that Jesus has in mind when he tells us of the familiar parable of the lost son. So let’s set the stage: Just like last week, Jesus is being criticized by the religious teachers for hanging out with “sinners” and tax collectors, those people that would not even give God a second thought.
–Hence, in Luke 15, after the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, Jesus tells this story of the lost son. This is the gospel story told in one parable. IF you have ever struggled to explain the gospel (good news) of Jesus and His love to yourself or others, think of this story!
—A father has two sons, and one day the younger says to his father, “Father, give me the share of the inheritance that belongs to me”. This was not a simple request.
—Instead it was a grave insult, for by saying this the son basically wished his father was dead! And the father does something just as shameful…he gives in to the son’s requests!
–So the son takes off and spends the money in selfish living, but soon the money ran out and there was a severe famine in the land. The son was so poor he had to go work in the pig farms! We cannot miss the message here. For a Jew, to work with pigs showed just how low the son had sunk in the world.
—He was the worst sinner imaginable, dishonoring God, dishonoring his father, and dishonoring his people by immoral living, just like the “sinners” Jesus had around him.
—And even though he insulted and shamed his entire family and village, the son finally comes to his senses, and even though he is afraid to face his past, what choice does he have? For he will die otherwise. He thought, “If I go back, maybe dad will show me mercy, and although I will never be his son again, I can work as a slave to pay back what I owe him”
—In other words, the son repented. BUT little did he know, His loving never gave up on him, but was always watching, waiting for him to return.
—When he finally did, the father sprints out to meet his son, wrapping his loving arms around Him and kissed him, showing that all has been forgiven. He then gives him his cloak, ring, and sandals, showing the world that this son will not work as a slave but is instead welcomed back as a son! Even the calf is killed so that there can be a party!
—This is the story of the tax collectors and sinners. Even though they were the worst of the worst (like the prodigal son), God still loved them! You may think you are beyond His love, but He loves you too!! When those same sinners put their trust in Jesus, God welcomed them no matter their past!
—But what of the other son? The other son was supposed to represent the religious teachers and leaders. Notice, the other son did not have a relationship with his father either, because he had no idea the actions of his brother.
—Even so, the father (God) still goes out to meet the older brother and invites him to join them in the festivities!
—God’s grace is open to any who would accept His offer. You could be the worst sinner you know, or you could think to yourself, “well I live a pretty good life.”
—Christianity is about the gospel. The gospel is not a list of rules that one must keep, and it is not moral reform, good behavior, or self-discovery. Rather, it is realizing that God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. It is about turning from your old life, to accept the new life that God has in store for you. It is about submitting to Jesus as the Lord of your life.
—Fear not, no matter who you are, or where you see yourself as either one of two sons, you are loved, and God is searching for you to redeem you also.
WHAT IT ALL MEANS-This is the story of us as humanity. Back in the garden of Eden, we enjoyed the intimacy of a close walk with God, but like the prodigal, we decided to go our own way. Yet, just when all seemed lost, and we were all beyond hope, God took on flesh and lived among us (Jesus). Just like the father chased after the son out of love, getting dusty and dirty in the streets to embrace his child, so too God took on flesh and got dusty and dirty in our world so that we would know His embrace of love.