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“THE TWO LOST SONS”

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32



With which of the two sons from today’s text do you identify? For most of us, the answer would probably be that we identify ourselves with the first son, the prodigal son. Deep down, we know that we have all had those moments in our lives when our selfish choices have led us far away from God’s will. It may be that we had literally walked away from our Father’s house—left the church for a considerable time in order to pursue our own desires. Or, it may be the case that while we still were present here in body, our hearts were far away from our Father; our minds were elsewhere, consumed with other things. So, we found ourselves simply going through the motions of worship.

Whatever the case, we are also blessed to know those times when, thanks be to God, the Holy Spirit was working overtime on our stubborn consciences. We knew that things weren’t right. We knew that we couldn’t keep walking further and further away from our Lord. Perhaps, we even hit rock bottom as far as our lives were concerned. And so, we returned home to find a Father’s merciful embrace. We were assured that, for the sake of Jesus, our sins all have been forgiven. There is full and complete pardon. There is full and complete restoration to the family of God.

So, in that way, we are quite inclined to identify our lives with the life of the prodigal son.

The elder son, however, is a different story. This is the harder pill for us to swallow; because, in the elder son, we see the sin of pride at work. We see someone who compares his own actions to that of others in a self-righteous manner. We see a very bitter and judgmental individual. We see someone who assumes the Father’s love for himself but isn’t sure that that love should be given so freely to those who haven’t earned it. And this is an image that we would not care to apply to ourselves.

You see, in the case of the prodigal son, he sought personal forgiveness. He wanted to be shown mercy in regard to his own foolish choices. He wanted His Father to restore him again to the joy of His salvation—just as we all desire for ourselves. But, in the case of the elder son, we witness his refusal to bestow the same mercy and compassion upon others; and, not just upon anyone, but upon his very own brother.

But listen again as to how he refers to him: not as ‘my brother,’ but rather, “this son of yours.” “This son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!” In other words, he chastises his own father for dealing with his brother as kindly as he did. The elder brother sought to remind his father of all the terrible things that his brother had done! What’s more, he compares his brother’s actions to his own actions: “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.”

It is an ugly scene. And that’s why we would much rather identify ourselves with the humility of the younger son than with the self-righteous behavior of the elder son. At least the younger son admitted his mistakes.

But, this is precisely where the Word of God leads us—down a path that we would much rather avoid. It’s significant that, in telling the story, Jesus ends up where it does. How nice it would have been to simply close the parable with the image of the Father and the prodigal son embracing, and simply leave it at that. But our Lord goes beyond the mere surface area of our sentimental hearts, plunging down into the ugly depths of our souls to expose that sin with which we all are plagued—that sin of self-righteous pride.

Even as we sit here today in our Father’s house, there’s a good chance that we are blocking out those very feelings that cause us to look with contempt on the actions of others. We have a hard time dealing with the fact that God should love and forgive others whom we consider to be less faithful than we have been. We especially become resentful when those around us embrace, welcome, and speak cordially to those who may have offended us. “If they only knew the truth,” we might say to ourselves.

And so, it wouldn’t be surprising if we have been so bold as to speak openly with sarcasm and derision about those we don’t like. Or perhaps we have whispered our resentment to those who share the same feelings. Or, at the very least, we have been guilty of thinking bad thoughts in our minds about others. And the worse part of it all is that we imagine that we are completely justified in feeling the way that we do.

But recall the circumstances which prompted Jesus to speak this parable. “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.” The Lord would not allow such attitudes to go unchallenged. It simply was contrary to the holy, loving nature of God. It was an ugly sin; the kind of sin for which Jesus would be punished as He hung upon the cross.

Dearly beloved, it is a good thing that we should earnestly desire the forgiveness of our own prodigal ways. Once again today, God tenderly invites sinners to come and eat with Him. In fact, He would have us partake of Him, for the full remission of our sins. No, it is not the impressive feast of the fattened calf that was enjoyed in the parable; it may appear to be mere bread and wine, but it is so much more. It is the very body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is a heavenly food which not only celebrates the reconciliation between the Father and His lost children; this meal actually bestows the blessings of that reconciliation upon us. Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

As it says in the words of today’s Epistle, “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them,” (2 Cor. 5:19). But then note carefully the words which follow: “and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” That is the message which you are blessed to bring to others; to inform them that it wasn’t just your own sins for which Jesus died. No, He reconciled the whole world unto Himself. Their sins are completely forgiven as well.

And then… and then… to take that message and apply it not just to their reconciliation before God, but also to your own reconciliation in regard to them as well. In the words of St. Paul, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.” Meaning, don’t judge by how you see the situation; for we will always be prone to look at others through critical eyes. Rather, look at them in the same way that Your Father looks at them.

When Jesus ended the parable, He ended it without telling us what the elder son did next. I think that’s because we are the elder son. Our actions will determine how the story turns out. And those actions will guided by two things:

First, to know that self-righteous pride is a sin—a sin for which Jesus suffered and died in our place on the cross. It required nothing less than that sacrifice to pay the price of our iniquities. Therefore, we dare not, we cannot, hold on to such feelings; for, eventually it will destroy faith.

But, in addition, we will be guided by the grace of God which has welcomed us into His family unconditionally. We have sinned against the Father. We do not deserve to be called His children. Nevertheless, God has reclaimed us again and again and again. We marvel at the manner in which His love knows no bounds. And we consider it the greatest privilege to share that love with those who have been forgiven just as we are. It is a holy communion that we share together. For, of all the sons of the Father that we identify with, God has made certain that our closest affinity is to that of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, Whose life has become our own through faith.





Isaiah 12:1–6

1You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. 2“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” 3With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. 5“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. 6Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”



2 Corinthians 5:16–21

16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.



Luke 15:1–3a, 11–32

1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear [Jesus]. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3So he told them this parable: . . . 11“There was a man who had two sons. 12And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27And 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.’ 28But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29but 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. 30But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”