WELCOME Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

WELCOMEBe glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous,

and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

Parables are challenging for us

• The interpretation of parables can be difficult–They are not merely ‘heavenly stories with

earthly meanings’ or ‘helpful illustrations’– Jesus taught his disciples that he used

parables to conceal things from people (e.g. Matthew 13:10-17)


• There are helpful interpretive principles–Context


• The context of today’s parable is revealing1All the tax-collectors and the sinners were coming to listen to him [Jesus]. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled saying, “this man receives sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:1-2)


• The context of today’s parable is revealingIn response Jesus tells three parables–The lost sheep (15:3-7)–The lost coin (15:8-10)–The lost son(s) (15:11-32)


• The context of today’s parable is revealing–We should interpret these parables in light

of the ‘complaint’ of the Pharisees and scribes


• There are additional principles that assist us– End stress–Dialog (direct discourse)


• When we consider these principles we find the primary point is not about the younger son (the prodigal)–The main point relates to the interchange

between the father and the elder son

Parables are challenging to us

• In hearing a parable we are confronted with something significant–The story often ‘deconstructs’ our self-

understanding


• The younger son• Many of us relate to the younger son–We have sought our independence

from God–We pursued ‘happiness’ and found

sadness and pain


• The promise of acceptance–The parable does offer hope to

the prodigal–This hope is not grounded in ‘coming to

his senses’ (v 17)


• The promise of acceptance–The successful return is not produced by

the prodigal’s change of heart– It is guaranteed by the father’s loving

acceptance (vv 20-25)


• The promise of acceptance–There were consequences to the son’s

rejection of the father, but the father did not reject the son–He embraced him on his return• In compassion he embraced the son (v20)

• “My son was dead and is alive, was lost and is found” (v24, cf. v32)

• He welcomed him back into the family


• The elder son• Many of us relate to the elder–We too have been ‘good, dutiful

and obedient’–We haven’t ‘run off’


• The elder son–We too are a little ‘miffed’ when then

repentant sinner gets all the attention (cf. vv29-30)

– It doesn’t seem fair or right(eous)–Why should they get credit for ceasing to

do what they shouldn’t have been doing in the first place?


• The elder son–But the elder son was also distant from

the father–He did not really know him well (vv31-32)


• The elder son–He was mistaken because he thought he

had earned the father’s love, while the younger son had forfeited it (vv29-30)

–The father loved because of who he was, not because of what they had done• NB he says it was fitting to celebrate and

be glad (v32)


• Do we think we need to earn God’s love and acceptance?– If so, how can we know whether we have

done enough?


• If we trust in God’s love, we need not doubt–My failure does not undermine God’s love–There are consequences, but they are

designed to drive me back to God


• A final problem: the refusal to join in the celebration (v28)

– Failure to understand the father– Failure to understand his own

unrighteousness– “Repent or perish”• The parable ends unresolved: did he

remain ‘outside’?

WELCOME Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

Documents

interpretation of parables

younger son

family slide

pain slide

context of todays parable

son v20

promise of acceptance

elder son