Throughout our series on forgiveness we have seen again and
again that Jesus’ definition of sin is at variance with so many of the
definitions we hear today. Nearly
everyone defines sin as the breaking of rules or standards. But Jesus demonstrates, in His dealings with
the Pharisees, that men who violate virtually no legal standards can be just as
sinful, just as spiritually lost as the most immoral person among us. Why?
Because, as the Gospel shows, sin is not just breaking the rules, it’s
putting yourself in the place of God as Savior, Lord, and Judge. And that’s exactly what we see in the final
of three stories in Luke 15.
In answer to the grumblings of the scribes and Pharisees –
“Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them” (same charge leveled in last week’s
Luke 19 text) Jesus tells of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and two lost sons. This week we look at the first of the two,
the youngest son. He’s often called “The
Prodigal Son”, but as Tim Keller wisely points out in his book, The Prodigal
God, the definition of “prodigal” is (1) recklessly extravagant and (2)
having spent everything. Therefore, the
most prodigal one in this story is God, the Father. The problem with the younger son is the same
problem the older one has, he’s placed himself in God’s seat – the very
definition of sin according to Jesus.
Years ago, one of my mentors was fond of talking about “the
law of reciprocity.” He called it a
spiritual law –a law established by God in creation. The law as he described it went something
like this: When you are faithful and
give to the Lord and His kingdom, He will reciprocate by honoring your gift
with more abundance. A text commonly
used to support this law is the parable of the talents.
However, there’s another way to look at the law of reciprocity
that’s more commonly taught and practiced by Jesus. We see it in the parable of the man who owes
the king a great debt (Mt. 18:23f). We
see it all through this final story of lostness in Luke 15. For Jesus, the answer to the question, “How can
you expect me to forgive?” is simple.
Those who know that they have been forgiven much will forgive much.
Again Tim Keller is helpful.
On pages 120 and 121 of The
Prodigal God he tells of a woman who came to Redeemer Church in Manhattan,
New York City. She said that she had
gone to a church as a youth that taught that God accepts us only if we are
sufficiently good and moral. But now she
was hearing a different message. The
message was the Gospel. She was hearing
that we are, and can only be, accepted by God by sheer grace through the work
of Christ regardless of what we have done or will do. But then she added, “That’s a scary idea!”
Keller was intrigued, so he asked her to explain, and
explain she did. She replied, “If I was saved
(forgiven) by my good works, then there would be a limit to what God could ask
of me or put me through. I would be like
a taxpayer with rights…But if it is really true that I am a sinner saved by
sheer grace – at God’s infinite cost – then there’s nothing He can’t ask of me
or put me through.” BINGO!
As we’ve mentioned several times throughout our series,
every sin comes at a cost. The only
question is, “Who will pay it?”
Forgiveness means the offended party pays. Justice means the offender pays. The foundational truth of the Gospel is
this: Jesus paid it all for you. The payment is complete and finished. Therefore, in light of that, any attempt to
pay what’s already been paid is a fool’s errand. Conversely, to demand of another what’s
already been paid is an arrogant blasphemy.
Both errors are highlighted in this great story. That’s why we’ve chosen to end our series
with it, over these last two weeks we will spend our time where most of us are
stuck.
In preparation for Sunday’s message you may wish to consider
the following:
- Who, in Mark Twain’s opinion, is the greatest storyteller ever?
- How can Muslims use the younger son’s story as a defense of their faith?
- What is the connection between the lost sheep, the lost coin, and this first lost son?
- What is the problem with the younger son’s request in verse 12?
- What does “dividing his property between them” mean?
- What is the nature of the son’s sin in verse 13?
- What does verse 17 mean when it says, “he came to himself”?
- Where have we heard the words of verse 18 before?
- Why does the father run to him when he’s a long way off?
- What does it mean for the father to give the robe, the ring, the sandals, and the fattened calf in verses 22 and 23?
- How does this story form the basis for our forgiveness of others?
