1
The greatest short story in the world

• Lk.151-2, the attitude of the Pharisees and
  scribes toward lost people
• 3-7, lost sheep
• 8-10, lost coin
• 11-24, lost son
• First two the seeking love of God
• Third the human side (e.g., repentance)
• In each the owners self-sacrificing care

2
Lk.15

• 12, Dt.2117
• 13, Ep.217
• The gathering quickly became a scattering
• Prodigal one who does not save
• Aristotle A mixture of intemperance and
  prodigality
• 14, coincidences reveal the working of providence

3
Lk.15

• 15-16, fair-weather friends
• Freedom from righteousness is slavery to sin
• The whole heathen world at this time asked, Who
  will show us any good?
• Weariness, despair, and suicide were universal
• 17-20a
• Any change would be a relief

4
Lk.15

• 20b, Ac.2037
• A true penitent grieves not for what he lost, but
  for what he did
• 21-22, actions speak louder than words
• 23, a special occasion
• 24, explains and justifies the Lords kindness to
  outcasts and sinners

5
I How The Younger Brother Talked

• 1. For himself, 12 give me
• The profit became a poison (Ro.124-28)
• Thinking only about himself, he fails to see the
  grief he causes his father
• In Gods house far from God
• The selfish person eventually brings the worst
  grief on himself
• Some must learn the hard way

6
2. To himself, 17-18a I perish

• Came to himself took stock of life
• He didnt do this while partying
• He realized his spiritual condition I perish
  
• Ro.623. Ep.21 514 1 Pt.225
• He realized the benefits of his fathers house.
  Am.811
• Self-examination is taking spiritual inventory.
  2 Co.135

7
3. Against himself, 18b-21 I have sinnedam not
worthy

• With realization came determination
• Note what he did not say
• If I have sinned
• Maybe I have sinned
• Some think I have done wrong
• I made a mistake, but nobodys perfect

8
II How The Older Brother Talked

• 1. Against his father
• 26 with suspicion. 1 Tim.64
• 28 with anger
• Instead of going to his father to discuss it, he
  pouts
• Vv. 20, 28 (Lk.1334)
• 29b with complaining

9
2. For himself, 29a with self-righteousness

• He imagines the best about himself
• Vv. 1-2 Ro.101-2
• The younger son confesses w/o excuse the older
  boasts w/o confession
• His relation to his father is more like a slave
  than a son

10
3. Against his brother

• 30 with contempt This son of yours
• 30 with slander
• It is easier to confess to God than to many a man
  2 Sm.2414

11
III How The Father Talked

• With grace, 22 marks of sonship
• Only after the son talked against himself did
  someone talk for him (16, 22-23)
• With joy, 23 31-32 (cf. v.10)
• The issue is joy
• With restoration, 24
• The father gained a son the older son, a brother

12
IV Lessons

• 1. There is no sin that the blood cannot save if
  we are willing to repent
• The younger brother seemed to have strayed too
  far to return
• Our Father supplies the grace
• The parable of the Loving Father
• We supply the repentance. The order
• Sin (12-13), Misery (14-16), Repentance
  (17-20), Forgiveness (20-24)

13
2. The far country

• teaches us more than we want to know
• takes us farther than we want to go
• Poverty
• Disease
• Shame
• Addiction
• Guilt
• Condemnation

14
The Easy Road

• At first, the world served his pleasures at
  last, he became its slave
• Ive found the things of God are often very hard
  to do at the beginning, but they are very easy
  and peaceful in the end. While the wrong
  choices are so easy to make at the beginning,
  they end up so complicated and full of
  difficulties and regrets later

15
3. Our spiritual condition depends on our
attitude

• Self
• Others
• God
• The first sign of going wrong is yearning for
  spurious liberty
• He who would not be ruled by God is compelled to
  serve the devil

16
4. It is easier to see the faults of others and
more fun too!

• Self-righteousness is sin as well as
  unrighteousness
• Mt.2131-32
• The one who apparently did not stray, ended up
  being the one far from the Father

17
5. It is easier to forgive ourselves than to
forgive others

• Mt.2014
• The Jews were not impoverished when God extended
  His love to Gentiles
• The Conclusion
• The Pharisees and Scribes would have to write it