Monday, November 2, 2009
Lost and Found, Part 44 of 78
TEXT: "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And the servant said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has returned him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' But the older brother was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So the son answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found'." (Luke 15:25-31)
IDEA: The elder brother, for all of his respectability, doesn’t understand his father’s grace.
PURPOSE: To make listeners aware that they can be at work in the father’s house but be a long way from the father’s heart.
I. Suppose I am an investigator and I am trying to get an evaluation of a young man who lives in the community. I want to talk to at least two people who know the family:
Tell me about the family. What can you tell me about them?
Tell me about the boys. There are two of them. What are they like? I’m looking for character traits - things like that.
If you were going to recommend one of those young men for a responsible position, which would you choose? Why?
II. I’m concerned about an incident that happened a few weeks ago. It was about a party that the father gave (Luke 15:25-31).
Why do you think the older son refused to attend the party thrown by his father?
Do you think that the older son ever really understood why his father was so concerned about the younger brother who had gone off to Damascus?
Wasn’t it an insult for the older brother to stay outside and make a scene?
Custom required his presence. At a banquet in the Near East the eldest son is expected to move among the guests. He offers compliments and makes sure everyone has enough to eat and drink. It’s a way of saying to the guests, “You are very special. My oldest son is your servant tonight.”
What kind of house are we talking about? What did it look like? (cf Luke 7:36-38)
Isn’t this an insult?
Didn’t the older boy break with his father over the issue of his father’s kindness to his younger brother? Isn’t that the basic issue?
Who was to blame for the hostility between the father and the older son?
