What is in our heart? Why do we do what we do?
This week we are looking at a story many of us have heard time after time growing up in a church, its the story of the prodigal son. Only this week Tim is challenging us to take our eye off an obvious and take a look at a deeper meaning in this classic story. Have you ever read this story and thought to yourself how odd it is that the prodigal sons older brother is so angry when he comes home. I've always thought...what a mean brother.. shouldn't he be happy and celebrate with the family... It turns out he was concerned about his father spending all this money on his spoiled selfish younger brother who had already squandered away all of his inheritance. "I have been the perfect son", he was thinking, "not only has my brother squandered his inheritance now your using mine to pay for a huge party for him....instead of paying me back for my devotion and obediance, are you serious Dad?....."
In the story the younger prodigal son was a very obvious sinner. He did many immoral things things outwardly that people could see, he was publicly shamed and had great embarrassment and stigma for his actions. His older brother on the other hand was someone we would look at and say, "what a great guy." He would have made straight A's, went to a great college, had a lovely family, and been at the top of his company within a few short years. This older brother knew just what was expected of a good moral man and made sure to display it proudly for all to see. But sadly the older brother who "had it all together" was the furthest from freedom!
It's very easy to see the sin in the younger brothers life in this story, however what do we see when we look deeper at the older brothers heart? Why was he acting the way he was? The older brother knew that by living out this moral life his father would be proud of him and he would gain the approval of man. He also knew he would inherit his fathers money one day. He wanted to be revered and had grown prideful at his ability to stay on the straight and narrow. He looked down on those who couldn't keep it together as he could. But "the father" sees the true freedom in his younger son when he comes home and this is why he throws him a huge PARTY!
Which brother are we? Maybe we are not living a wild lifestyle but if we could without feeling public embarrassment or shame, would we? Do we refrain from immoral behavior only because we do not want the personal consequences or simply to gain worldly approval? This addiction is just as debilitating as the physical addictions the younger brother dealt with. Whichever brother we are God wants us to get out of our prison. We do not have to be concerned with how we will need to change our behaviors if we decide to follow God. There is freedom in following the Lord that we don't have to BE anyone or anything other than ourselves, we just seek Him and He will walk with us, sinful and all.
Praying for a free heart this week!
Tim Keller:
Religion says: "I obey, therefore Im accepted" (the older brother)
The Gospel says: "Im accepted, therefore I obey" (the younger brother after repentance)
Religion says: "When I am criticized, I am furious or devastated, because it is critical that I think of myself as a "good person". Threats to that self image must be destroyed at all costs.
The Gospel says: When I am criticized I struggle, buts its not essential for me to think of myself as a "good person". My identity is not built on my record or performance but on God's love for me in Christ.
Luke 15:11-32
The Parable of the Lost Son...and his older brother
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
No comments:
Post a Comment