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COMPASSION 27
GOD'S COMPASSION TOWARDS A REBELLIOUS SON
Luke 15:11-32
(cmpas27.doc)
*ARE YOU AFRAID OF GOD?*
When Harry A. Ironside, former pastor of Moody Memorial Church, was a young man, he liked to romp with his children, pretending he was a bear.
He would make a "den" by placing some chairs in a corner with an opening on one side.
Then he'd get down on all fours, growl, and chase the youngsters around the room.
One time as they were playing this game, his little son ran into the opposite corner and covered his face.
He was so excited he began to scream in fear as he heard the "bear" approach and felt his hot breath on his neck.
But then he suddenly turned and rushed into his father's arms saying, "I'm not a bit afraid, `cause you're not really a bear; you're my own papa!"
Ironside immediately thought, "O God, at one time I was that way.
I was trying to get away from You, treating You as if You were my enemy--as though the worst thing in the world would be to commune with You.
I thank You for running me down!" His dread had given way to a warm and joyous intimacy, for he realized that Jesus had paid for his sins.
He no longer needed to cower before his Creator.
Often in our immaturity, we treat God as an enemy and refuse to obey or please Him.
Our perception of Him is corrupted by selfishness, sin, and silliness.
Yet, God loves us anyway, because His nature is love.
He continuously demonstrates His love toward us by being compassionate towards us, even in our rebellion.
We can see this illustrated for us in Luke 15:11-24.
Would you turn there with me please.
Follow along silently as I read this aloud for us.
The narrative before us is a parable.
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
Parables were snatches of everyday life which conveyed a spiritual truth.
To get the full benefit of this parable, we need to understand the backdrop against which it was spoken.
We must go back to verses one and two of this chapter.
Would you notice those verses with me please.
Luke 15:1-2.
We see here that the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near Jesus to listen to him, but the Pharisees and the scribes were complaining about this.
They complained because Jesus received and ate with common tax-gatherers and sinners.
To understand this you must know the character and values of the Pharisees and scribes.
The Pharisees were a religious party or school among the Jews at the time of Christ.
The scribes were Pharisees who were interpreters and teachers of the Mosaic Law.
The word `Pharisee' means `separated'.
This was one of the chief religious parties among the Jews.
The Pharisees believed in being separated from anything that was common or unclean.
They considered the tax-gatherers and sinners as unclean.
The Pharisees were Legalists who multiplied the demands of the law.
\\ The Pharisees and the scribes were always in opposition to all the Jesus taught, did and represented.
They were trying to discredit Jesus and refute His claim to being the Messiah, The Son of God.
They were saying, "If He was the Son of God, He would know the law; and if He knew the law, He would not receive or eat with common people who could tarnish His ceremonial cleanliness."
It was against this backdrop that Jesus puts forth three parables: the parable of the Shepherd and the Lost Sheep, the parable of The Woman and the Lost Coin, and the parable of The Father and the Lost Son.
/(With that backdrop let's move into the circumstances of this third parable.)/
I.
THE CIRCUMSTANCES (OR SETTING).
The setting of this narrative is a typical Jewish home.
In this home there are two sons.
The younger son asks His father to give him his share of the inheritance.
In Jewish culture this was the same as saying to your father, "I wish you would die," because the inheritance was never dispersed until the father was dead.
Although the oldest son said nothing, nothing at least that is recorded, this loving father divided his wealth between his two sons.
Soon afterward the younger son gathered everything that he had and journeyed to Los Angeles, California.
There he squandered his estate with loose living.
He went to all the night clubs.
He went to all the rap concerts.
He drank up some of his money.
He lost some of it gambling.
He spent some of it on prostitutes.
With some of the money, He bought things that He had always wanted: shoes, suits, radios, walkmans, etc.
He went to Disney Land and Universal Studios whenever he got ready.
He did it all.
That is why this parable is called the parable of the "Prodigal Son."
The word "Prodigal" means one who is
"1: given to reckless extravagance; unrestrained in spending or using up one's means" (Webster).
When he had spent all of his money, a severe depression occurred and he began to be in need.
So, he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of the country and accepted a job feeding pigs.
No self-respecting Jew would eat pig, let along feed them.
Things got so bad that he was longing to eat the slop that the hogs were eating, and no one was giving him anything to him.
He had once had friends, but when his money ran out - so did his friends!
He found Los Angeles to be a callous city full of callous people.
Sin will take you down, and when you get down there is no one to pick you up.
But something happened and he came to his senses.
He said to himself, "My father's hired hands have plenty of food.
Why am I out here starving?
I'm going to get up from here and go home.
When I get home, I'm going to confess my sins and ask him to hire me as one of his servants."
So He got up and went home to his father.
\\ /(Let's briefly get to know all the characters in this parable.)/
II.
THE CHARACTERS.
There are two antagonists in this parable.
The first antagonist is the prodigal son.
You have already surmised that.
But there is also a second antagonist in the parable.
The second antagonist is the elder or oldest son.
We shall consider his words and actions later.
The protagonist is a certain man who was a father.
We shall get to know him better as we move into the conflict or action of this parable.
/(Let's do that now!)/
III.
THE CONFLICT (ACTION OR PLOT).
The conflict of this story revolves around how this father is going to respond this rebellious, disrespectful son.
How is this father going to respond to this son who wished him dead?
How would you respond to this situation as a person; as a parent?
/(Well the climax of this story is the heart of the action, because it is concerned with the response of the father to this wayward lad.
So, let's move on and consider:)/
IV.
THE CLIMAX OR CULMINATION.
/(The climax of this parable is wrapped up in the actions towards his son.
The younger brother represented the tax-gatherers and sinners, while the Father represented Jesus Christ.
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