Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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*Intro: Luke 15:1-10*
*The story: Luke 15:11-32*
The younger son –
· Grew up with privilege – all his needs were met.
· At some point a root of entitlement, ungratefulness and pride began to grow in his heart.
· He decided in his late teen years to take what was rightfully his and set out on his own.
· He went to his father and asked for his part of the family inheritance.
o Jewish law allowed his father to divide the inheritance
§ 2~/3 to the oldest son
§ 1~/3 to the youngest son
o Jewish law also said the younger son was justified in asking for his portion.
o However, it was considered extremely bad form.
o In essence he was telling his father, “I wish you’d hurry up and die.”
Or, “Give me what I’ll get anyway when you die.”
· So he took his inheritance and a short time later headed off to a distant land.
· Once he arrived, he began to indulge his every desire… a real party animal so to speak.
· All the while thinking he was on top of the world
· But it didn’t take long for him to spend it all.
o Suddenly he was no longer able to keep his life-style going.
o To make matters worse, a famine hit the land at the same time.
· The tables had turned.
o His party friends had probably abandoned him, either because they had problems of their own or they just did not want the downer of him hanging out with them.
o Now he was destitute and starving.
o Obviously viewed as useless by the world around him.
o Not long ago he had all he needed in his Father’s house.
· He found work though… slopping pigs.
o He was at the bottom of society.
o So low he was doing what was forbidden by Jewish law
§ “Cursed is he who feeds swine.”
o In his culture, pigs were considered dirty, filthy, unclean animals.
o And here he was, feeding the despised swine while he was starving.
o He was so hungry, if he could have he would have eaten the corn-cobs that were a part of the slop, but no one would give him anything… even pig slop was to good for him.
· And then, probably for the first time in years, /he came to himself/.
o Here he was, begging for pig slop to eat while back at home, his father’s hired-hands had three meals a day with food to spare.
o He had used up his inheritance and had nothing to show for it other than squalor.
o So he decided to head home, throw himself on the mercy of his father and beg to be brought on as a hired-hand, not as a son.
§ In fact a /slave/ could be considered more a part of a family than a hired-hand.
§ The hired-hand could be dropped at any time.
§ They were disposable.
§ That’s all he was hoping for; a disposable position serving his former family.
o As he neared his former home, the landscape looking familiar again and his heart pounding, he thoughts obsessed on the probable reception he would receive.
§ “I’ve proven myself to be a complete fool.”
§ “I’ve thrown away everything that was given to me.”
§ “My father is probably ashamed, angry, and disgusted with me.
He hast to hate me.”
§ “I’m an embarrassment to my family.”
§ “I deserve the worst.”
o Then he lifts his head up and sees his father running towards him; the dreaded moment in time he had been trying to prepare for.
§ All he could think of was the line he had carefully rehearsed on his long walk.
§ “Father, I’ve sinned against God and I’ve sinned against you.
I don’t deserve to ever be called your son again.
Treat me like one of your hired hands.”
§ No way there would be a happy ending to this story.
§ But when his father reached him he was shocked by what happened.
· His father embraced him and kissed him.
· He barely had time to choke out his rehearsed lines…
o “Father, I’ve sinned against God and I’ve sinned against you.
I don’t deserve…”
· But his father acted as if he hadn’t heard a word his youngest son had said.
o There was a whirl-wind of activity around him.
§ Some of the family slaves immediately surrounded him, dragging him to the house in his bewilderment.
§ He was given clean clothes and new shoes.
§ They put the family ring on his finger.
· In essence he was given honor, status as a son, and the authority of the family.
§ It was as if he had never left… actually he was treated better than if he had never left.
§ And topping it off a little while later he was ushered into a party where he was apparently the guest of honor.
o At some point, the youngest son had to have had a moment to stop and begin taking this all in.
§ How overwhelming it must have been.
§ To reject your father, your family and selfishly leave with your inheritance.
§ Throw it away on wild living.
§ Then come back looking for a hand-out.
§ He knew he deserved a beating, or shunning or tar and feathering.
§ Not new clothes, renewed status and a party.
§ It was something he just could not understand.
The older son –
· Meanwhile, the older son was walking back to the house after a long day in the fields.
· He had a perspective on his younger brother too.
o Many a time he’d hear his younger brother going on and on about how bad life was under the old man’s roof.
o His rules, his ways, his house.
o The older brother found him to be a whinny, ungrateful, spoiled brat; probably all true.
o When his younger brother left with his portion of the inheritance, a part of the older brother was glad to see him go.
o He would stay on and prove his loyalty to his father.
o Albeit, more out of duty than love.
· And the older brother did just that.
He worked hard at the family business the entire time the younger son was gone; he never let the father down.
He did everything required of him.
· In his mind he had chalked up a lot of points with him.
· He had reason to be self-righteous and he was.
· So as he approached the house that evening, he was curious to hear the sounds of a party going on.
o It had been awhile since he had heard sounds like that.
o Laughing, singing, lots of commotion.
o It sounded like fun, but he was a bit curious.
o He hadn’t heard of any plans for a party from his father.
o Why wasn’t /he/ told about the party?
· Just then one of the family slaves came hurrying by.
o “What’s going on in there?” he called out.
o The slave said, “Oh, your brothers’ back.
The father’s ordered a big barbeque and party because he came home safe and sound.”
· The older brother just about threw up.
o He felt his stomach climb up over his heart and into his mouth.
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