I have been reading a book at the suggestion of Pastor Dan called "The Prodigal God." The book is fairly short and fairly simple, but it is also an excellent reminder of a profound truth.
If you turn to Luke chapter 15, verse 11, you will likely find a heading just above that reads something like "Jesus tells the Parable of the Lost Son" or "The Prodigal Son" depending on the version of the Bible you are reading. We tend to think of this well-known parable as being about God's mercy and grace toward the lost -- and it certainly is about that. The Point of "The Prodigal God," though, is that the parable is not just about one son, but two.
In fact, the parable arguably is more focused on the prodigal's brother than on the prodigal himself. The event leading to Jesus telling this parable was the grumbling of the Pharisees about Jesus spending time with tax collectors and sinners. In response to this, Jesus actually told three parables -- this one being the last. Importantly, Jesus is not speaking so much to the sinners and tax collectors, as He is the Pharisees.
The emphasis of the story is not so much on God's grace toward the return of the disobedient and wayward brother, as it is on the good and obedient brother's reaction to his father's mercy. You see, when the lost brother returned, the older brother who had served his father faithfully all along did not share in his father's joy. Quite to the contrary. The father put on a great celebration, but the older brother refused even to go in.
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.’”
Luke 15:28-31.
We could spend a good deal of time talking about what I mean by religious, but at bottom its a heart thing. God wants us to love Him. He is not too excited about people who claim spiritual superiority. He certainly doesn't appreciate arrogance.
But, one of the problems with a religious spirit -- one of the reasons that this sin is particularly dangerous -- is that it is subtle. It sneaks up on us. We often don't recognize it in ourselves. It is an infection that often spreads slowly, has no early symptoms and indeed mimics for a time a love for God.
Now, I want to let you in on a little secret. I love God and I love people (but that, I hope, is not the secret). The truth is that there are times when I am infected by a religious spirit. There are times when a sense of spiritual superiority sneaks up on me unrecognized. Well, at least unrecognized by me!
But, I thank God that I have a wife who is quick to recognize that spirit when it finds me, and not at all bashful about telling me when I am acting or thinking like a jackass. And, you know what -- we all need someone like Pam in our lives. I am praying that God will continue to work any religious spirit out of me. But until He does, I will continue to thank Him for putting Pam and others in my life who are willing to be honest with me.
And, by the way, one of the other reasons that a religious spirit is so dangerous is that it causes people to turn away from God or keeps them from finding Christ in the first place. When others see a religious spirit in us, it just plain makes Christianity look unappealing. Our purpose is to draw people toward Christ -- not to push them away.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
15 Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’(H) 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Lost Son
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 men 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 men.’ 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.’”
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