I shall be preaching at Culloden Baptist Church this Sunday, in preparation I have been studying Luke chapter 15. In Luke chapter 15 Jesus is having another run in with the Pharisees over the "tax collectors and sinners" who are responding to Jesus message. He then tells three parables, the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin and then the parable traditionally called the Prodigal Son. However there is much more going on in this parable, someone has suggested that it should be called the parable of the compassionate Father. That is a better title than the traditional one, the Father is the central character. However the parable finishes with a twist the "prodigal son" is in the banquet dressed in his fathers robes and receiving good things. While the elder son refuses to acknowledge either his father or his brother whom he refers to as "this son of yours." The parable ends with the younger sin definitely in the father's family and the elder brother is out it ends with a cliff hanger, will the elder son go in or stay out. Joel Green suggests concerning the pharisees that at the time Jesus was speaking to them the jury was still out on whether they would come in or not. Elsewhere he suggests by not acknowledging the out castes who have come in, they place themselves out of God's grace. I would therefore suggest the title is better as the parable of the prodigal sons or the parable of the disobedient sons. I believe we should all be like the younger brother who acknowledges where he stood with the Father, knowing his sins and his need of forgiveness. If we have been believers for a while we can find ourselves like the older brother, thinking that we are earning our way into the kingdom and looking down on anyone else. May we continue to see that we are sinners saved by God's extraordinary grace.
God Bless
Stephen
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