The prodigal son
1.
Most of us are familiar with the parable of the
prodigal son found in Lk. 15, today’s text.
2.
Do we know that a similar parable is found in at least
one other religion?
3.
The Buddhist religion also has a “lost son parable.”
4.
I am not going to read this Buddhist story, but it can
be easily found on the Internet.
5.
If you decide to look at the Buddhist parable of a son,
set aside some time—it is long.
6.
The Buddhist version says there was only one son.
7.
The way this story reads is very unlike what we find in
Lk. 15.
8.
The Buddhist story is, for the lack of a better description,
“very earthly.”
9.
The Bible story is concise and rings of divine
inspiration; the Buddhist story does not.
10.
The basic Bible account of what we have in Lk. 15 is a
father with two sons.
11.
The older son was content to stay at home and the
younger son wanted to go out into the world.
12.
The younger boy asked for his inheritance and his
father gave it to him.
13.
The young man took the money he received, left home,
spent the money, and wound up broke.
14.
We do not know how long the young man was away from
home.
15.
The Buddhist version (which we reject) actually offers
some specific years in its narrative.
16.
Jesus’ parable tells us the young man finally returned
and his father was overjoyed to see him.
17.
His older brother, however, was not quite as enthused
about his brother’s return.
LAST
WEEK WE INTRODUCED THE IDEA OF “FEET RUNNING TO MISCHIEF” (PROV. 6:18).
1)
One clear cut example of someone being guilty of this
is found in the young man in Lk. 15.
a)
We do not know why this young man’s feet wanted to run
to mischief, but they clearly did.
b)
Perhaps this younger son was tired of living under the
“house rules.”
c)
Some children do not like some or all the rules their
parents tell them to follow.
d)
Children may not like to have a specified bedtime. They may not like other household rules.
e)
There may not care for household policies regarding
about school work, house work or yard work.
f)
They may not like parental rules about using the house,
car, or something else.
g)
Some children inform their parents about their desire
to “leave the nest.”
h)
They may say they can’t wait until they are old enough
to leave and be out on their own.
2)
When this time comes, there are cases where children do
leave home.
3)
Some young people leave and allow their feet to take
them straight into sin (they run to mischief).
4)
People often want to “make their own decisions” and
some do choose sin.
a)
While visiting with a man this past week I was reminded
of the time I spent in the military.
b)
This man had also served in the armed forces.
c)
The conversation we had reminded me of how many young
men in the military think.
d)
Some are almost itching to go to a far country and see
what life in other places is like.
5)
Korea is a place that has appealed to some. Others have really wanted to go to the
Philippines.
6)
Young men often hear stories (sometimes wild stories)
about what distant places are like.
7)
These stories create a desire for other soldiers to go
and experience what someone describes.
a)
One wonders if the young man in Lk. 15 had not also
heard some stories.
b)
Perhaps people he knew had gone off to faraway lands
and come back with stories.
c)
Maybe there were stories of adventure—wine, women and
song.
d)
Friends could have told him about their strange sights
and experiences.
e)
Maybe they had some souvenirs from their travels.
1)
Young people are very impressionable and stories about
foreign lands often excite them.
a)
About 200 years ago a lot of shipping activity was
occurring in the northeast part of the U.S.
b)
Young men were needed to sign on as crew members for
ventures on things like whaling ships.
c)
The pay was horrible.
Young men could have made a lot more money by staying home.
d)
There was also danger in being a crew member. Young men lost arms & legs; some died at
sea.
e)
The crusty old sea captains knew how to recruit young
people for the hard and dangerous work.
f)
They told young men tales (great stories) about what
they had seen and where they had been.
g)
Some showed items they had brought back from foreign
lands.
h)
The sea captains didn’t emphasize the hard work, the
long hours, and the possibility of death.
i)
Young men were essentially baited with tall tales and
many of them took the bait.
j)
They signed up.
After they got out to sea, there was no way to turn around and go back
home.
k)
They were on a ship, and sometimes that journey lasted
for several years. Some didn’t return.
2)
This is precisely what happens with sin and it often
happens to young people.
3)
Young men and women get some idea in their head that is
related to sin.
4)
They find some
experience, some activity, or some
pleasure that sounds too good to pass up.
5)
Young people reason they MUST experience this thing and
they “will be okay.”
6)
The young man in Lk. 15 must have thought he would be
okay.
7)
He was young. He
had money. It seems reasonable to
believe he had good health.
8)
It looked like everything was in place to go out and
explore.
9)
This young man’s heart very likely desired that far
country and that is where he finally went.
10) Making
this choice requires a little work.
a)
Let’s look at Lk. 15:12 – READ
b)
This young fellow said, “Father, give me.”
c)
In view of the OT law, this young fellow would have one
day gotten his part of an inheritance.
d)
Coming to his dad and asking for this while dad was
still alive was tacky to say the least.
11) When a person’s has feet
that are headed to mischief, they are usually not concerned about some things.
a)
They are often not concerned with their reputation.
b)
Did not this young man consider that his choice might
ruin his reputation?
c)
The text does not indicate that. The young man was also not overly concerned
with dad’s feelings.
d)
Today feet running to mischief are not overly concerned
with their friends or even their parents.
12) When
someone makes a conscious decision to embrace sin, they often harden their
heart.
13) They
are willing to risk their job, their family, their health, and maybe even their
physical life.
14) Others
will risk their eternal spirit for some pleasurable pursuit.
15) This can happen to a person
at just about any time in life, but the point is especially relevant to young
people.
a)
Over the years many parents have said to their
children, “What you want to do is a mistake.”
b)
“Think about what you are doing.”
c)
“You will regret this choice.”
d) Instead of considering
whether a parent’s advice was good or valid, many re like the young man in
Lk.15.
e)
They set their sights on some activity and they will
not be deterred.
f)
That type of thinking often comes with a very high
price.
16) This
young man not only made a demand of his father, he actually entered into a far
country.
17) He
was able (as we find in Heb. 11:25) to “enjoy the pleasures of sin for a
season.”
a)
It is one thing to go to a place, especially if it is
far away.
b)
It is something else to participate in what is offered in that place.
18) This
young fellow found an area far away from home and he learned some hard lessons.
a)
The end of verse 13 says he “wasted” his inheritance on
“riotous living.”
b)
This young man’s feet got him into mischief.
c)
Jesus may have in mind a specific person or this may
have been a general example in Lk. 15.
d)
Whether Jesus was thinking of a specific person or not, several points are
unchanged.
e)
One point is that mischief (sin) is expensive.
19) When
people choose sin, it will cost them.
20) Virtually
every sin in the Bible comes with some type of price tag in this life.
21) Unrighteous
anger comes with a price that may come in the form of health problems.
22) Others
sins have led to various types of diseases or criminal prosecution.
23) We
see examples of sin creating financial setbacks for people.
24) When
feet run to mischief, there is a cost.
25) That
cost can be a onetime fee, or it may last months, years, or even a lifetime.
26) In
the worst case scenario, it will follow people into eternity.
27) The
young man in Lk. 15 is someone who digressed into riotous living.
a)
After his money was gone some people may have helped
him for a little while.
b)
A time came when times got pretty rough.
c)
Lk. 15 is a passage that describes a bad economy.
d)
There was no stimulus package to jumpstart things for
this young man.
e)
There was no government check in the mail for him.
f)
Verse 14 – READ.
g)
This young fellow finally found himself feeding pigs,
verse 15.
h)
If this were a Jewish young man, this job would have
been especially disgusting.
28) Finally
he decided it would be wise to go back home.
29) That
decision must not have been easy.
a)
I wonder if the young man didn’t almost run to go the
place where he thought fun would be.
b)
When it was time to go home, I wonder if he was moving
as fast as when he left.
c)
Perhaps the trip home was a good bit slower because he
would have to admit some things.
d)
The guilt on this young man’s heart was great – verse
18 – READ.
30) When
people allow themselves to embrace sin, guilt is a common consequence.
31) Some
carry that guilt to their grave. It
hounds them like an aching body part.
32) There is no relief and no
rest. People would give almost anything
to find some peace, but it escapes them.
33) We
do not want to have feet that run to mischief at any time in life, especially
during the early years.
34) Some
make this choice and they may tell us they are having a lot of fun—the time of
their life.
35) Eventually
the feet that run to mischief take people to a consequence.
a)
I am old enough to see how some people have aged over a
span of several years.
b)
I have observed something over the years and that
observation is increasing.
c)
Many who have allowed their feet to run to mischief
have not only aged prematurely, but horribly.
d)
Some who should look like they are in their 30’s (their
actual age) look like they are in their 50’s.
e)
People who should have bodies that are still in good
shape are in terrible shape.
f)
The pathetic condition of these people is not due to
circumstances beyond their control.
g)
No, people have let their feet run to mischief and they
got to face the bitterness of sin.
36) For
a while the sin they choose may have looked awfully good to them and maybe good
to us.
37) Looking
at others who have eagerly embraced sin tells us they made a very bad choice.
38) We
want to keep our feet headed in the right direction.
39) Hopefully
this is the choice we have made and are continuing to make.
40) What
if, this is not how we have lived our life?
41) What
if our feet have run towards what is evil?
Is there hope for us?
42) Can
things be turned around?
43) There
is hope and this is found in the story for today’s lesson.
44) Verses
22-24 – READ.
45) The
young man was restored. Coming back was
hard. It required some humility.
46) Perhaps
the young man was in some respects afraid about what his father would say or
do.
47) He
wanted to come back, he did return, and he was accepted.
48) This
is also true for those who become Christians.
49) If
we have used our feet to go away from God, we can use our feet to return to
God.
50) Today
there is a simple question before us.
51) Are
our feet turned towards God or away from God?
They cannot be pointed in both directions.