The Surprise of Grace

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Good morning Chapel family. Great to be with you all today. I want to say thank you to everyone who reached out last week to express your love and prayers as I walk through this health challenge. We’re still early in the process—lots of tests and doctor visits and research. But I’ve been reminded again what an amazing family the Chapel is. Norma Jean and I have really felt loved, so thank you for that.

Last week we started a series called “Prodigal,” based on Luke chapter fifteen. And the whole thing starts with an accusation. Jesus is out teaching in public, and gathered around him are tax-collectors and sinners: the most despised, undesirable people in that society. The kind of people who would never show up for synagogue. But they’re listening intently as Jesus teaches. Over to the side, watching this happen, are the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Totally opposite kind of people: religious, responsible, respected. Do you remember how they reacted to this crowd around Jesus? They couldn’t believe it! And they muttered, “This man welcomes sinners, and even eats with them.”

So in response to the muttering, Jesus started telling stories. And last week we looked at the first two stories: a shepherd who loses one of his sheep, and a woman who loses one of her coins. In both cases, the person who loses something is devastated; they aggressively go after what they’ve lost, and when they find it, they throw a party! And after both stories, Jesus says, “In the same way, there is rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents.” See, parables are all about using earthly examples to teach spiritual truths. So just like we humans are brokenhearted when we lose something valuable, so is God! Just like we go after what we’ve lost, so does God! And just like, when we find the lost thing we celebrate, so does God. See, the way we view God matters a lot, and Jesus is showing us how God feels about lost people: he’s passionate about finding them and bringing them home.

And then…Jesus tells one last story. And as powerful as the first two were, the last one takes it to a whole other level. Because it’s not about losing an animal or an inanimate object; this one is about a father who loses his son. Do you know what it feels like to have someone you love push away from God and maybe push away from you? It’s painful, isn’t it? We see them moving in a bad direction, and it can be so hard to know how to respond. We need to hear this parable. I believe God is going to use this to speak freshly to us about the prodigals in our lives. So let’s lean in to hear the teaching of Jesus.

I’m going to lay this out a little differently than I normally do. Instead of reading the whole passage up front, I want to preserve the suspense of the story. So I’m going to read one scene at a time, and I’m going to divide this into four scenes.

Let’s call the first scene Rebellion. Rebellion. Luke 15, beginning in verse 11: 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. It doesn’t tell us why he wanted out. Maybe he was fed up with his older brother. We’re going to find out about his big brother later, and it’s possible this younger son was sick and tired of his brother being perfect, and being dad’s favorite, and always being right. Maybe he felt like he could never measure up in his dad’s eyes. Or maybe he just had a lot of teenage hormones—and he wanted to get out and get away and experience the world. It doesn’t say what was driving his request.

But the way he approached his father was highly inappropriate. It was a slap in his dad’s face. See, normally, the inheritance would not be given until the father was…what? Dead. So this younger

brother is basically saying, “Dad—I don’t want anything to do with you; I just want your money!” Can you imagine the insult?! Especially in that culture! Have you ever known anyone from a traditional Asian or Middle Eastern culture? Or maybe that’s your heritage. How do children treat their parents—especially their fathers? Great respect and honor, right? And that’s the kind of culture this took place in. So this request was way out of line.

So everyone listening to this story would assume that the father would give his son a beating for dishonoring the family name, and he’d probably kick him out of the house. But instead, the father gave his son what he asked for. He might have had to sell off some land or other asset to do it, but he complied with the son’s request. He gave his son his share of the inheritance, and let him go.

This is a reminder that our heavenly Father honors our free will. Just like he didn’t build a barbed-wire fence around the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. He doesn’t put chains on us. He doesn’t force us to obey. He grants us freedom. And I have to say, I deeply appreciate that about God. Because if God forced us to love him, it wouldn’t really be love, would it? So even though it breaks God’s heart, he grants us the freedom to rebel against him.

I think there’s a lesson in this for us parents. When our kids reach a certain age, they have to be given freedom to make their own choices. Not when they’re eight, but certainly when they’re eighteen. And sometimes those choices are not the ones we want them to make. Right, parents? That doesn’t mean we should just stand by and say nothing—we should give them our counsel and our warnings. But at a certain point, we need to let them go the way they want to go…just like the Father in Jesus’ story, who represents God. Maybe some of you are in a place in your own life where you need to stop clutching on, and let someone go.

Scene #2: Reality. Continue the story in verse 13: 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.

At first, his new life is amazing! He gets as far away from home as he can, he quickly finds some like-minded friends who just want to party and have a good time. He indulges himself in wine; he indulges himself in women; the freedom is intoxicating—literally and figuratively. But the party doesn’t last long. He wakes up one morning with a hangover; he goes to the ATM with his debit card, and it says he has insufficient funds in his account. He tries texting a few friends but no one texts him back. And as if that’s not bad enough, there’s a famine in the land, and it says he began to be in need. For the first time since he left, he has a little glimmer of doubt. Was this really a good idea? But he quickly chases that thought from his mind. “It’s going to be fine! I just need to find a job!” So he puts his resume out on monster.com, indeed.com. And the job search begins.

Meanwhile, back home, what do you think is going on? From reading the entire parable, it seems to me that there’s a father back home who is heartsick. Every time the family sits down for a meal, there’s that vacant place at the table that reminds him of his missing son. Every time he passes that empty bedroom, there’s a wave of memories that washes over him. First words. First steps. First skinned knee. Every time he sees his older son, it reminds him of the other son that he might never see again. And I think it’s a pretty good guess to say that this father would sit on the porch at the end of the day, scanning the horizon, and wondering: “Where is he? Is he safe? Is he happy? Is he in trouble? Will I ever get to see my son again?”

See, so much of life depends on our view of God. And you have to know that when you turn your back on God—when you walk away from Him—this is how He feels about you. You might not be thinking of Him, but He’s thinking of you.

When I was standing at fraternity parties at college, drunk out of my mind, surrounded by people but feeling completely alone…God was thinking of me.

When you’re indulging in that secret sin…if you’re engaged in an affair, or doing drugs, and you’re just completely turning your back on God, God sees you! And he loves you. He sees the empty place at the table, and he knows it’s your place, and He wants you back. That’s what God is like.

So back at home, the father paces and prays…and waits.

Back in the distant land, the son finds a job: verses 15 and 16: 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. Do you realize how demoralizing this job was? When I was a freshman at Virginia Tech, I got a job working for the nutrition department at the college. They were conducting a study about a certain vitamin. So they had a group of students who would eat a controlled diet for thirty days, and every day they had to come to this lab and bring urine samples. Guess what I got to do? I got to wash out the urine bottles. Hey, I was desperate for money. So that was pretty humiliating! But for this young Jewish man, this was even worse. He was working for a Gentile, and his job was feeding pigs—animals that the Hebrew law said were unclean and shouldn’t be touched. Definitely not what he had in mind when he walked out the door ready to take on the world. No one cared; he had no connections; no friends; no status…it’s as if he didn’t exist. And that emptiness in his stomach reminded him of the emptiness of his life. Reality had struck hard.

Have you ever been there? Your plans have been crushed, and you’re faced with the reality that you’ve failed? It’s one of the most painful things you can experience. And here’s what you need to know: God is in it. Maybe you’re thinking, “God could have prevented it! God could have done something to stop it!” And you’re right—he could have—but there’s something that needs to happen in your heart that would have never happened any other way. Whoever that prodigal is in your life, there’s something that needs to happen in their heart, that wouldn’t happen any other way.

Scene #3: Repentance. Continue in verse 17: 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants 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 servants.’ 20a So he got up and went to his father.

It’s the most important decision he’d ever made. Everything was about to change, and it all hinged on that decision. This is what the Bible calls repentance: turning away from yourself and toward God. When this kid walked out the door of his house, he was all about himself, right? He was completely self-focused and self-reliant. And now he realizes how foolish that was. So he turns away from himself, and he says, “I’m going back to my father!”

You know, it’s so important that Jesus told this third story. Because in the first story, the shepherd goes after the lost sheep and gets him. So the shepherd does all the work. In the second story, the woman goes after the lost coin and gets it. The woman does all the work. But this third story is different. Because the thing that’s lost is not an animal, and it’s not a coin…it’s a person. And that person has a heart and a will. So think about this: what would have happened if the father went after

his son, and found him in the middle of one of his parties, and walked into the house, and grabbed him—“son, you’re coming with me”, and brought him home against his will? What would have happened? He might be home physically, but his heart would still be…where? Out there. And sooner or later, he’d probably run away again.

So this third story is so crucial, because the lost person has to actually have a change of heart. They have to choose to repent. I’m not an expert on addictions, but I know this: when someone is addicted to alcohol or pain pills or heroin, you cannot make them get help. You can’t make them go to detox, or get into rehab, or go to recovery meetings. Some of you have tried that, haven’t you? You threaten them, you bribe them, you drag them along. And it doesn’t work. Because they have to feel the need themselves. They have to hit some kind of bottom, and choose to repent. It has to be their decision. And that’s true with all kinds of prodigals—not just addicts. So in the meantime sometimes all you can do is pray and wait…like the father in this story.

So this young man has hit bottom, and he comes up with a plan. He says, “I’ll go back to my father.” And of course, he’s incredibly nervous about how that will go, so he comes up with a little speech: “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 servants.” And as he travels the long road back home, he rehearses his speech, hoping and praying his dad won’t slam the door in his face.

And that brings us to the fourth and final scene. And some of you are already guessing what I’m going to call it. So far we’ve had Rebellion, Reality, and Repentance. So you know the last scene must be one word, and it must begin with the letter “R,” right? That’s just the way Pastor Dave’s mind works—you think you’ve got me figured out. Bzzt. Wrong answer. Thanks for playing.

There is nothing predictable about this last point. The tax collectors and sinners sitting around Jesus listening to him teach never expected what came next. The Pharisees and teachers of the law, listening from a distance, never saw this coming. So even if you’ve heard this story 100 times before, would you try to feel the shock of it like you’ve never heard it before?

Scene #4: The Shocking, Undeserved, Life-Altering Gift of Grace. There’s no way I can express that in one word. The shocking, undeserved, life-altering gift of grace. Picture the father back home—standing on the porch, squinting. And all of a sudden, there’s a little dot that appears on the horizon. And it’s slowly getting bigger. “Could it be? This person looks so much thinner, and older…but I would recognize that walk anywhere—it’s him!” Now pick it up midway through verse 20: 20b “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with…resentment? His father saw him and was filled with rage. No. His father saw him and was filled with smug satisfaction. Nope. His father saw him , and he was filled with compassion.

And then we read some of the most breathtaking words in all of Scripture: he ran to his son… You have to understand: no self-respecting middle-Eastern man would ever run to anyone. Little boys run. Maybe women run. But not the patriarch of the family. It’s entirely beneath their dignity! It’s just not appropriate! And this father really doesn’t care! He is so overcome with joy at the sight of his son, that he takes off at a sprint.

And he threw his arms around him and kissed him. What a scene! What a glimpse into the heart of our God! No matter how many times I read this, it takes my breath away!

And then the son remembers the speech he’s been rehearsing, and he starts to recite it—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.’ But before he can say one more word, his father interrupts him: 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.

Do you realize all the things the father could have said? “You’re a disgrace—look at yourself!” “I knew when the money ran out you’d come crawling back!” “Have you learned your lesson now?” So many things he could’ve said, but he doesn’t. He says, “Bring the best robe”—that’s the sign that you’re part of the family! He says, “Put a ring on his finger!”—that’s the symbol of the family’s authority. And he says, “Get him some sandals.” I don’t want my son looking like a slave.

So this son, who thought that maybe—if he was lucky—he could become a servant, finds himself welcomed in as an honored part of the family. It’s really shocking.

And then the best part. Remember what happened at the end of the first two parables? What happened when the shepherd got his sheep back and the woman got her coin back? They threw a party! So we knew this was coming, but it’s even better than we expected—verse 23: 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. Man, wouldn’t you love to be at that party?

I like to picture the tax collectors and sinners listening to this story, and their eyes lighting up with the possibilities of what this could mean for them. Is God really that good? I also like to picture the Pharisees, also listening, and they’re probably thinking, “Oh, please.” This kind of teaching elicits strong reactions from people, because this kind of teaching holds up one of the most powerful and controversial forces in the universe: it’s called grace. Grace is the free, undeserved favor of God.

Years ago, there was a conference in England about comparative religions. And at one point, religious experts from around the world were sitting in a room, debating if there’s anything truly unique about the Christian faith. And they couldn’t agree. So after a while, the story goes, C.S. Lewis wandered into the room, and he said, “What’s everybody arguing about?” They said, “We’re trying to decide if there’s anything that Christianity uniquely contributes to world religions. And without any hesitation, C.S. Lewis said, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”

The author Philip Yancey describes the moment like this:

After some discussion, the conference attendees had to agree. The notion of God's love coming to us free of charge, no strings attached, seems to go against every instinct of humanity. The Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of karma, the Jewish covenant, and the Muslim code of law—each of these offers a way to earn approval. Only Christianity dares to make God's love unconditional.

There is no power in the world quite like grace. It’s disarming and surprising and sometimes offensive and challenging and stretching. It’s stunningly beautiful. And Jesus says that when prodigals return home, what they’re going to find is grace.

I know what some of you are thinking. You’re thinking, “Isn’t it wonderful that God can relax his standards, and lighten up, and not be so letter-of-the-law, and just let bygones be bygones, and welcome his son back—makes me feel all warm inside!” If that’s what you’re thinking, you’ve got it all wrong. See, everything Jesus taught, he taught in light of a coming event that would change everything. Every parable—every teaching of Jesus—was taught in light of the cross. Because at the cross, Jesus would pay for every act of rebellion, for every prodigal who dishonors is father, every act of drunkenness or sexual immorality…at the cross, the collective weight of the world’s sin was loaded on the back of Jesus Christ. Don’t underestimate what happened at that moment. Because at that

moment, the justice of God was fully satisfied in the death of Christ. Like it says in 1 John 2:2, He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world. The father who welcomes prodigals home is not a softy! He’s not a pushover! He’s a God of perfect justice, but because of the cross, he’s a God of rich mercy. Amen? There’s nobody like our God.

This is a classic painting by Rembrandt. It’s called The Return of the Prodigal Son. It’s a powerful scene isn’t it? You see that guy on the far right? You know who that is? That’s the older brother. The one who stayed home, and who always tried to please dad. You think he’s happy? Think again. We’ll get to him next week.

Today we’re focused on the younger brother—do you see him there, collapsed at his father’s feet? A little beaten up; a little wiser; very humbled. Stunned by the grace he just received. You get the idea that he has an amazing future ahead of him, because he came back to his father.

So here’s my question: got any younger brothers in your life? Someone who’s pushed away from God. And maybe they’re starting to feel the pain of trying to make life work without God. What would it mean for you to reach out to them and help show them what God is like?

May we be the kind of people, and may we be the kind of church, that shows the world what God is like.