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Northwest Church of Christ 3904 38th Street NW Canton, Ohio 44718 330-492-5523 Fax: 330-493-7119 |
“A Story To Remember” |
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I. Introduction.
A. In the course of His ministry on earth, Jesus told a number
of stories, all with points relevant to His hearers, and all
with themes relevant to peoples’ relationship with God and
with one another. A number of these stories also reveal the
nature of the kingdom of God.1. Of all the 37 parables recorded in the four gospels,
two are probably better known than any others.
One of these is the story of the “Good Samaritan,”
found in Luke 10. The other is that of the
“Prodigal Son,” Luke 15:11-32.2. Even people who know little of the Bible have
generally heard of, and can recite some of the
details from, these two stories.B. The tale of the prodigal son has especially become a part
of both our spiritual and literary traditions.1. William Shakespeare borrowed points from the
story and adapted them for use in his plays,
particularly “The Merchant Of Venice” and
“Henry IV.”2. Arthur Sullivan (of the musical duo Gilbert and
Sullivan) used the exact words of the Bible story
as the basis of his composition called “The
Prodigal Son.”3. The Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev put the
plot in the form of a ballet, and Benjamin Britten
turned the story into an opera. Another musician,
Hank Williams, recorded a song called “The
Prodigal Son” to compare the son’s homecoming
to the joys of heaven.
4. Museums all over the world are stocked with works
of art featuring the prodigal’s experience.C. Even our language itself is full of words, and imagery,
borrowed from this story. It’s common to hear a wayward
child referred to as a “prodigal son” (or “daughter”). To
“kill the fatted calf” refers to an extravagant celebration,
and “riotous living” is generally understood to mean a
lifestyle given over to self-gratification.D. Of all Jesus’ parables, the story of the wasteful son is
certainly one of the most richly detailed, powerfully
dramatic, and intensely personal. It evokes a wide range
of emotions: from sadness to triumphant joy. And, the
characters of the story are familiar types of people with
whom it’s easy to identify.1. The willful son, immature, yet seeking to be
independent.2. The loving father, grieving for a lost child whom he
allowed to make mistakes.3. The angry elder brother, resenting his father’s
forgiveness of his younger brother, and feeling
slighted by the father he felt he’d served faithfully.E. Jesus, in this memorable story, uses descriptions that would
make a strong impression on His hearers.1. There’s the desperation of the prodigal, so hungry
he was willing to eat husks taken from the food fed
to the swine. He had left home an insolent child
and, now, was a thoroughly broken man.2. There is a father, no doubt heartbroken and deeply
wounded by a son’s foolish rebellion, but
expressing pure joy, with no hint of bitterness, when
that son staggers home.3. There is the hard-hearted elder brother, unmoved by
his father’s love.E. The very first point about this parable we must grasp is that
it is not a warm, feel-good message, but a wake-up call that
carries with it a warning.II. Interpreting Jesus’ Parables.
A. The cardinal rule for interpreting any of Jesus’ parables is
to focus upon the one, central, lesson to be taken from the
story. It’s not good to try to “overanalyze” a parable by
attempting to find meaning in every detail.B. Parables are plainly, and deliberately, figurative, but they
are not allegories, in which every detail carries some kind
of symbolism. A parable is, first and foremost, a
comparison, done in story form.1. The very word “parable” comes from the Greek,
and literally means something placed alongside
something else, for the purpose of pointing out
the likeness between the two objects.2. In Jesus’ time on earth, parables were a very
common form of teaching.C. Because of the richness of its details, the parable of the
prodigal son has been subjected to more interpretations
than just about any other story Jesus told. But, the creation
of meanings for scripture is never a valid way to interpret
any part of the Bible. If you follow such a course, you can
ultimately make the Bible mean anything you choose.D. The details in the story of the prodigal son are not provided
to add multiple layers of spiritual meaning to the parable’s
one, central, lesson, but to make that one central, lesson
truly come alive. The interpretation of the parable becomes
much easier if we view the imagery as one would in a first-
century farming village.1. Put in its proper context, in Luke 15, the parable
makes perfect sense. It has as its central theme
heavenly joy over earthly repentance.2. The prodigal represents the typical sinner who
comes to repentance.3. The father’s patience, love, generosity, and delight
over his son’s return all are clear representations
of divine grace.4. The elder brother’s cold indifference reflects the
same evil hypocrisy Jesus confronted in the hearts
of the hostile Jewish leaders, the very people to
whom He told the story (Luke 15:2). These men
represented the “sinners” who flocked to Jesus, and
they tried to cover their indignation with religious
pretense. But, their attitudes betrayed both their
unbelief and self-centeredness. Jesus’ parable tore
the mask off of their hypocrisy.5. Jesus pointed out the sharp contrast between God’s
delight in the redemption of sinners, and these
men’s unbending hostility toward these same
people.E. Keeping this central lesson in mind, we can then draw from
the details of the story lessons about grace, forgiveness,
repentance, and God’s attitude toward sinners.III. Conclusion.
A. There’s a very good reason why this story is memorable
to so many. We can see ourselves in this story. It reminds
us of the best, and the worst, in human beings.1. For believers in Christ, it is a humbling reminder of
how much we owe to the grace of God.2. For those still unrepentant, the prodigal’s
experience reminds them of the wages of sin, the
need for repentance, and the goodness of God
toward those who do truly repent.3. For unbelievers, or for those who use external
righteousness as a mask for unrighteous hearts, the
elder brother is a reminder that no show of religion,
or pretense of righteousness, is a valid substitute for
redemption.B. Charles Dickens called the parable of the prodigal son the
greatest story ever written. But, it’s of prime importance
to understand accurately the story’s meaning, in both its
original context and for us, today.