Luke 15:11 to 32

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 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.’ 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.’ ”

The Parable of the lost son ---- or The Prodigal son

Prodigal --- having spent everything

Recklessly Extravagant

first the tax collectors and all kinds of sinners and the sick secondly the Pharisees and the scribes

Jesus in this parable is saying that both the irreligious and the religious are spiritually lost ----both the life paths are dead ends

we have heard the story of the younger brother

we all know this kind of life separates us from god and leads us to destruction. If we do not repent

lets focus on the elder brother his life and attitud es

He never once thought of searching his brother

We never seeing him praying for his brother

That’s what Jesus did as an elder brother he left the 99 and went to seek for that one lost soul.

when some one sins or falls in to some bad company, or leaves the church and goes -- --for what ever the reason may be –

what is my attitude as an elder brother or sister

Secondly in luke 15 verse 28

He was very angry

Thirdly He was consumed with bitter feelings

Fourthly --- He didn’t want to meet his brother or even come in.

The Elder brother was lost. His problem was his self righteousness

He had so much of pride on his good deeds

He uses his moral record to control things around

His spiritual problem was his radical insecurity

His security was based on his self image which came from his achievements and performance.

His anger and pride are so deep that he feels he has the right to tell his father what should be done to his younger brother.

Religious self righteous people live very moral lives but their goal is to get leverage over god and to put god in his position where he can control him.

Elder brother obeys god to get things ---not God

Elder brother has a data Of Their Moral character

They have lots to talk and show how their moral record is better than This sinful good for nothing brother

Their self righteousness creates racism and classism

They find it difficult to forgive

They find it difficult to respect some one who has sinned, They quickly avoid or break friendships with that person.

Elder brother finds it difficult to erase the wrongs of others

They feel good to gossip and slander others sins

When corrected they are either defensive or feel guilty But struggle to be humble.

They have lot of god in their talk but their walk is far from --- Jesus

Religious people operate on the principle of I obey therefore I am accepted by god

But the bible says I am accepted by god through the work of Jesus Christ and so I obey

Because Christ love me, He cares for me, He has forgiven my sins That’s why I obey him

Many don’t do spiritually well because they are looking at the blessings, human approval, professional success. power, money, influence, family, caste and class

And struggle to understand Christ love

The younger brother and the elder brother both had rebelled against the father and both deserved alienation, isolation and rejection

But our true elder brother paid our debt on the cross, Jesus spent every thing to save us, he sacrificed his life for each one of us, he was recklessly extravagant in his love

Jesus was treated as an out cast so that we could bring us in to gods family freely by grace

When we see and understand deeply the beauty of what Christ has done for us it attracts our hearts to him

we will never stop being younger brothers or elder brothers until we acknowledge our need for Christ and his love

Let us rest by faith and gaze in wonder at the work of our true elder brother Jesus Christ

We can only change when we take the gospel more deeply in to our hearts,

Changes only happen from deepening our understanding of Jesus And to have strong relationships of love and accountability

Only if we are connected to disciples who keep seeking to resemble, serve and to love Christ

Then we can help one another not to go in the path of the younger brother or the elder brother.

And even if we go astray then let us practice Christ teachings of LOVE, GRACE AND MERCY COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS, So that people around us can see & feel true Christianity