The Other Lost Son - Luke 15

A crowd bristles as tax collectors and labeled “sinners” gather close while Bible experts grumble from the edges. That tension is the spark for Luke 15, where Jesus stacks three parables to reveal a single heartbeat: God seeks, finds, and celebrates the lost. We walk through the shepherd who hoists a wandering sheep, the woman who turns her house inside out for a coin, and the father who runs—undignified, unhesitating—to embrace a son who squandered everything. The pattern is undeniable: heaven doesn’t whisper when grace wins; it throws a party.

We spend time in the details that sting. The younger son reduces his father to a payout, chases freedom into famine, and only “comes to himself” when the world finally gives him nothing. His plan is small: beg for servant status. The father’s response is larger than his failure: robe, ring, sandals, and a feast that restores sonship before any repayment. Then comes the twist that aims at proud, religious hearts. The older brother stays outside, tallying years of duty and wishing for a goat while missing the music. The father steps out again, gentle and firm, inviting him to join the joy because “it was fitting to celebrate.” Both sons were far; both were pursued.

Across the episode, we name four anchors for a gospel-shaped life: obedience holds deeper pleasure than sin’s rush; there is more forgiveness in Jesus than sin in us; God invites both rebels and rule-keepers to the same table; and every true turn toward God is worth loud, communal celebration. If you’ve felt too far gone or too “good” to need mercy, this story calls you home. Hit play, reflect on where you stand—inside the feast or outside with your scorecard—and consider the one sincere turn that brings you to the table.

Transcript

Setting Up Luke 15

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Amen. That's good news, isn't it? If you have a Bible, go ahead and open it up and we will meet together in a different part of the Bible than we have been for quite some time. We've been going through the book of 1 Peter, but now we will step out for a week and we will be in a different book of the Bible, the book of Luke and chapter 15. So if you would go in your Bible, the third book of the New Testament, so if you're in Matthew, keep going. If you're in Mark, keep going. If you've if you're in John, you've gone too far. Find the Gospel of Luke and find the very middle of it, chapter 15, and you will see three well-known, incredible parables. If you have a notebook, or maybe you grab the notes in the back, let me just explain briefly, because we're not in a series in the parables, and because we have not been in the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels here recently, parables are short stories of Jesus where the story is an illustration of something true. The story is an illustration of something true. They are fictional stories that Jesus shared that disclose spiritual reality. So he is diagnosing his audience and giving them the message they need to hear in their modern language. Sometimes it confused, and Jesus was okay with that. Sometimes it brought clarity, and Jesus intended that. The parables, short stories of Jesus, where the story is an illustration of something true. We are in one of the most well-known parables this morning. In fact, there are three parables, two that precede it. But I want to read from the very beginning of the chapter so that you see the context to which he brings these three parables. They all are intentionally side by side, and the third is a little bit different. Luke chapter 15, verse 1 through 2. Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus, and the Pharisees and the Scribes grumbled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. From the very beginning of this parable, we are introduced to four groups of people tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees, and scribes. And each group of people is so important in understanding the text as a whole that I will talk about them for just a moment so that you understand who these people are. So let's start with the first one that's brought up the tax collectors. Who were the tax collectors? Well, we could say they were an unfaithful people, an untrustworthy people, and an unclean people. Let me explain. Unfaithful. Well, these tax collectors were Jewish people who took an opportunity to serve Rome, to make money for Rome, and to bring a little safety to themselves. A little extra money, a little safety. They would serve this oppressive military force that had the Jewish people under their thumb. They chose to serve the enemy, to make money and for safety. And the Jewish people did not like them for it. They were unfaithful to their tribe. Not only were they unfaithful, they were untrustworthy. It was well known amongst the Jewish people that the tax collectors, because they had Roman military personnel at their expense, they could ask for more money for those Roman military personnel and for themselves. And if you don't give them that extra money, Roman military personnel. Their testimony would not hold in court, it's written, because they were untrustworthy. They were also unclean ritually. To enter the temple, you would have to be cleaned through processes, and they were ritually unclean by virtue of their work. In fact, there's old rabbinic writings that say it is okay to lie to a tax collector. They did not like them. The nedarim, which is a part of the Mishnah, which was commentary of the Jewish people, said, those guys, yeah, they're not worthy of the truth, meaning a lot of them. To get out of what you need to get out of or to get by them. But you probably heard that. If you grew up in church, you've heard most of these things, and and and you say, Well, you know, I get it. I don't like paying taxes. Of course I don't like tax collectors. The modern person wouldn't like tax collectors. Well, if that's you, you don't get it yet. So let me explain. The Roman Empire ruled the world. And to keep that rule, they had to have a huge army. That army did not have heat-seeking missiles or drones, they had men. And to pay those men, they had to collect taxes. And so the Jewish tax collectors were working for Rome to keep their army big and strong, the army that's oppressing them in Jerusalem. And I don't know how much you know about the Roman Empire, but they were historically a very brutal people if you were not a citizen. We have historical records of those who committed treason or sedition or neighboring uh armies who did not surrender. Uh, they would line them up on the streets and hang those individuals on crosses so that visitors who came into Rome would see men and women who went against Rome, so you know you don't mess with Rome. It would scare you away from trying to take over that capital. Rome was a ruthless military mite. And guess what? Your next door neighbor. Yeah, your family friends, he just purchased the right to serve them to save himself and make himself rich. You get it now? Oh, and guess what? He's gonna take more money from you to pat his own pockets. These were a despised people. They were not liked. You could lie to a tax collector. Do you get it now? I don't know any first century tax collectors personally, but given that description, not a fan. Not a fan. What about the sinners? Well, if you're a believer in this room, you know what scripture teaches, that every single one of us standing before God without his forgiveness stands before him a sinner, that were sinners by nature and by choice. But that is not what's being referred to here. There was a group of people called the sinners. There were a group of people that were marked as sinners and known by their cities as such because of their immoral lives that were public, or because of their questionable occupations that made them ritually unclean. Like the woman that comes and cleans Jesus' feet in Luke chapter 7. Or, we should say, and that group of people included those with certain disabilities and certain diseases that many would have taken as a sign they had personally sinned against God. Tax collectors and sinners. Unfortunately, some religious leaders believed this group was physically and morally unapproachable. In fact, they see all of these tax collectors and sinners, they're coming to Jesus. Which makes two groups angry, the other two. Here they are. The Pharisees. The Pharisees, if you want to write this down, it could be helpful. You see Pharisees all throughout the Gospels. They were mostly middle class businessmen who had committed themselves to the oral tradition passed down by their fathers, to fast more than the Bible told you to, which is okay, it's a great thing, and to give more than the Bible told you to. Outwardly very religious, but because of their commitment to an extra-biblical tradition that kind of made them super saints, many of them grew in their pride and not humility. Some of them very legalistic and arrogant, often elevating the letter of their law above the heart of God's word. That's the Pharisees. What about the scribes, the fourth group of people? The scribes were local experts of God's law. They knew Mosaic law like the back of their hand. They could draft legal documents, marriages, legal issues. If you had a dispute, you would go and find a scribe. At least a legal civil dispute. That's the Pharisees. That's the scribes. They see the tax collectors and sinners going to Jesus. They're confused, and some of them are even frustrated. The text says they're grumbling. But let's just make sure we're on the same page here. These Pharisees and these scribes, they know more Bible than you. At least at face value. All right? If you were to join their Bible quiz team, you'd be junior varsity or a walk-on. Most of them had the first five books of the Bible memorized. I think a lot of you are tired. They had the book of Numbers memorized. If you've done a Bible reading plan, that's the book you often skip. You say, please get me to the New Testament, and you go to 1 John, right? Memorized. Many of them had more than the first five books of the Bible the Torah memorized. They had learned it at a young age and they continued in their studies, and they were well known as religious and seemingly godly people, and some of them surely were, but for many of them, their commitment to the letter of their own law over the heart of God's law made their hands look really great, their feet look really great, their works really great. But their heart was far from the Lord so far that they could not understand the depths of Jesus' love displayed. What's going on here? Why not us? Why not us? Do you see what we've done? Everybody else sees it. He doesn't see it. He doesn't know who we are. You know what I've done for you, Jesus? Jesus wasn't just associating with them, he was receiving them. The tax collectors and sinners. Not often is it super important to explain Greek words, but in this case it's kind of important. The word receiving sometimes is decamai. This occasion is prosdecamai, which means he's receiving them like family members. He's taking them in, he's dining with them, which was a sign of some sort of friendship or even family. And the Pharisees, they couldn't see the need for that. At least this group couldn't, when they saw it, they didn't understand it. And so this is really, really important. You say, Well, I thought we were done with the parable of the prodigal son. Yes, this is the context into which Jesus brought the parable. It's incredibly important because Jesus' target audience in these stories is the Pharisees and the scribes who are complaining at who he's receiving. That's the story of the parable of the prodigal son. So there are three parables. I have a little symbol for each on the screen in Luke 15. There is first the parable of the lost sheep, where Jesus leaves the 99 and he goes after the one who's wandered off. He finds the one, he puts the sheep on his back, he goes back home, and everybody celebrates he found the one. And then the parable is explained. Just as that shepherd who found the one sheep and left the 99 to bring that one to the 99, there is much joy in heaven when a sinner repents and joins the family of God. Second parable, same story. There's a woman. She lost a coin. She searches the house, of course, because it's her coin. It's precious to her. She finds the coin. All of the townspeople they celebrate. And then there's an interpretation of that parable. So it is in heaven. The angels shout for joy. When one sinner turns from their sinful life, turns to Christ, joins heaven's family, there is celebration. Nothing more exciting than an angel seeing a sinner turn to the God they serve. And then there's a third story. The parable, as it's known, of the prodigal son. Each of these stories are very similar. The point of each is that when Jesus eats with sinners, he is actively seeking the lost. The very thing he came to do. Luke 19, verse 10. The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. That's what he's doing. They can't see it, they don't understand it. We see, as in other places, like when Luke called Matthew, Levi the tax collector, follow him, and Levi the tax collector collected all of his friends. There's grumbling from the religious leaders. Jesus cares a lot less about his reputation and a lot more about the salvation of people who don't know him but would receive him. That's why he ate with them. He didn't eat with this group of people to participate in their sin or to look cool or be cavalier, but because he was a God of compassion, he is a God of compassion, and he comes to seek and save the lost. Luke 15, beginning in verse 11, and Jesus said, There was a man, and he had two sons. There are three characters in this story. Do you see him? A father and his two boys. Let's meet each one, and that will form the outline of today's message. The first we meet the rebellious son. The rebellious son. Let's meet him. Verse 12. And the younger of the two said to his father, Father, give me the share of property that's coming to me. And the father divided his property between both sons. You have a stewardship, you've gotten your property early. The boy says, Give me my share, give me what's mine. He would have received it, of course, when the father died, but he was more interested in the money the father could give him than spending time with the father. So he went and, of course, wasted it. It was as if the younger son told his father, I care more about your stuff than I care about you. To me, you are a vending machine dispensing fun I can have elsewhere. So he took Dad's stuff and he ran, thinking he could find fun and fulfillment outside of his father's house. Well, verse 13 says, Not many days later the younger son gathered all he had. You might just expect he probably had to sell some cows, some oxen, some sheep, to liquidate the funds, to take it elsewhere and spend it. So many days passed, he took all he had, he took a journey, he went into far country, and there he squandered his property and reckless living. That was what's known of his stewardship of what his father gave him. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine rose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and he hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs, the dirtiest of animals. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. When he was desperate, the world that he thought would give him everything gave him nothing. The Pharisees, of course, know that Jesus is talking about the tax collectors and the sinners here. It's quite obvious. The rebellious ones, the one that squandered the stewardship they were given from a father. And here's the deal the tax collectors and the sinners probably did too. I'm sure they're thinking, I'm in that spot. I mean, I mean I'm the one eating pots. I'm cut off. That's that's me. Maybe, maybe, and I don't want to put ill intent or something poor in the minds that may not have been there, but you think maybe it's even some of the Pharisees, so self-righteous they could not see the love of Jesus, thought, Oh, he's about to get him in this story, isn't he? Verse 17. But when the boy came to himself, I would just say and submit to you, this is what the beginning of repentance looks like. A changing of mind that will lead to a changing of action. When he came to himself, what am I doing? He said, How many of my father's hired hands have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger? I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants. What's he doing? He's practing his he's practicing his speech before his dad. Maybe, maybe my father will welcome me back, and I will volunteer to be the least of his servants so that I am fed, so that I am cared for, because I know he cares. Have you ever practiced an apology? Not a statement, a sincere apology. He's practicing. What do I say? I can't go there without saying something. What can I say? If you're the tax collector in the center in the audience Jesus is talking to, maybe they learned who Jesus was, and maybe they even thought, I gotta have a plan. What do I say to Jesus, the King of glory, the Son of Man? I maybe don't understand all that he is, but he is at least at minimum a rabbi, if not a master that's that we should follow so that we can follow God and know more about him. He wouldn't pick me. What do I say to him? And Jesus receives them. He dines with them. So the son in the story says, At least let me sleep out with the servants. Punish me however you want to punish me. I want to come back. At least my father may show me mercy. May. Second person in the story is the gracious father. Let's mate him. Verse 20. The boy arose and he came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, the father saw him and felt compassion for him and ran to him. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father saw his son from afar, which means something. It's implicit in the text. What does that mean? The father was watching for him. He was waiting for him to come home. If we assume he was a follower of God, he was praying for him. Oh, might today be the day that I see my boy again. He may be dead. I don't know. If this is an illustration of God the Father, oh wanderer in the room, if you are far from the Lord, take great comfort. You might be wandering away from God, but he is not far, and he may even be watching for you. He felt compassion, the Father. We know in the story, from an outsider's perspective, this is God the Father, and this is two sons. And God the Father felt compassion. The father of the story felt compassion. So this is Jesus the Son telling us how God the Father feels when you come back from rebellion. Happy. Excited. He's running. They don't do that. Old men don't pick up their tunic and sprint. I haven't sprinted in forever. And I'm fairly young. There's an old man, and he's running after his boy. It was somewhat like disgraceful to do that. Oh, who cares? That's my boy. And he embraced him and he kissed him. The son said to his father, Father, I have sinned against heaven. You heard this before? Father, I've sinned against heaven, and before you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said, Quickly, bring the best robe, servants, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. Do you see something here? He doesn't finish his speech. He didn't get the chance to finish what he rehearsed. Before the father jumps in to tell him how much he loves him and how glad he is to have him home. And let us eat and celebrate. For this, my son was dead. He is alive again. He was lost, and now he's found. Bring my son's shoes and our family ring, feast with music and celebration and singing. It was not about the son's speech. The father's so overwhelmed with compassion and filled with grace that he doesn't listen to the speech. He sees quite clearly the heart of his son. He doesn't try to correct him. Hey, you could have said it better. He interjects the speech. He doesn't let him finish. He gives a robe, a ring, shoes, feast, music, grace. And this seems scandalous. The father doesn't even ask for restitution. He spent a lot of his money. A lot of it. You owe me. He took a hit financially. He didn't try to figure out how he could get paid back. He received him back, as the text would teach us, safe and sound. His father was less concerned about the many money that was spent, and far more concerned about having his son with him. So we've met two characters in this story. There's a few Bible passages. I can't get past without crying a little bit, so I'm an emotional person. My wife knows that. Two characters we've met. First, the prodigal son, who initially said, I care more about your stuff than you. Then we met a gracious father. I care about you more than my stuff. Who do you think, knowing now the first two verses of the chapter, Luke 15, they represent? Surely you know, right? So what's this story about? It's about God's grace. And he saves wrecked and wretched people. And he saves them to dwell in his house with gladness. Here's my ring. Here's our family seal. You are my son, not just my servant. You're my son. Here's my robe. Let me cover you. All your sin is exposed. You're dirty. Maybe cold. Here's a robe. The father paid for the son's mistakes, forgiving him and joyfully receiving him in. And the son brought nothing to the table except himself. He didn't wait to work up a little bit more money from the pigs to bring to his dad to say, now, because I brought you$10,000,$5,000,$20,000,$2, brought nothing. Romans 5 8. God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners. How's that finish? Christ died for us. One more character in this story that's different from the first two parables, but it's the conclusion to all three. The self-righteous son. There is another boy. What's lost has been found. There's celebration, but there's someone standing there, and they're angry. Verse 25. Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. I mean, it must have been partying heart. What did the previous parables teach? There's much rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents. Angels are celebrating and singing. They're celebrating and singing in the Father's house here, just like there is in heaven above. The older son called one of the servants, and he asked what these things meant. He didn't go in. And the servant said to him, Hey, your brother has come back, your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received his son back safe and sound. But the older son, you see it verse 28, was angry and refused to go in. There's a big party in there? Are you serious? That son? You know what he did with the money? You know where he's been? You know the reputation that has reached back home, what he did with it? I'm not partying. I'm gonna sit outside. He done deserved it. What does the father do? Does the father come out and get onto him and say, get inside? Or yeah, you can just stay out there. What's the father do? Do you see it? He comes out and entreats him, this is for you too. He entreats him. He didn't say stay out there and pout. He pleaded with him. He went to him as well. He invited him in. He wants him there. So who is the older brother in this parable? What have all these stories been about? What's new here? Is the point of the passage just the prodigal? No. Jesus is. Telling three consistent, obvious parables with a twist at the end of the third for the Pharisees and the scribes to hear. You see, they're they were too busy grumbling about the who they don't want to eat with, and they're so mad their dad is eating with them that they miss the meal altogether. And so Jesus takes a moment and says, celebration. Celebrate. Verse 29, the older brother, but he answered his father, look. Imagine that moment. Really, really, really happy dad. Son's back. Older son says, Okay, hold on. Look. Are you kidding me? Hold on. Look. These many years I've served you and I've never disobeyed your command. Yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. To a father that wants them in there. There's two things about those who are self-righteous. And let's make sure that we're looking at our own hearts here. Two things that are pretty consistent about those who are self-righteous that we see in this story. Those that are proud, those that know the Lord and are proud in their hearts, they are those that are self-righteous, tend to describe their relationship with their father by what they've done for their father rather than by how great their father is in their life. I've served you, I've never disobeyed, I want to celebrate. Why aren't you letting me celebrate? Their relationship with the father is all on their hard work for them. Second thing. They always feel like they're not treated as well as they deserve. I want a young goat. Jesus is like, fat and calf. That's better. It's yours. I deserve something myself. I want my own party. My own buddies. So the son says, But when this son of yours came, the older son refuses to acknowledge the prodigal as his brother. This son of yours came who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him. And he said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. Let's be careful here. The father's words to this son as to the other son, the words are tender. You see that all throughout the parable? His words are tender, even to a son that won't celebrate the lost being found. They're both sons, and he loves them both. He makes it clear that he appreciates his son's constant attendance. He says plainly that the property settlement still stands. You still have all that property. This party is yours. This home is yours. So what are we what do we think here? Well, we're to think that the father still loves the older brother. He wants the Pharisees and the scribes to come and eat at the same table. The question is, will they? Will they? It was fitting to celebrate verse 32 and be glad, for this your brother, he's your brother. This your brother, he was dead and is now alive, he was lost, and now he's found. Let me just make this clear as we conclude, but do not do not close off your heart and your mind here. This grace that the Father displays is scandalous. He would welcome the wicked and the wretched to dine with him, to learn from him, to follow him. This text reminds us as believers, whether we struggle with rebelliousness or self-righteousness, that in a relationship with Jesus you can be rescued, redeemed, and God rejoices along with all of heaven at your repentance for his renown. The good news of the gospel of Christ is that those that struggle with legalism or those that have a past of lawlessness are invited to the party. Should they humble themselves, repent of their sin. Oh, God runs and receives, and all of heaven celebrates. This is called grace, and it's not fair, but it's so good. It's not fair for the legalist, and it's not fair for the lawless. We don't receive what we deserve. Jesus did in our place so that we might receive what we do not deserve, and that is a heavenly home forever, celebrating King Jesus, who would die a sinner's death for us. He came for us. You say, Well, I feel far from God. Oh, I got good news. The difference between who the boy was feeding the pigs and who he was bowed down before his father was one sincere turn. Turning away from where you ran from him and turning back to him. So you may be saying, I'm too far. You're one turn away. And the Father waits eagerly to save. That's what he's come to do. The Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost, and he's still doing it through his word by his church all over the face of the earth. God is waiting. Oh, would you hear and believe? There's four things I want you to go home with today, and then we will sing and celebrate the Lord's Supper. Four things. They're on the screen. I don't I won't explain each one. Here's the first. If you're taking notes, here's what I want you to take away from the message. Please believe there is not more pleasure in disobeying God than obeying Him. There's not more pleasure to be found outside of the house. There's not more pleasure to be found in disobedience than there is in obedience. Here's the second thing I want you to take away, and we'll leave the four on the screen for quite some time. I want you to believe that there is more forgiveness in Jesus than sin in you. He took all the money, all the stewardship, squandered it all, and yet the Father did not ask for money back, gave grace. Here's the third thing. Maybe you're the second son, the older son. Remind yourself that Jesus invites both the rebellious and the self-righteous to heaven with him. There is an invitation out there. Oh, would you humble yourself, repent of your sin, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? You will be welcomed in heaven forever. A gift you didn't deserve, a party you didn't deserve. And number four, oh, would you believe that every life can be changed by God and every life change is worth celebrating? The question before us this morning as we conclude is will you humble yourself and take that invitation? I hope one day we are, as Christians do, partying. The right kind of partying in heaven together. It's called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb waiting for us. I don't know if there's a fattened calf, but that sounds pretty good. You know what the Lord's Supper is? It's an appetizer preparing us for that meal. We're about to partake after we sing. Would you pray with me? God, we thank you for our time and your word and our time together. What a sweet fellowship to be around friends and not just friends, but family. People who've struggled with legalism and still might fight it, people who have struggled with lawlessness and still might fight it. Might your grace empower us toward obedience? Might your spirit direct our attention and our affections to you. Lord, might we celebrate every chance we see a sinner become a saint? Might we partake as your church in the plan for that process, sharing our faith, seeing salvation, your work through us by your spirit, and would we celebrate? We want to be a church of joy. That kind of joy. We love you, Lord. You are good to us. As we sing, be pleased, we hope. In your name we pray. Amen. Let's stand. Let's