They were complaining because Jesus had the gull to enjoin sinners and tax collectors, basically all of the undesirables of society. In response, Jesus offered a series of parables: The Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son. A first glance might cause one to suggest that Jesus was only talking about the value of lost things. While this might thrill Tinkerbell, it is not quite enough. Jesus’ point goes beyond lost things, and into a much deeper matter. Grace! The reality and importance of receiving grace is illustrated most clearing in his third story, the prodigal.
Like me, you may have overlooked the fact that this story is about two sons, not one. The first son is familiar to us. Disrespectfully, he rejected his father and family and requested his inheritance. This was insulting on two levels. He first indicated that his father was as good as dead to him. Secondly, his selfish actions diminished his brother’s future inheritance, as his father would now be dipping into his brother’s share for the reminder of his life.
Can you image what the older brother must have thought? No doubt he was fuming. His father had been disrespected, his inheritance diminished, his brother seemingly oblivious to the implications of his own actions. Like he didn’t even care! It was not long until his impetuous brother returned, empty-handed and impoverished. The older brother probably predicted it, the father seemed to anticipate it, or at least hoped for it.
Grace point #1: For the younger son, grace must be received. On his way home, the prodigal must have rehearsed his speech a hundred times. He would tell his father how foolish he was, how wise his father was, how sorrow had filled his life, and how much good old dad meant to him. To be certain, all the pretense was gone, it does not seem that the younger son intended to feed his dad a few lines, he was a truly broken man. He planned on becoming one of his dad’s hired hands, receiving a menial wage, and cobbling together what remained of his life. Imagine his surprise when his father nearly tackled him, crying with joy, arms wrapped around him in loving embrace. Before the younger son could begin his rehearsed speech, his father was already barking out orders for the party of the century. The younger son believed he had to earn his father’s forgiveness and acceptance, however, he learned that love was a gracious and priceless gift. All that he could do was receive his father’s love.
Grace point #2: For the older son, grace cannot be earned. How infuriating it must have been when the brother returned from work that day. “What’s going on here? Why is dad spending all of this money?” After all, dad’s cash was his inheritance, it stands to reason that large expenditures would be of interest. Then he found out that it was for his younger brother, who not only left sole financial responsibility of his father in his hands, but now was chipping further into his inheritance. The fact that his brother had returned from a wayward and destructive lifestyle did not matter. He was unwilling to offer his brother the same grace afforded by his father because he misunderstood grace. Listen to his words,
“Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!
“Haven’t I earned it? Don’t I deserve it?” Now listen to his father…
”Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
Did you hear it? “You can’t earn what I have already given you.” The wise patriarch was correct, even though his son was unable to comprehend it. You cannot earn grace or be faithful enough to deserve it. Consequently, trying to earn grace will make it impossible for you to ever give it, even to YOUR brother.
Because of their unfortunate encounters with the unmerciful pharisees, I imagine that Jesus offered the plight of the younger son for those who had be led to believe that they could never be worthy of God’s love. However, Jesus also extended the pharisees a gracious lesson in the story of the second son. They would need to learn to receive grace which would be marked by their reception of the sinners, tax collectors, and the unsavory one’s of society.
These are parables of grace, God’s grace and humanities desperate need for, and struggle to received it. We all need God’s benevolent grace.
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