Body

"Getting Ready For The Resurrection:

Getting Ready Through Restoration"

Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn

(Luke 15:1-3; 11-32)

[1] Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. [2] And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

[3] So he told them this parable:

[15] Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. [12] The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. [13] A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. [14] When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. [15] So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. [16] He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. [17] But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! [18] I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; [19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands." ' [20] So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. [21] Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' [22] But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. [23] And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; [24] for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

[25] "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. [26] He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. [27] He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' [28] Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. [29] But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. [30] But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' [31] Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. [32] But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.' "

NRSV

INTRODUCTION:

In the midst of a severe lightning storm a young boy came racing into his grandmother's kitchen and worriedly said, "Gramma, the Lord must have LOST someone."

Mystified, Grandma asked, "What makes you think that?"

The boy answered, "Because He's out there looking for him with his flashlight." (1)

Have you ever been lost? I don't remember how old I was, but couldn't have been more than five or six. My brother Glen was old enough to ride in the basket of the shopping cart at the grocery store. That's where I got lost. One minute Mom was there and the next minute I couldn't find her. I don't remember how it happened, any of the details but I can still recall those feelings. I still remember the sense of panic and the fear. Have you ever been lost?

I remember another feeling like that. I was 28 years old and in New York City on one of those special credit mid-term trips my senior year of college. A couple of friends and I had gone out to see "The Fantasticks," the longest running off Broadway musical ever. We took the bus. They told us which bus to take back but we couldn't find the bus stop going the right direction. We got lost. In New York City. Late at night. So, we started walking, looking for a bus stop. That was even scarier. Finally took a cab.

I didn't have any control over either one of those times and the sense of lostness I felt. Being lost isn't fun. It's frightening.

This morning our text is one of the best known parables and best loved parables in the Bible. The parable of the prodigal son. Why do we resonate so much with this parable? I think it's because it is so complex. It touches us on all levels. It talks about spiritual lostness. It talks about freedom, faithfulness, forgiveness, broken relationships and restoration through God's radical grace. It is a microcosm of our lives and faith. We find ourselves in every character and every character's action.

I. FREEDOM:

A. One of the first things you notice about this story is the freedom which the father has given to both of his sons. He raised them to think for themselves. He gave them the freedom to go their own way in life, despite the younger son's selfish and cruel request for his portion of the inheritance. You see, the younger son was actually wishing is father were dead. That's how you get an inheritance, isn't it? Someone has to die. Talk about crude.

But you have to admire the father for allowing so much freedom. The most popular episode ever of the old Andy Griffith Show was about freedom. It was framed around a time when Opie shot and killed a mother bird. The cheeping of the baby birds, along with dad's concern, reminded Opie that now he would have to take care of those little birds until they were able to care for themselves. As Opie cared for the baby birds, he became as attached to them as a parent. In the final scene, it was time for Opie to release the birds back into the wild. When they flew off: Opie said, "The cage sure seems empty, Pa."

And Andy replied: "Yes, it does. But don't the trees seem nice and full!"

B. You see, freedom is dangerous. Sometimes it makes life as full as those trees. But other times it can confine us as much as the cage they were in. Why? Because with freedom we can choose "Yes!" or we can also choose "No!".

The freedom that God gives us, the freedom of choice, the freedom of free will is dangerous to God. It's dangerous to God because while God's desire is our "Yes!", sometimes we choose to say "No!".

In this passage, when the younger son said "No!" to the father and "Yes!" to a life in the far country of sin, it broke the father's heart. His father's dreams were shattered. But like those birds in Opie's cage, the father let his son go. He set him free despite the heartache and pain it caused.

God has set us free the same way. And every time we say "No!" to the Father; "No!" to God, it breaks God's heart in much the same way that the prodigal son broke his father's heart. But God lets go, God sets us free because part of God's gift of creation is the wonderful gift and horrible curse of free will. God allows us to say "Yes!" And God allows us to choose "No!".

II. FORGIVENESS AND WELCOME HOME:

A. But isn't wonderful that we've got a God who anticipated our "No!" and devised a solution for those who have changed their mind through a change of heart. Isn't it great that we have a God who doesn't shut the door but leaves it open?

The actions of this loving father mirror the actions and the grace of God who never shuts the door on anyone, even though they have turned their back on him. The father's loving actions illustrate God's extravagant love and grace for us when we come to our senses and turn back to God.

It congers up the image of a father waiting at the window, in the doorway, on the porch, always looking, hoping, longing, praying for his son's safety and return. It describes a father who looked up one day saw his son coming down the driveway and ran to meet him. The father didn't casually saunter out. He didn't coolly greet him. This father didn't keep his distance. This father dropped all decorum and ran. He ran, threw his arms around his son and before the boy could get the words of repentance even out of his mouth, the father kissed him and welcomed him home. Then Dad began hollering for the servants to start the party. The son who was lost had been found. The son who had been dead was alive. He had returned home.

B. In one of his books Robert Fulghum tells the story of a young American woman he met in the Hong Kong airport. She was dressed in the traditional garb of the East. next to her was a well worn backpack that showed the signs of hard travel. It was clear, she had been exploring the world. Now she was on her way home.

At first he envied her but then he saw tears begin to run down her face and drip off her chin. Soon she was racked with sobs. It took a whole box of tissues to contain all the tears. You see, the young woman had traveled as far as her money would take her, and she had just enough money to purchase the cheapest plane ticket back home. She had spent two days in the airport, waiting to fly standby, without enough to eat and with too much pride to beg.

Finally, the plane was about to leave. But she had lost her ticket. She had spent the last three hours rummaging through her things again and again trying to find it, but with no luck.

Fulghum offered to take her to lunch and to help her talk to the airport authorities about her problem. She stood up and turned around to pick up her belongings. And then she let out a sudden scream. It was her ticket. For the last three hours she had been sitting on her own ticket! (2)

You can imagine her excitement and her relief. Her prayers had been answered. She could go home. And the joy that filled her heart was absolutely amazing. It couldn't be contained.

That's the same kind of joy the father felt. And that's the same kind of joy God feels when we turn and return home. The love of the father in this parable describes the kind of love God has for us. A love that will run, a love that will rejoice. A love that is ready to forgive and to throw a party.

III. RESTORATION:

A. For me, one of the wonderful things about this passage is that it is about restoration. Restoration through grace. We haven't mentioned the older brother's reaction but he wasn't very pleased with his little brother or his old man.

How many of you are the first born? The older brother or sister? We know how much our little brothers and sisters got away with don't we? We were always expected to be the ones in charge and be responsible, right? We were the ones who always had to do the chores while the "babies" of the family, our bratty little brothers and sisters got to play and wrap Mom and Dad tighter around their little fingers. Right? You know how the older brother felt don't you?

How many of you are the youngest? How many of you have older brothers and sisters? If so, then you know how demanding and sometimes overbearing we could be don't you? We were always cutting deals to get you to do stuff, right? I won't tell Dad you did so and so if you clean the toilet for the next month? Right?

Both sons had their faults. Both sons got it wrong. Both sons thought they could do it on their own. The younger off in the far country. The older right there on the farm. What neither realized is that everything they had came from their father. Neither would have had any inheritance if it hadn't been for Dad's willingness to give it to them. Dad could have squandered it and kept it for himself. But Dad was generous to a fault.

That's the way God is with God's grace. We mistakenly think that life is all about us. Us earning our own keep, our own way. Making our mark. Deep down most of us hold the puritan work ethic as sacred and believe that we get what we deserve. We get what we've earned. But life is really about God's grace. Life itself is a gift from God. The difference in the two sons is that one came to knowledge that he couldn't do it on his own, sooner than the other. But once that realization hit, there was restoration, forgiveness and a party both here and in heaven.

B. That restoration takes place in a lot of ways.

There's a true story about a high school teacher who decided to honor each of her seniors. She called each of them to the front of the class, one at a time, and told each one how they had made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted in gold letters with the words "Who I Am Makes a Difference".

After the class ceremony, she decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on the community. She gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honored whom, and report back to the class the following week.

One of the students went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons and told him to carry on the tradition. Later that day, the junior exec went into his boss, who had a reputation as a grumpy character. He told him that he admired him and thought he was a creative genius. He pinned the ribbon on his jacket and asked if he would give the last ribbon to someone else that he admired.

That night the boss came home to his 14 year old son and told him what had happened that day with the junior executive. Then he told him "As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you. My days are really hectic and when I get home, I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I yell at you for not getting good enough grades in school or for your messy bedroom, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to let you know how much of a difference you make to me. Beside your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you."

With that, the startled boy began to cry. He cried so hard that his whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "I was planning on committing suicide tomorrow, Dad, because I didn't think that I was living up to your expectations of me and that you didn't love me. Now I don't need to." And they gave each other a long, hard hug. (3)

CONCLUSION:

This passage is about restoration. This passage is about renewed relationships, new life and forgiveness. This passage is about an offer from God. You see, God stands hands full of blue ribbons, waiting at the window, on the porch, on the path, ready to run. Ready to heal broken relationships. Ready wrap his arms around you and welcome you home.

I don't know if older brother in the parable ever took dad up on the offer. I think Jesus purposely left that ending off, so that we would have to choose. But it doesn't matter which brother we are in this story, God desires restoration and reconciliation. God knows we are lost and wants to throw a coming home party for each of us. Life is so much fuller when when you choose God. But we have to choose. We can choose to stay in the far country or outside looking in or we can choose the Father's embrace.

Which will you choose?

This is the Word of the Lord for this day.

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1. COUNTRY WOMAN, Mar/Apr 1990 (Milwaukee, WI)

2. Robert Fulghum, It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It (New York, Ivy Books, 1988)