Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Gospel from Luke 15. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ;
- In this parable of Jesus, several terribly dismal, but true to fact aspects of fallen and sinful human nature are referenced. 1] the hypocritical disgust of the Pharisees and Scribes, criticizing Jesus’ love for all people. 2] The audacity of the younger son demanding his inheritance – while his father was still living! 3] The sinful and foolish squandering of what he had received from his father, leading to his miserable poverty. 4] Finally, the refusal of the older brother to enter the house at the end, and to graciously receive his younger brother.
- The good in this text is also clear. It is Jesus’ will and desire to save sinners, and to fellowship with them. The father’s gracious forgiveness and restoration of his younger son’s position parallels that of our loving heavenly Father. So there is much for us to learn, and it is important that we keep these principles in mind, lest we somehow slip into hypocritical self-righteousness – “WHICH IS DEADLY,” spiritually.
- First, let us contemplate the reality that:
I. Almost All People Can See And Be Disgusted By The Sins Of Others
Rom. 3:23 “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Eccl. 7:20 “There is not a just man upon the earth who does good and never sins.”
Statement: We can do a pretty good job of hiding and disguising our sin, and defending ourselves when others confront our sinful behaviors. And that is our natural response, that of our sinful nature, to the reality of our sin. But such excuse making only fools a few people, and certainly not God! And it is extremely pathetic and disgusting to those who clearly see our sins, that we would try to justify them.
Application: So also, when we see clearly the sins of others – which we often do, we may be sorely tempted to go beyond condemnation of the behavior, the sin, to condemnation and rejection of the person – regardless of whether they are repentant or not. This is also deadly to our spiritual life. It means that we must also condemn and reject those who forgive and receive people who are “sinners.” But to do this clearly demonstrates that we are not looking at ourselves as “sinners,” but as righteous, with no need of God’s forgiveness. And we are also condemning innocent people simply for fraternizing with “sinners.”
Transition: God forbid, for Jesus came “to seek and save that which was lost.” [Luke 19:10] Furthermore, the apostle wrote: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” [1 Tim. 1:15] We must be very careful not to allow our own sinful nature to deny that we are sinners, and to reject those who fraternize with sinners. For then we are condemning Jesus as well! But it is true:
II. To Our Sinful Nature, God’s Forgiveness Can Also Seem Offensive
Jonah 3:10, 4:1-3 “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, ‘O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’”
Rom. 5:19-21; 6:1 “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one Man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”
Statement: To those ignorant of the punishment Christ endured for the sins of the world, forgiving sin, overlooking it, and covering it over, may seem to be terribly evil and permissive. Such is not the case with God’s forgiveness – it is intended to be clement and merciful, not permissive. Those who truly know God’s gracious love and forgiveness – understanding how much in need they are of this mercy – know that God’s forgiveness is not license to sin, but rather freedom not to sin, to overcome sin!
Application: It is true that when we experience God’s great forgiveness of our sins, this removes the temptation for us not to forgive. You remember what Jesus taught us to pray: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We are to love others just as He has loved us, and the first place that begins is with forgiveness. The power and ability to do this, even when others sin grievously against is, comes through our experience of God’s love. “We love because He first love us.”
Transition: This is critical for us to understand – through faith in Jesus Christ, for:
III. Self-Righteousness Leaves One Outside Of God’s House, And Refusing To Come In
Text: “But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘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!’
Statement: So it will be with all who suffer from hypocritical self-righteousness. It is a negation of faith in Jesus and relationship with God. The people described in heaven, in the book of Revelation, are those “who have taken their robes and washed them in the blood of the Lamb.” There is no hypocrisy in heaven. But of the scribes and Pharisees Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.” [Matt. 21:31] And again He said: “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [Matt. 8:11,12]
Application: So let us learn well these lessons. We are among the sinners, whether we admit it or not. However, those who claim not to be sinners, or elevate themselves above “other sinners” exclude themselves from the kingdom of heaven. God forbid this should ever happen to any of us!
Conclusion: That Jesus desires us to be with Him in His heavenly kingdom is clearly seen by the message Jesus brought to the Scribes and Pharisees. It is clearly seen in how the father treats his horribly wayward son.
The danger pointed out, that of smug and arrogant and unforgiving self-righteousness, is crystal clear. Let us take heed, and remain in humble repentance, also forgiving others their sins. In this way we are behaving like our heavenly Father. You remember what Jesus said: “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father Who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” [Matt. 5:44,45] May we ever joy to live in His mercy and forgiveness, and love and forgive others just has He has loved and forgiven us. Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.