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Consider this:
In the well-known parable about the prodigal son, which of the three main characters; the father, the eldest son and the youngest son, do you most relate to at this moment? No doubt at different times we can probably relate to each of these characters. I know I sure can!
Around the middle of 2024, I could certainly relate to the father in this story. Our second son, Joseph came back to Christ and both Jeff and I were very excited. He didn’t get a new robe, sandals or a ring, or even a party but we did get him a new study Bible. It was a great joy to us to see him return. And wonderful to be part of his baptism at the church he goes to.
Many years ago, I was once also like the youngest son in the story, I wasn’t mucking out pig styes, but I was living far away from God and His ways. Let’s just say there was some wild living and lots of parties! But then I returned to my Father in Heaven and as it says in Luke 15:10 “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”. It’s amazing to think that when I got saved there was a party in heaven! As there was for you too.
And of course, I relate very well to the eldest son, especially being an older sister. My sister is 6 years younger than I am. And when she was around 14 our mother bought her a horse! She got a horse! I didn’t get a horse, and as a child I had loved horses. I’d read Black Beauty numerous times, and I had a book on Palomino horses, which I just loved. But did I get a horse, no! My sister did but I didn’t! And what made it worse was that she was a problem child! I really felt just like that older brother in this story.
Luke’s portrayal of Jesus
Before we get into these characters and their behaviours lets start with how Luke portrays Jesus in his Gospel. Luke shows us how Jesus was Israel’s Messiah announcing the good news of God’s kingdom to the poor, and how he was God’s true prophet to Israel.
Jesus and his disciples went on a long road trip to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover with thousands of other Israelites. Luke wants this road trip from the mountain to Jerusalem to remind you of ancient Israel’s long road trip.
With Moses, they went from Mount Sinai to the Promised Land, and then later, King David established Jerusalem as their capital. And so here, Luke is portraying Jesus as a new Moses, who’s renewing Israel’s covenant with God, and as a new David, he’s gathering the people together to live under His rule.
As Jesus leaves, he sends out his disciples ahead of him to prepare each new place for his visit. Then Jesus would arrive announcing the good news of God’s kingdom, and he would call people to follow him and join this new thing God was doing in Israel.
Along the way Jesus taught the communities about a new way of living, he was literally turning things upside down. So that greed would be transformed into generosity and anger into forgiveness.
And in these Jesus communities, all outsiders are welcome, including the poor, the marginalised people that he heals, the shamed sex workers he reaches out to, the Samaritans that were considered unclean and greatly disliked by the Jews, and the tax collectors he includes, this is Jesus’ kingdom.
While this is all going on of course Israel’s religious leaders watch and start to criticise him. If he really is God’s prophet, why is he welcoming sinners and eating with them?
Jesus is hanging out and having dinner parties with the poor, the sick, and the marginalised people of Jewish society, the outcasts you might say.
These dinner parties are an example or a symbol of how God’s kingdom is here for the sick, the poor and for those who could never pay him back.
But Jesus also attends banquets or dinner parties with Israel’s religious leaders. And he often lays into them for becoming an arrogant, exclusive social club. But they just don’t get it.
In verse 2 of this chapter 15 it reads, ‘But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”’
So, he tells them this parable of the prodigal son. And it captures the two contrasting dinner parties for the two different groups, the poor and the teachers of the law.
The father and his sons
A father has 2 sons, one foolishly ran away and squandered his inheritance. But he comes back. Eventually repentant.
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And his father, who had thought he was dead, forgives him and throws a huge party for him, celebrating his son that was lost, but now is found.
But the older brother, who never left his father, is angry, and he resents his father’s generosity to this “undeserving” son.
Jesus is explaining his whole kingdom mission to these leaders.
His parties represent God’s joyous welcome of every kind of person into this family. As illustrated by the father. The only entry requirement is humility and repentance. As shown by the younger son’s return. And so, it highlights the tragedy of Israel’s leaders, who reject Jesus and his upside-down kingdom. As exampled by the older brother.
Let’s examine this a little further. The older brother arrives home from a long day working to discover that his long-lost “loser” of a brother has come home, and his father has laid on a fabulous party for this brother.
He gets a new robe, sandals and a ring, the best calf is cooked up and everyone is dancing and celebrating. And in verses 28 and 29 we read that the older brother becomes angry and refused to even go in and attend the party. And when his father comes out to talk him into coming in and joining in the celebrations, what happens? The older brother has a big old whinge at his father.
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Verse 29:“Look!” He says “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!”
Notice that he doesn’t even refer to him as his brother, but instead as ‘your son’. How many times have you said to your spouse, “do you know what your son, or daughter did today?” Mostly said when you are not in a good mood!
You can really hear his anger, frustration and disapproval of his brother, or his “father’s son”, and how his father is treating this wayward son.
It all boils down to one thing and that is jealousy. The older brother is completely jealous of his younger brother and the treatment he is receiving when he has not behaved as “good” as he, the older brother has.
The father’s reply is this from verse 31 “My son,’ ‘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 father’s response shows us the response of God, when one of His children returns to him in repentance and humility. He celebrates and rejoices, which is good news for us!
Verse 20 reads “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.”
The Father was waiting for his son’s return, just as our Father in heaven waits for the return of those who have wandered off. And we read that when the son was far off the father ran to him. A man running to meet his son may not seem like anything unusual, but in those ancient times, older men did not run, not because they couldn’t but because it was considered undignified, and was culturally inappropriate. You just did not do it.
So, this home coming is even more special when the father abandons cultural expectations and traditions, risking humiliation to run to his son to embrace him, welcome him and forgive him. And that is what God does for us.
Verse 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.’ His father does not chastise him, he celebrates his return. God waits for us to return to Him and He is filled with joy upon our return.
The point of the parable
In telling this parable Jesus wants the religious leaders to see outsiders the way God sees them. As sons and daughters that are being reclaimed from death. They should be celebrating with God, not getting huffy about it.
Jesus’ kingdom community was wide open to anybody. Not just the Jews. The only entry requirement is to humble yourself and recognise your need for God’s mercy. As we see in verse 21, the sons humble return.
The pharisees behaviour is just like the oldest son, they are angry, frustrated and are very disapproving of this new way Jesus is proclaiming.
The religious leader’s rejection of Jesus and his new way, is actually a rejection of the God of Israel. But they don’t see that. They are blinded by their own righteousness and jealously. Because they have been the ones in charge of entry to the kingdom of God by way of their laws and rules.
During the time of Jesus, Jewish people were expected to follow 613 commandments (mitzvot) derived from the Torah, which consisted of 365 negative prohibitions and 248 positive commands. These laws covered all aspects of life, including moral, ceremonial, and civil duties. In addition to these, oral traditions and interpretations by religious leaders added layers of stricter adherence.
There is a bit of power in that isn’t there? You must follow these rules or you are not considered good enough and we the pharisees will be enforcing all these rules.
But then Jesus comes along and turns all that upside down, accepting those who the Pharisees see as unworthy, just like the older brother saw his younger brother as unworthy.
But God sees the lost and now found, as his sons and daughters, because they have returned home to Him. Which He thinks is worth celebrating.
The question to ask ourselves
So, the question we are left with is what is our attitude towards others? Do we behave like the older son, and the Pharisees, getting angry, jealous, frustrated and looking down on others? And then how do we exhibit this? How does it change our behaviour towards others? The way we speak to them, or speak of them, the way we treat them.
I will confess that I know I am guilty of this myself, and is something I am continuously trying to work on. It is something that I think we all need to examine within ourselves.
At times we behave like the father and are excited and rejoice with others, which is easy to do if we agree or like the situation, but it is harder to do when we like the older son, do not think them worthy or we are jealous.
If you feel like this then ask yourself why. Why am I feeling like this towards that person? There is often an underlying reason. I suggest you pray about it and even pray for God’s blessing for that person. I think that sometimes it can be easier to react or behave like the older son and harder to behave like the father.
But the goal is to be like the father, to be full of forgiveness and joy for others.
And if we are far off from God then know that He eagerly awaits your return.
And remember what the father said to his older son in verse 31 “My son,’ you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” Because we have already been forgiven, and we’ve been celebrated into the Kingdom of Heaven and that is something for each of us to celebrate and be joyous about.
Let me pray: Father to all, we come to you as humble children knowing that we are not worthy to be called sons and daughters of the Most high. But we are forever thankful for being welcomed into the family of God with love and joy. Help us to see people as you do and help us to be humble, kind, forgiving and loving to all those we meet. In Jesus name we pray. Amen
Sermon by Rev’d Jo Cotton, 8 February 2026
Used with kind permission