The Tale of Two Sons

In the language of the parable. The sun was striking the father with crushing killing blows saying you are evil you are shameful. Someone needs to in the shame and bring honor to this family and I will do it by reading this family of such a shame you may have known the stories at your earliest Sunday school days. But even though this parable is widely known and frankly a pretty simple narrative. It's one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible, how can that be what's to misunderstand.

Well, for starters, it's not just a story about one son, it's really the tale of two sons. That's the title of John MacArthur's lesson today here on grace to you. It's part of his current series that's looking at the New Testament beginning to end, and now to explain what this parable is all about. Here's John the text before us is like so many texts a very familiar text. Anybody who knows the story knows the story that we call the story of the prodigal son.

Let's look at it. Shameful.

Request verse 11, three characters, a father to son, the younger of them said to his father.

Father is very respectful by the way, give me the share of the estate that falls to me and at this point they would step back. What that's unthinkable, the younger son is asking the father for his share of an inheritance can tease out a rank. There is a pecking order.

If he's younger, somebody's older this is not only out of rank. This is disrespectful. This is selfish. You get the estate when the father dies.

This is like saying father. I wish you were dead here in the way I want what's mine and I want it now and I'm tired of waiting. There is no precedent in Jewish society for this. This is an absolute outrage.

This is a shameful request and shameful request, however, leads to a shameful response only to see with the father did end of verse 12 and he divided his wealth between them. What what the father is supposed to protect his honor.

He does exactly what this willful, rebellious, hateful son asks.

This is absurd. You're supposed to wait till he's dead and then the younger gets one third the older gets two thirds, but not until, but the estate is split. That means the older son got his two thirds the younger son got the one third was coming to him and that launches a shameful rebellion. Verse 13.

Not many days later younger son gathered everything together in the Greek that simply means he turned it into cash goes on a journey into a distant country that was the whole point is far away from home. As you can, far away from accountability.

As you can, far away from restraint. As you can, far away from anybody scrutiny as you can get out there. We can live exactly the way you want to live and nobody that cares about you is going to know shameful rebellion. He squandered his estate with loose living later on in the story is sold, a brother verse 30 points out that he wasted a lot of it on prostitutes. All that was his fault, but there were some things that were his fault. Verse 14 when he had spent everything a severe famine occurred in that country and he began to be a need not his fault, but that's how life is and he becomes a bigger verse 15 when attached interesting Greek word here a lot of means to glue so he does this he attaches to find some citizen in this far country, which would be assumed to be a Gentile country any glues himself to the citizen and the guy can't get rid of them. So finally the sentiment of the field to feed swine and it gets worse. Verse 16.

He's out there, ostensibly to feed the pigs guess what he's longing to fill his stomach with the pods. The swine reading because nobody was giving anything to him. He is starving to death. Verse 17 he says I want to die of hunger, pictures, extreme no question that everybody is this bad but the question is how does the father going to deal with somebody who is this bad, shameful repentance, follows verse 17 when he came to his senses.

He said how many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread. I'm dying here. Hunger verse 18. I will go I'll go to my father and I will say father I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Just make me as one of your hired men, boy, that's the real kind of repentance. What a picture. What a picture. At this point, the Pharisees and the scribes are saying to themselves while exactly what that boy should do. This is the first thing that had any sense to it. What he should do and he did.

Verse 20 he got up came toward his father walked back in his filthy swine smelling stinking close trudged back toward the village. But if you think there's been shameful behavior. Now here is the most shameful behavior. Yet verse 20 shameful reconciliation while the young man was still a long way off, still outside the village.

His father saw him and felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him, the son said to him. Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your site I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. And he stopped what he leave out what he leave out of the speech go back to verse 19 what's his last line in verse 19 make me one of your hired men, but he doesn't say that he planned to say it but he doesn't say it because he doesn't need to say it because he doesn't have to earn back his father's love. He doesn't have to earn the reconciliation. He gets grace, shameful reconciliation, though in the minds of the Pharisees, shameful father is just reaching judge's justice, righteousness, honor, and of course the Jews have never understood the condescension and the suffering of God for the love of sinners. Well, shameful reconciliation is followed by a shameful rejoicing. Look at verse 22.

This is really something father said to his slaves quickly. I love it tycoon agree quickly that salvation is an instant thing is not not a long process of restoration by works in ceremony. It's an instantaneous thing quickly right now all the privileges get the best robe, wealthy family like this would have one robe. By the way, the father's robe and it was used for those maximum kind of occasions of great grandeur and importance get the rope get the best robe.

This would be a beautiful embroidered robe the best.

The family had worn by the father and perhaps his father heirloom kind of thing get that robe he says quickly. Let no time pass and put it on him. He doesn't say that this young man not go get yourself cleaned up. He treats him like he's a prince. He treats them like is a king calls all the servants together and says take care of it clean them up dress them up.

He's just going to stand there while you do this to him just in a lavish him for the robot. What is that it's the robe of dignity, you share the full dignity of the father, the full majesty of the father, the ring on his finger rings were just for looks, they were use to stamp in soft wax.

The family symbol on official documents.

This is authority to act in behalf of the father. He can signify the father's will in any document, it's like getting the keys to the kingdom put shoes on them slaves and hired men and the poor didn't wear shoes shoes were for people who had responsibility give him dignity. Give him authority. Give him responsibility. He has my dignity. He has my authority and he has a share in my responsibility. This is full sun ship.

My how grace triumphs over sin. My how grace triumphs over sin. Grace gives to us when we come full dignity of God as we are clothed with his own righteousness the full authority of God to act on his behalf consistent with his revelation and responsibility to carry on his work in his name in the power of his spirit and once the sun had been given all these things lavishly. Verse 23 says, and bring the fattened calf wealthy people had one calf that they Usually for the marriage of the older son but you use it for the best and biggest occasion kill it. That would be a operation itself take a little while and by the way, they didn't flay it put on a big huge spit. I've been to some things like that where that's in the way of doing it. They chopped it into steaks and chops and everything else and cooked it in their bake ovens their bread ovens kill the fattened calf and let's eat and be merry to have a party. Now go back to verse seven there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents 99 righteous person or need no repentance. Verse 10 joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents this is that in this story the celebration begins not just want to point out one thing and a time to develop at all, but the celebration is directed at the father is not directed at the sun son received the robe and the ring in the shoes but the party is a party in honor of such a gracious father. Let's all eat calf could feed anywhere from 100, 200 and didn't eat a lot of meat, they didn't eat meat every day.

Meet was for special occasions and this could be 100 to 200 people to dig into this thing. They're gonna do it. Verse 24 says for this son of mine was dead. We can talk about that.

God knows who his sons are and in his wonderful providence and sovereignty.

He has his times when he will raise them from death to life. This son of mine was dead, and is come to life again.

He was lost and has been found, and they began to be married. They began because the party will never end celebration over the redemption of every center will go on forever and the object of the celebration will be God God God God the saving God. While this is another outrage to the listening Pharisees and Sadducees. The whole thing is now getting beyond bizarre is becoming irritating is becoming agitating there.

This is like fingernails down a blackboard. This is just to contrary end. Shameful. The father is now acting stupidly, giving all of this to the sun and then having a celebration as if some honor had been burned. No characters existed like this in their world. There weren't any sons like this there were any fathers who would do this. They knew no sons like this and father's like this there is there unmasking. They didn't know God will come to an amazing conclusion. Shameful reaction. Verse 25 will cover this in just a few minutes. His older son was in the field and when he came and approached the house. By the way, would you think the older son was supposed to plan all these big events.

It was his responsibility.

His father never even consulted him on a didn't tell them about didn't send a messenger to get in life. He knew he had no relationship with him either. He hated his father.

Also he was alienated from his father. Also he just stayed around the house, but he had zero relationship to his father. That's why he didn't defend his father's honor in the beginning and he didn't try to protect his brother from doing something as stupid as he wanted to do this man played no role in anything because though he was at the house. He had no relationship to the father. The father knew that he cared not for his brother and he knew that he had no interest in his own joy and so he was not a part of it. He's out in the field he wasn't working was just making sure people do. His father left him there till he came home at the normal time at the end of the day. By then the parties started became approached the house heard music and dancing some in one of the servants actually pie Doan boys.

This would be village boys who are outside you know the young people would hang around while the adults were in heaven the party he comes to one of the young boys.

He begins inquiring what these things might be. He's totally in the dark. He doesn't get it.

He has no part in this whole redemptive scheme and they said this boy in verse 27 says your brothers come your father's kill the fattened calf because he's received in back safe and sound alone for a safe and sound hole actually is connected to shalom. He received a back shalom he's at peace with his father, full reconciliation, you might think wow and he would celebrate 10 verse 28, he became angry. Guess what, the Pharisees and scribes just appeared in the story. This is they they just appeared in the story they were angry that God in Christ was embracing sinners. That's what tick them off. And here they are in the story they are, by the way, referred to earlier as the 99 who need no repentance, never seeing themselves as sinners. He became angry was not willing to go in. I will not be a part of anything like that. It is shameful. The father is shameful. The sun is shameful.

The village people who are celebrating our shameful this is no time to honor the father.

The father is a fool. You don't give honor to a man who's a fool. Shameful reaction know he had been home and around the house. Zero relationship to his father. He is as lost as his brother and the Pharisees and scribes were just as lost as the tax collectors and the sinners just a different kind of lostness. Some are lost in the far country. Some are lost around God around the church and you know the truth were known legalist like this. Religious people superficially religious people are jealous of prodigal's because inside. They have the same lusts, but they're never fulfilled the have the same hankering for sin and iniquity, and they are jealous and envious of those who play those out to the max and don't care what people think they do because their approach to get the stuff is to conform outwardly and so here they are in the story, but you know from their viewpoint, they would be saying. Finally, a sensible guy finally a guy who gets it. Hey, this is righteous indignation. We like this guy. This is the Pharisees and scribes guy because this is the and if that's not enough shame about this more shame shameful reply by the father.

Verse 20 is father came out and begin pleading with him. This is just unbelievable. Father comes down again picture of condescension leaves the party leaves a celebration where he's the guest of honor skews me folks I have to go comes down into the night into the dark fines this hypocrite who hates him and begs him to come to the party.

This is another ridiculous, shameful act is that father willing to punish any sun that insults him and by the way he entreats him in a prolonged way. There's no public slap. No beating the father is banking but the response verse 29 he answered and said it was father look nuts and highroller don't say that to a father you say father father José. Look complete disdain complete disrespect.

This is his. I wish you were dead to block for so many years I've been serving you.

That's how it is with legalist. They do it.

It's a duty. It's a grind it's bitter. I have never neglected a command of yours boy.

There is a deception. This is like the rich young ruler said.

He kept all the commandments. So it is with religious ponies and hypocrites. They don't want to admit their sin. I have been grinding this service for you to get the estate that I want.

I've never neglected a command. You never gave me go, let alone a calf that I might be merry with my friends.

He wanted a party of his own, but not with the father and not with the brother he had other friends. It is own group hypocrites hang with hypocrites in the father.

Verse 31 says verse 30 says when this son of yours came, who devoured your wealth with Charlotte, you kill the fattened calf for him and the father says to him, my child while while from the Pharisee standpoint, even though they would agree with the older son having the just attitude. They can't understand a man who appears to be this week. Slap that guy.

But he says my child. Not we us that's been used eight times the word for son. Now it's Technion, my boy, you've always been with me all this mine it's always been yours had to come and have a relationship with me you never going to get it the way you're going. You now can earn it that way.

In verse 32 we had to be merry. We had to rejoice for this brother of yours was dead and is begun. The loom was lost has been found what was going to do a week have to celebrate what you see in the story. Two kinds sinners. The profligate debauched open in moral or religious center and the hypocrite in the house around the church, religious, superficially moral, and both are extreme sinners and a father who entreats both who offers both everything he has and the point is this young people listen to me. The extreme sinner falls within the purview of God's grace not everybody is that extreme on either end, but that's good news for all of us in between and why does God do this, why does he do this because he rejoices when one sinner repents and all the holy angels and glorified saints rejoice with him. But you know the story doesn't have an ending just stops and after you read verse 32 you're looking for. Verse 33.

Because what happened. What is the son say, and what did he do it just stops. Well, how about if I write an ending.

I do that the older brother. Seeing the compassion and mercy of his father and desiring a reconciliation confessed his sins of hypocrisy and asked his father for forgiveness was embraced and kissed and taken into the banquet and seated at his father's table. I like that ending. I like that ending but I can't write the ending the route. The ending's already been written. That's right, here's the ending.

Upon hearing this, the older son being outraged that his father picked up a piece of wood and beat his father to death. That's the ending would be only a few months before the Pharisees would kill him by kneeling on wood and they would congratulate themselves that what they had done was an act of honor that protected their people, their nation and the religion from one who came to shame. It in the language of the parable. The sun was striking the father with crushing killing blows saying you are evil you are shameful you are evil. Someone needs to end the shame and bring honor to this family and I will do it by reading this family of such a shameful fall says it is he defeats him to death.

That's how the story ended the final irony is that the father who should have beaten the sun is beaten to death by the wicked son in the greatest act of evil ever, and they thought they were righteous and they didn't understand love, mercy and grace yet God the saving, gracious father in Christ uses that murder is the mean by which he purchases our salvation. It all ends at the cross where he in Christ endured death, despising the what the shame for us, he took the shame so you could be at the celebration that brings him. This is grace to you with John MacArthur.

Thanks for being with us. John's current study highlighting landmark sermons from 53 years of his pulpit ministry is titled the New Testament beginning to end. While friend if you're looking for verses on how to be saved. The parable of the prodigal son or the tale of two sons as were calling today's lesson probably wouldn't be the first passage that comes to mind, but John the fact is, few places in the Bible give a more compelling look at repentance, forgiveness and other essentials of salvation by believe that the parable of the two sons or as we know it. The prodigal is the most dramatic, compelling parable. Our Lord ever created and is also the longest so it's just loaded with detail and it's not about parenting. It's not about make sure you raise your kids right and deal with them when when they come home. It's about salvation.

It's about true repentance about forgiveness, about the joy of heaven. We have condensed that parable into a little book called grace for you subtitled a compelling story of God's redemption is based on the book, a tale of two sons or the prodigal, I wrote the book all the tale of two sons. It was reissued under the title the prodigal, which is more familiar, so we condensed what was in that little book boiled it down to a booklet that communicates the gospel drawing truth from that very compelling story that our Lord told this is the kind of thing that you can leave with a person. It's self-explanatory, or it's the kind of thing you could go over with your children. Starting very young this to be a great way for you to begin to explain the gospel to little ones in a course on up to adulthood and even if you've known the parable for years and you've heard it many times and you you think you understand it. I guarantee you will be surprised by the truth. That's a little deeper below the surface. Simple, clear, penetrating, thought-provoking. This condensed book grace for you presents a clear and poignant explanation of the gospel. Here's the good news will send you a free copy. If you just ask 60 pages free. All you have to do is ask. Yes friend. This is a great little book to read yourself or pass along to someone who needs the gospel to pick up a free copy of grace for you.

Contact us today.

You can call toll-free 855 grace or go to GT Y.org again this concise little book is perfect for putting in a nonbelievers hands. It's really an ideal evangelistic tool again to let us know that you want a free copy of grace for you, call 855 grace or go to our website.

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