WORSHIP VIDEO LINK (linked after 10:45 AM Service)
WORSHIP AUDIO LINK
SERMON AUDIO LINK
BULLETIN
SERMON TEXT BELOW
Lent 4 2025
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
March 30, 2025
Isaiah 12:1-6, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Sermons online:
Text and Audio: immanuelhamiltonchurch.com click “sermons”
Text: pastorjud.org
Audio: pastorjud.podbean.com
itunes: bit.ly/pastorjud
Full Service Audio: bit.ly/ImmanuelWorship
It is the bottom of the ninth, two outs, the visitors are up by one run and the home team has runners on second and third. The batter swings and hits a hard grounder straight to the star short stop. He is a super talented ballplayer… and he knows it. He sees the ball coming…he struts and showboats a bit and leans over to scoop up the ball and throw it to first to end the game. Easy peasy. Except with all the strutting and showboating he does not get his glove down far enough and the ball shoots between his legs, under his mitt and into the outfield. The runners on second and third both score and the home team has the victory. The next few games the star short stop rides the pine in the dugout and he is miserable. His pride cost the team a victory and the coached benched him. What does he need to do to earn a second chance?
The younger son in the parable of the prodigal son has done more than just mess up a play during a baseball game. The son did the unthinkable. He basically said to his father, “I wish you were dead, now, so I could have my inheritance.” Then the father did the unthinkable, he divided up his estate between his two sons, likely with the older son getting two-thirds and the younger son getting one-third. The father is reckless with his estate, giving away one third to his undeserving younger son. This parable is called the parable of the prodigal son. What does prodigal mean? It means wastefully or recklessly extravagant, or very generous; lavish. This teaching should probably be called the Parable of the Prodigal Father and Son. The father is recklessly extravagant in giving the younger son one third of the estate. The son is reckless in selling off the land and squandering it on wild living in a far country.
The problem with recklessly extravagant spending is that that you have a finite amount of money and it will run out. That is what happens to the younger son. He runs out of cash, and runs out of options, and finds himself caught in a famine at the mercy of a tightfisted pig farmer who takes advantage of the younger son’s precarious situation.
The once prosperous Jewish boy is flat broke feeding unclean pigs without even receiving a payment of food. The young man who once feasted sumptuously is now jealous of the pigs’ scavenged pods.
In desperation, he comes up with a plan. He is starving here, but back home his father’s servants have plenty to eat. The son has a start of repentance. Repentance is to have a change of heart; to turn from sin and turn back to God. The son has a change of his stubborn heart enough to know he needs to turn from starvation and return to his father. He formulates his confession to his father. Luke 15:18–19 (ESV) 18 I will arise 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 as one of your hired servants.” ’
The proud, reckless son is admitting that he is the cause of his own circumstances and he has sinned against his father and God. He is no longer worthy to be called a son. He is a true outcast like the tax collectors and sinners that concern the Pharisees and Scribes at the beginning of our reading.
The son’s repentance is typical of the way repentance is thought of by Jewish teachers of his time. His repentance does not rely on the grace of his father, but rather, his repentance includes reparations and atonement. The son will work his way back into his father’s good graces. The son wants to know, “What do I need to do to get a second chance?” He is not going to rely on his father’s grace; he will save himself through his work. He will be able to maintain some amount of freedom and independence, some dignity. He will be living and working with the servants who may despise him, but at least he will get a second chance. He will maintain his pride. And so the son heads home.
The son never gets to execute his plan to earn a second chance. Luke 15:20 (ESV) 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
The father is prodigal with his love for his lost son. He runs to his son and running is not something a respectable man does. He embraces his son and kisses him before the son has a chance to say anything. The father restores their relationship out of pure grace. The son does not have to say anything or do anything to be restored.
The son now shows his complete repentance. His confession is no longer a face-saving conditional repentance where the son will make reparations. Now the confession is true repentance, Luke 15:21 (ESV) 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” Notice what is missing. There is no offer to be a servant.
In the son’s repentance, there is no freedom for him, no independence, no dignity, no pride, just utter dependence on his father’s grace. There are no reparations from the son, only pure grace and restoration from his father. And this is not done privately, just between father and son. The father announces it publicly to the servants by having them adorn the son with the finest clothes and jewelry, and then he announces the restoration to the whole community by killing the fattened calf and throwing a huge feast.
The feast is what makes the older son really angry as he returns from the fields to the sound of music and dancing. The Pharisees and scribes grumble about Jesus eating with sinners. The older son refuses to eat with his sinful brother. The younger son represents the repentant tax collectors and sinners received into fellowship with Jesus at His table. The older son resents the feast. He resents the father’s celebrating because… Luke 15:24 (ESV) 24 … my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’…” The older son resents the feast because the younger son has not earned it.
The older son views himself not as the eldest son and heir to whom the whole estate belongs, but rather as a servant valued only for his work. He thinks the father only values him as a worker. He believes that he pleases his father through work, the same way the younger son hoped to find restoration through reparations. The older son represents all the Jewish religious leaders who believe that repentance is about reparations; that repentance is about what you need to do to deserve a second chance. And so we leave the older son outside, refusing to go in to the feast. Does he ever repent of resenting his father’s grace? We are not told. It is still a struggle for people today to believe that repentance is not about what you will do to deserve a second chance; it is about the grace of God earned by the blood of Jesus.
When you find yourself caught up in sin and far away from God, be the younger son. Joel 2:13 (ESV) 13 …Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love…” Repent and take your place at the table of the Lord.
At the beginning of our service you declared that you are unworthy… and your Father in heaven embraced you with His love and welcomed you once again. You have been forgiven by your Prodigal Father in heaven and invited to the feast where you receive the Body and Blood of the sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus pours out forgiveness on you over and over and over in abundance. He is recklessly extravagant in giving out forgiveness. It cost Him everything on the altar of the cross but now He has an unlimited fountain of goodness and grace. Live in the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Walk in the commands of the Lord. Be the light of Christ. Continue to turn from sin and return to God. God is prodigal, He has no shortage of grace. Repent and come to the Lord’s Table. Amen.