The fourth leg of the trek in the land of the lost son (Lk 15:25-28)
But his elder son was out in the fields, and as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants across to him and enquired what was the meaning of it all. "Your brother has arrived, and your father has killed the calf we fattened because he has got him home again safe and sound," was the reply. But he was furious and refused to go inside the house. So his father came outside and called him (Phillips New Testament Translation, Lk 15:25-28).
But his elder son was out in the fields, and as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants across to him and enquired what was the meaning of it all. "Your brother has arrived, and your father has killed the calf we fattened because he has got him home again safe and sound," was the reply. But he was furious and refused to go inside the house. So his father came outside and called him (Phillips New Testament Translation, Lk 15:25-28).
Last week we saw the son returning to the father and admitted that he sinned against God, against him, and he was unworthy to be his son (v21). Before he could finish his confession, however, his father interrupted him and gave four orders to his slaves: bring the best robe which speaks of honor, a ring which speaks of authority, and sandals which speak of restoration as a son, not barefooted like the slaves and day laborers. Finally, the father ordered the fatted calf to be killed for celebration. Why? Look at v24, for this my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found. And the verse concludes, And they began to be merry (joyful, happy) and the feasting began.
We are coming off the mountain of rejoicing and going down to the valley of No Joy. This week and next week we will be walking around this valley characterized by a culture of religious intensity and austerity. It is not the most comfortable place to be for it is anything but Christ-like. Some of the hamlets nestled in this spacious valley are named (in no particular order of importance) self righteousness, self-importance, hypocrisy, giving to be seen, praying to be seen, the look of fasting, parading piety, controlling (suggested by ML West), rigid, anger, resentment, jealousy, envy, coldness, heartless, entitlement, judgmental, holier-than-thou, religious, ritualism, quoting Scripture, formal wear, sanctimonious, condemnation, legalistic, separation, throwing stones, pointing finger, unhappy, arrogance, pride, unteachable spirit, and bitterness.
Ironically, as cliquish and stand-offish as they are, it is easy to assimilate into the culture of the Pharisees, for their religious activity involves external change nothing internal, not requiring the holiness of God. There are many more hamlets to be found in the valley of No joy, but the one thing they all have in common is that they share a character trait of the Pharisees. The purpose of going down to No Joy is not so that we can point out Phariseeism in others but to see if some traces are found within us!
Ironically, as cliquish and stand-offish as they are, it is easy to assimilate into the culture of the Pharisees, for their religious activity involves external change nothing internal, not requiring the holiness of God. There are many more hamlets to be found in the valley of No joy, but the one thing they all have in common is that they share a character trait of the Pharisees. The purpose of going down to No Joy is not so that we can point out Phariseeism in others but to see if some traces are found within us!
“Once Lincoln was asked how he was going to treat the rebellious southerners when they had finally been defeated and had returned to the Union of the United States. The questioner expected that Lincoln would take a dire vengeance, but he answered, ‘I will treat them as if they had never been away'"(The Daily Study Bible).
This is how the father treated his lost son; this is how God the Father treated us even though we were never a son or daughter (Eph 2:1-13); it’s called adoption (huiothesia, G5206), the placing as a son, making former enemies heirs (Eph 1:1-7). Under Roman law when legally administered, adoption literally “put a man in every respect in the position of a son by birth to him who had adopted him, so that he possessed the same rights and owed the same obligations” (Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary).
The Pharisees listening to this parable by Jesus were appalled by the actions of the father. The son was already a dead man in their eyes. He should have been collected and sentenced to be stoned to death or at the very least, rejected and treated as an outcast, no more a son. But the father knew his son that he was not the same person as when he left from the moment he saw his son a great way off (v20). True repentance brings about a change in attitude and action. And the joy that flooded his father’s heart poured out in compassion, tears, affection, the robe, the ring, the sandals, and the feast. Oh, beloved, the joy our heavenly Father has over one sinner who truly repents from his sin; all of heaven resonates in joyful refrain. As we are about to discover in the valley of No Joy, the older brother is angry over all of this celebration. He expected if anything, condemnation, not celebration.
Let’s quickly cover three things before trekking around in the land of the Pharisees.
First, John MacArthur mentioned that there are two basic types of sinners. One is the showy sinner represented by the younger brother who is overt with his sinful behavior, and the other is the stealth sinner who is covert about sinful behavior represented by the older brother. And then you have the garden variety of everything in between those two polar opposites which are related more or less to showy or stealth behavior that is sinful.
Second, in this story of the lost son there are two basic emotions on display that are opposite to each other: joy and anger. Joy is represented by the father, and anger is represented by the older brother. Both of these emotions are directed toward the younger brother when he returns home. The father is overjoyed and the older brother is angered. These two emotions reveal something about us when we are feeling moments of joy or anger over something or someone.
We all know people who fly off the handle at the drop of a hat. They get all worked up and vocal over inconsequential things. There is an appropriate time for righteous indignation that is energized and focused properly. The venting of anger can be unholy as we will see with the older son later. Anger reveals the kind of values and assessments we place on things and people.
Strange as this may sound, joy is not always appropriate. We certainly wouldn’t think of laughing while visiting someone in the hospital dying with cancer or laughing at some off-colored joke. When we do those kinds of things it reveals something about us to other people. When we have a godly laughter that rejoices in the things of God, it reveals something about us. Our behavior, attitude, body language, and words reveal something about who we are and what values we have toward someone or something all the time. It’s inescapable. What makes us angry or happy tells a lot about us.
Strange as this may sound, joy is not always appropriate. We certainly wouldn’t think of laughing while visiting someone in the hospital dying with cancer or laughing at some off-colored joke. When we do those kinds of things it reveals something about us to other people. When we have a godly laughter that rejoices in the things of God, it reveals something about us. Our behavior, attitude, body language, and words reveal something about who we are and what values we have toward someone or something all the time. It’s inescapable. What makes us angry or happy tells a lot about us.
We can see a diametrical difference between the values and attitude toward the younger son by the reactions of the father and the older son. Being Pharisee-minded, prodigal-minded, or Christ-minded may be far more obvious to others than us. People are evaluating us all the time, and that might not necessarily mean much to some people, but God is doing the same thing to us. He already knows our attitudes before it turns into actions; He is providentially working to make us more holy. This is why we need to study and mediate on the Word of God in order to properly evaluate what attitudes and behaviors are God-honoring or dishonoring to the Father.
Third, we have to keep in mind those who are in the audience. Jesus is telling this parable to the tax collectors, sinner, Pharisees, and the scribes. But have you given thought about who else is in the audience listening to every word Jesus was saying? I have not made mention of it previously since our journey because it’s stating the obvious, but rarely was Jesus separated from one of His disciples. So we have the disciples in the audience as well. The disciples are picking up on everything that Jesus was saying. They could see the body language and gestures of the audience, particularly the Pharisees and scribes, as Jesus told this parable.
This is important for us because we need to put ourselves in the sandals of the disciples for us to see what we can learn from this parable if we are more like the father’s reaction (Christ-like) or the older son’s reaction (the Pharisees). It is important to note that even though we are born again, we all have a latent tendency to be like a Pharisee (self-righteous driven) or to be like a prodigal (self-willed driven); it all depends if we are yielding to the sin nature or the Spirit of God. Christ-likeness involves dying to self and being empowered by the Holy Spirit toward a standard only found in one place – the Bible, not in the interpretations of man.
Something triggered the flare up of the older son who represented the religious hypocrisy of the Pharisees. It was the father’s interaction with the younger son who represented the sinner. The Pharisees were very critical of Jesus mixing with the tax collectors and sinners (cf. Lk 15:2, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them”; see also Lk 5:30; 7:34, 39; 19:7; Mt 9:11).
Concerning the elder son, John MacArthur states. “He probably had the whole village sincerely believing that he was the ‘good ‘son – very respectful and faithful to his father. He pretended to be a loyal son. But in reality, he had no genuine respect for his father, no interest in what pleased his father, no love for the father’s values, and no concern for his needy younger brother” (Master Work, Winter 2010-2011, LifeWay, p. 146). The brother did not rejoice over his younger brother’s return but rejected the idea, so much for brotherly love.
Note that no one told the elder son of the celebration. What do you want to read into that? The father was familiar with the older son’s hostility toward his younger brother. This was to be a celebration, not a conflict and drama.
Lk 15:25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
Now his older son was in the field.
As JM observed that both sons were far away from the father, both came home but each with a different attitude and a different reception (Life Works, Winter 2010-2011, LifeWay, p. 149).
And as he came and drew near to the house. Coming out of the fields he drew near the house.
He heard music and dancing.
Music is the Greek word sumphonia (G4858), found only here in the NT, a concert of instruments, hence, our English word symphony.
Dancing is the Greek word choros (G5525), found only here in the NT, a circular dance. A band of dancers and singers (Thayer), hence our English word chorus, choir.
Lk 15:26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
So he called. Or summoned
One of the servants. This is the Greek word pais (G3816), a child of one of his father’s slaves, too young to be of any real help in the celebration, playing outside.
and asked what these things meant. The verb is in the imperfect tense, he kept on inquiring with a barrage of questions.
Lk 15:27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'
Your brother has come. This phrase your brother aroused his anger (cf. v30, this son of yours and reminded of your brother by the father, v32).
And because he has received him. To receive fully (apolambano, G618) or fully restored to the status of a son.
Safe and sound. Is the Greek word hugiaino (G5198), meaning “to be healthy, sound, physically well” (Zodhiates). Our English word hygiene comes from this word. More than physical health, but spiritual health as well.
Your father has killed the fatted calf. This was adding beef to injury.
Lk 15:28 "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.
But he was angry. He became angry (a deep seated fierce anger) and flew into a rage. The pent up resentment toward his brother and his father’s conduct enraged him. The older brother’s anger is sinful; but not all anger is sinful. Jesus was angered that the Jews had made His Father’s house of prayer into a den of robbers by commercializing the things of God and turned over the money-changer tables (Lk 19:45-46; cf. Eph 4:26a [quoting Psa 4:4], If you are angry, be sure that it is not out of wounded pride or bad temper [Phillips]).
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| Aristotle, Greek philospher, 4th century B.C. |
What enraged the older brother? We will talk more about the peripherals associated with this anger next week on the final leg of our hike, but what got his goat is found in v29, you (the father) never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.
and would not go in. He was unwilling and refused to join in the celebration.
Therefore his father came out. Either the father heard the racket outside or one of the “rug rats” went in and told the father the older brother was pitching a fit.
And pleaded with him. Imperfect verb tense, the father kept on pleading with him.
We will see next week the Father’s failure to dissuade his firstborn’s anger over the wonderful news that the younger son was alive and reunited with the family. Isn’t blood supposed to mean something? Our last leg in the land of the lost son is next week, God willing. It isn’t a happy ending, but being like a Pharisee never is. <><
Post Script
We have mentioned many characteristics of pharisaical behavior. It is not about identifying behavior in other people who purport to be religious and see if they fit the Pharisee profile. We need to look in the mirror of God’s Word and see if any is evident in us and purge ourselves of it. We can sniff out legalism a mile away; we got that down pat.
But being prodigal or pharisaical is not limited to lost people, and not always readily detectable. Both are a beast in its own right. Our mandate is Christ-likeness. Now here is the thing that I have observed that stands out in bold relief to me. It’s sort of a working hypothesis that I have been mulling over as we have been hiking through the land of the lost son. The core feature of a Pharisee may revolve around a negative attitude or an indifference toward the lost, or in their way of thinking, the outcasts. The absence of personal evangelism may indicate more about us than we realize!
But being prodigal or pharisaical is not limited to lost people, and not always readily detectable. Both are a beast in its own right. Our mandate is Christ-likeness. Now here is the thing that I have observed that stands out in bold relief to me. It’s sort of a working hypothesis that I have been mulling over as we have been hiking through the land of the lost son. The core feature of a Pharisee may revolve around a negative attitude or an indifference toward the lost, or in their way of thinking, the outcasts. The absence of personal evangelism may indicate more about us than we realize!
