CHRIST COLLIDES:
WITH OUR PRIORITIES
Luke 15:1-32
Pastor Calvary deJong
March 23rd, 2025
Introduction: Sorting People and Missing Grace
After my first year of Bible college, I worked construction in downtown Winnipeg—on what’s now the Canada Life Centre—where the Winnipeg Jets play. From the job site, I’d watch the sidewalk: professionals in suits, tradespeople grabbing coffee, and those living rough—pushing carts, walking alone. They shared the same space, but not the same world. Invisible lines marked who belonged and who didn’t. If we are honest, we do this too—sorting people without even realizing it. It’s this exact dynamic that Jesus addresses in Luke 15. Religious leaders were scandalized—not by Jesus’ teachings—but by His table company. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them,” they muttered (v.2). So, Jesus tells three stories—not to shame, but to reveal. Because sometimes, the real obstacle to grace isn’t someone else’s sin—it’s our own sense of who deserves to be included.
The Sheep & The Search: Grace Goes Looking
Jesus starts with two short parables. In one story, a shepherd has one hundred sheep—one goes missing. He leaves the ninety-nine to search. When he finds it, he celebrates. In the next story, a woman has ten silver coins, each worth a day’s wage—one is lost. She turns her house upside down until she finds it. And again—celebration. In both parables, the object of value doesn’t find its way home—the shepherd and the woman do the searching. These aren’t just heartwarming tales—they reveal how God views the lost, not with frustration but with joy. God doesn't shrug at what's missing—He goes after it, and He throws a party when it's found.
The Parable of Two Lost Sons: And the Father Who Sought Them Both
Unlike the first two stories, Jesus’ third parable breaks the pattern. Something is lost—but no one goes looking. This is intentional. Because now, the story gets personal. Jesus wants His listeners—especially the Pharisees—to see themselves.
- The Younger Son: From Rebellion to Return
In the third parable, a man has two sons and his younger son asks for his inheritance early—a deeply offensive request. It’s a declaration: “I want your stuff, not you.” The father gives in, liquidating a third of his estate. The son leaves, spends everything on “wild living,” and ends up feeding pigs—a detail that would have made Jesus’ Jewish audience cringe. Then comes the turning point in the story: “He came to his senses.” Broken, hungry, and ashamed—the younger son decides to return home, not expecting restoration but hoping for survival. Yet, “While he was still a long way off,” his father sees him and runs to him—an undignified act in that culture. But grace doesn't wait for explanations. Grace runs. The father’s robe, ring, and sandals are more than gestures—they’re declarations of identity, authority, and belonging. And the party he throws upon his son’s return? It’s heaven’s way of saying: “You’re home.”
2. The Elder Brother: Resentful Rule-Keeping
But there’s another son—the elder one who never left. When he hears the music, he’s furious. “All these years I’ve been slaving for you… but you never threw a party for me.” His words betray his heart—he sees himself more as a servant than a son. His bitterness shows that proximity doesn’t equal intimacy. While his brother ran away physically, the elder brother stayed and grew distant emotionally. His moral record became his justification. But he’s just as lost—just as alienated from the father’s joy.
This is the danger of religious pride. Timothy Keller writes in his book The Prodigal God, that there is more than one way to reject God: one is by being very bad, and the other is by being very good and thinking that your goodness obligates God. This is what Keller calls “lostness in morality.” One son broke the rules. The other kept the rules to maintain control. Yet both are in a sense equally distant from the father's heart.
3. The “Prodigal” Father: Extravagant Love for Both Sons
Both sons dishonour the father—one through rebellion, the other through resentment. But the father moves toward both. He runs to the younger, and he pleads with the elder. He is the one character consistent in love, generosity, and grace. In the end, this is the father’s story. He is the one who suffers loss, gives freely, and risks rejection again and again. His love is extravagant—what Timothy Keller calls prodigal. He invites both sons to come home—not just into his house, but to his heart.
Conclusion: Where Are You in the Story?
Do you identify with the younger son? Regret, shame, and wondering if it’s too late? God the Father sees you. He’s not waiting with crossed arms—He’s already running.
Do you relate to the elder brother? You’ve done the “right things,” but feel unseen or bitter when grace is given to others? The Father is inviting you too—not just to obey, but into His joy and to celebrate. Jesus is the true elder brother—who didn’t sulk outside but left the Father’s side, paid the cost, and brought us home. As Keller writes: “You are more sinful than you ever dared believe—and more loved than you ever dared hope.” The gospel is not a reward for effort. It’s an invitation to come home.
A Vision for the Future of Our Church: A Heart for the Lost
Let’s be a church that leaves the porch light on for prodigals, and throws a party when they come home. Let’s plead with elder brothers and sisters to come inside. Let’s reflect the Father’s heart to everyone—regardless of where they’ve been or how long they’ve stayed. And if you’re a good Mennonite who doesn’t dance? Well, maybe it’s time the joy of Jesus leads us to start dancing on the inside!