Prodigal Week 1: Same Goal just Different Tactics

¹¹ And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. ¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. ¹⁴ And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
¹⁷ “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 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.”’ 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. 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.’ ²² But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. ²³ And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. ²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷ And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, ²⁹ but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ ³¹ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³² It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Luke 15:11-32

We tend to think of the story of the Prodigal Son as a story of one really bad child, a really good dad, and a goody-two-shoes older sibling, but in this sermon Pastor Yami invites us to recognize that for all their differences, the two brothers actually had the same goal, just different tactics for achieving that goal. As one of the Bible stories most well known even outside of the believing community, it can be difficult to read the parable of the prodigal son and hear anything new. We think we know the characters, what to expect, and exactly what we are supposed to learn. Join us in this sermon to re-investigate this old story with fresh lenses, exploring truths we thought we knew only to find that they still have to power to change and enliven us.

We too might have the same goal, just different tactics. You might find your tactics within the younger brother, who represents people who are largely disobedient, freedom seeking, and on a journey of self-discovery rather than path following. Or you might find your tactics within the older brother, who represents people who are largely obedient, moralistic, and find their worth succeeding within a given structure. Or you may need to examine your tactics more carefully to determine your own way of pursuing this same goal that seems to infect all of us… we want the Father’s stuff, but do we really want the father that goes with it?

Next Step Questions:

1. Do you find yourself more as a younger brother (disobedient, driven by self-discovery) or as an older brother (obedient, driven by moralism)?
2. Consider how you might be pursuing the same goals as the two brothers (the Father’s stuff, without relationship to the Father) and try to identify your own tactics

Palm Sunday Sermon