2025-03-30 Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 Where do you belong in between two sons.

Many people refer to this passage as the Parable of the “Prodigal Son.” However, this is not actually the parable of the prodigal son. If we carefully examine the passage, we see that the older son plays a more significant role than the younger son. This is a story about two brothers—one who left home and returned, and another who never left but failed to embrace his true identity as a son. Strictly speaking, it would be more accurate to call this parable "The Story of Two Brothers." To whom did Jesus tell this story, and why? Verses 1-3 provide the context. Wherever Jesus went, those who gathered around Him were not the elite or the socially influential, but rather the tax collectors and sinners—the marginalized and despised. Meanwhile, the Pharisees and scribes stood at a distance, grumbling. Their complaint? “We have diligently kept the law, and yet this Jesus welcomes and eats with sinners!” The Pharisees and scribes were physically present, yet their hearts were closed. They did not truly hear Jesus' words because they were too fixated on those who surrounded Him—people they deemed impure and unworthy. In their eyes, Jesus was simply associating with the lowly. As a result, His words had no significance to them. This reveals an important truth: Jesus' words are the most precious pearls, the greatest treasures. But even the most powerful words of life only hold meaning for those who long to hear them. It is not one’s knowledge, experience, or status that gives power to God’s word. Rather, it is a person’s willingness to receive and be transformed by it. Look at those who listened to Jesus—the tax collectors and sinners. Though society had cast them aside, they desperately longed for His words. And through Him, they found life and the hope of transformation. May we, too, have such a longing to hear and embrace God's word. Seeing the grumbling of the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus told several parables, including this one. Let us examine its content. The younger son demands, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me” (Luke 15:12).

He then squanders everything in reckless living, becomes destitute, and longs to eat the pods the pigs were eating. Finally, he regrets his choices. Verse 17 states, “But when he came to himself…” Until that moment, he had not been in his right mind. People often lose their way when they chase desires and impulses. Only when their lives are broken do they come to their senses, realizing who they are and where they belong. With the heart of a repentant sinner, the younger son decides to return to his father. At first, he had boldly declared his independence, believing he could live well without his father. He had demanded his inheritance, assuming everything existed for his benefit. But now, he realizes his foolishness and unworthiness. He returns, expecting to be a mere servant. Yet before he can even plead his case, his father runs to him, embraces him, and restores him fully as his son. The father calls for a great feast, rejoicing that his lost son has returned. The greater conflict, however, lies with the older son. When he learns of the celebration, he is filled with resentment. He refuses to go inside. Why? First, because his younger brother had wasted his father’s wealth. Second, because despite his lifelong obedience, he had never received such a celebration. He sees himself as a dutiful servant rather than a beloved son. Though outwardly obedient, his heart is full of bitterness. Perhaps he secretly envied his younger brother’s freedom but lacked the courage to leave himself. So, instead, he harbored resentment, continuing his work under his father’s authority with growing dissatisfaction. Now, when his brother returns, he refuses to accept him. His resentment bursts forth: “I worked so hard, but he…!” Yet who is truly at a loss? When a child refuses to eat out of anger, who suffers? The child. Likewise, the older son’s refusal to join the feast only harms himself. Jesus’ parable highlights that there are people like the older son—those who struggle to accept that sinners can be forgiven and welcomed. They harden their hearts, becoming filled with anger. Yet who is hosting this banquet? In verse 12, it is written, “So he divided his property between them.” When the younger son claimed his inheritance, the father had already given everything to both sons. After the younger son left, everything that remained belonged to the older son. Yet he neither recognized his role as heir nor embraced the joy of reconciliation. He neither acted as the master of the house nor rejoiced as a servant would.

To this resentful son, the father says in verse 31, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” This is a profound truth: The younger son took his share and left, but the older son already possessed everything that remained. And yet, he lived as though he had nothing. The father’s message is clear: “You have been doing your own work, not mine. But now, your only brother has returned—we must celebrate.” Who Are We in This Story? One son boldly demanded his share, squandered it, and made a mess of his life. The other, though he had everything, never truly embraced his identity as an heir. One left and returned in repentance; the other stayed but remained distant in heart. Where do we find ourselves in this story? Are we like the younger son—having left God in pursuit of our own desires, only to realize that true life is found in His presence? If so, know that God, full of mercy, embraces His children no matter how they return. Whether we come back as failures, sinners, or broken people, God restores us without condition and rejoices in our return. Or are we more like the older son? We may say we have served God faithfully, never breaking His commandments, yet our hearts remain weary, bitter, and dissatisfied. If so, we must ask: Have we been living as servants rather than children? Have we forgotten that all that is the Father’s is already ours? There is a Korean saying: “Only those who have left home know how good home is.” But even those who never leave can lose sight of the goodness of home if they do not truly embrace their identity as children. Jesus told this parable to the grumbling Pharisees and teachers of the law. Through this story, He reveals that God welcomes sinners and restores them without conditions. And to those who have remained but feel resentment, He gently reminds them who they are and why they, too, should rejoice. Welcoming sinners, sitting with them at the table, and celebrating their return—this, Jesus teaches us, is more important than any human traditions, laws, or judgments. The Word of God declares: “He was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found. So we must celebrate and rejoice.” May this moment, this gathering, be a place where those who were dead come alive through Jesus’ words, where those who were lost are found by God, and where we all forgive, accept, and rejoice together in His grace.