Luke 15:11-32 | The Older Son
June 2, 2024

Last week - the story
Context -

, ,
Ken Bailey

Younger Son
Freedom

became a different form of slavery
Christ frees us for life in him

Older Son
2/3 left is all his

In the


supervising staff

Comes in - hears a commotion
Summons a boy and asks
What is going on?

Won’t go in -

decision
Older Son had a roll
Head Server
Father as host, Oldest as most esteemed server
Guest of Honor - the Younger Brother

Older Son:
Violates his relationship
Rebellion
Broke relationship, not a law
Refuses partnership
Despises his brother
Only sees his relationship with his Father as servant/master

“His heart is full of envy, pride, bitterness, sarcasm, anger, resentment, self-centeredness, hate, stinginess, self-satisfaction, and self-deception. Yet, he probably sees his own actions as a rigtheous search for honor.” —The Cross and the Prodigal, Ken Bailey

This is what is so dangerous about self-righteousness.
Masked as

…it doesn’t see the problem
Countless stories - pride comes before the fall

Compassion needed
Same judgement used on

is often used on

Like a computer?
Have you restarted it?
So basic, it is forgotten

Where is the father in all this?

Father - breaks all protocol by going out
They had an audience
Not summons but beseech, entreats

He was lost but now is found
Come to the

!

Story ends before we know what happens
Today, we need to answer it

In our own self-righteousness, will we come in?
Leave it outside and be free in Christ
Stay outside and be devoured by it

Come to the table
The party!
The reminder - I was a lost one
Join the meal of lost ones!