The Gospel

And he said, "There was a man who had two sons.  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.  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.  And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.  And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.  "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!  I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."'  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.  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.'  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.  And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.  "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.  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.'  But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,  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.  But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!'  And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.  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 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

In the coming weeks, we will be doing a series on the core values of Renewal church. We typically cover chapters of books, but we will be taking this time to visit this topic. This is not only to inform newcomers. It is also to remind and help those who have been here for awhile what it is that we desire. And not only intellectual agreement, but to assess whether we follow through with our actions, time, and resources.

Today, we will be covering the Gospel. We could have chosen many different passages. But I think the story of the prodigal son fits well. This story summarizes the two alternatives to the Gospel: religious and irreligious living. In this case, religious living refers to belief systems & moral frameworks other than following Jesus.

The sons

The younger son represents irreligious living. He asks his father for his portion of the inheritance. This is the equivalent of wishing his father was dead. This is utterly shocking. But the father gives the younger son what he wants. And the son takes this and goes to a far off country to squander everything in wild living. Prodigal does not mean lost. It means wild and excessive expenditure. And how does it end? The son runs out of money and becomes a servant. Not just any servant, but one that feeds pigs. For a Jewish boy, feeding and wishing to eat the food of pigs is absolute rock bottom.

This son represents those who want nothing to do with God. They want good things without a heavenly father. But it only ends in enslavement. They desire these earthly created things above all, but these things cannot fulfill. So they work and work and work, but still cannot find satisfaction. We were created to worship and we will worship even if we run from God. The son is dehumanized. He's living like an animal.

The older son has been working at home this entire time. Hospitality is a big deal. For the older son to not come in is utterly shameful. The older son is angry. He says that "all these years" he has worked hard for the father. This is not anger of the moment. This is a festering resentment. This son did not go to some far off country and squander his inheritance. This son was always so close to the father, but his heart was so very far.

The accusation leveled by the older son is this: "Father, you are stingy towards me. You are not fair!" The fattened calf is like a steak and the goat is like a hamburger. The older son thinks of his relationship with the father in a transactional manner. He is bitter at God. This is how outwardly religious people are like. They appear to love God, but when you peel away the layers they only love themselves. God is only a means to an end. They count their righteous deeds carefully. It inflates their view if their own goodness. This makes them critical of those who do not measure up. Their actions make them seem right with God, but their hearts are so far away from God.

How God treats his sons...

For the younger son, his actions would have shamed both his family and the community. He was planning to ask for his father to make him a servant. The son's actions would have required restitution in this society of shame. The father called for a ring, a robe, and shoes. The ring and robe was symbolic of status and authority. This was no servant. Slaves went barefoot. This is no slave. The father is saying that the younger son was restored to family in every way.

For the older son, the father speaks words of reassurance. The older son may have wondered about his own inheritance. Was the father playing favorites? No, the father said that the older son's place was secure. The older son has the love of his father.

The third son

There is no third son in this story. The third son is the one telling the story. He does what the older son did not. He goes to the younger son in a pig sty and tells him to come home. He takes in the sins of both of the brothers and takes their punishment. Jesus is the righteous son, the older brother in the kingdom. He shares the father's inheritance with those two brothers.

The sons cannot pay the father back. Christians do not act out of fear or for wages/blessings. They serve because they have the love of the heavenly Father through Jesus.