The Celebrative Love of the Father

So, do you enjoy a good party? Loud music? One that goes on into the night? A party of Biblical proportions? Really? How do you feel about parties? How do you feel about God throwing one?

This week we look at a party. One thrown by a father. One that was roundly criticized by those who knew better. They were in fact quite grumpy about it all. It's an amazing story.

Part of the grumpiness on the part of the "religious" folks had to do with who was welcomed at such parties. These were not the kind of people that had great reputations, or who they wanted their children playing with or hanging around with. They were not good for the image of the neighborhood. In fact, Jesus' reputation suffered quite a bit from his willingness, in fact his insistence, on being with them. In was in the midst of a fair amount of criticism on exactly this point that was being leveled directly at Jesus, that Jesus tells three stories in the 15th chapter of Luke. The final one is the one that is usually called the parable of the prodigal son. A careful reading, however, suggests that perhaps a better title for the parable would be "The Parable of the Loving and Celebrative Father."

So, do you buy it? Do you really believe in a God that celebrates like that? That actually feels that way about us? About you? About those you would not invite to your party? If it's hard for you, you can take some comfort in knowing it was hard for people in Jesus' day as well. It was particularly hard for the older brother of the wayward son. Yet, that did not deter Jesus. It does not deter Jesus even now. Perhaps it might be time that it stops deterring us?

Some people that think that grace is something that Paul dreamed up, and that it is not central to the gospel of Jesus. Clearly they have not grasped the significance of this story, and the thrust of the other stories He told and the life that He lived. The irony is how much resistance grace generates, when it is in fact that greatest reason one could image to celebrate. There is no greater motive or empowerment for a changed life. God is indeed a God of celebrative love! Yet we resist.

God invites us to let go and come and join the celebration. Coming?

If you would like to explore this further and/or listen to the sermon once again (or perhaps for the first time) you can do so by accessing our sermon library by clicking here.

Luke 15 (TNIV)

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

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