Today, we’re finishing Luke chapter 15. In this chapter, Jesus tellsthree parables in response to the Pharisees who criticized Him for being afriend to tax collectors and sinners. The theme running through all threeparables is lost, found, and rejoicing. Keep that in mind.
At this point in theparable, the scribes and Pharisees felt confident that they had escaped ourLord's judgment, for He had centered His attention on the publicans andsinners, pictured by the prodigal son. But Jesus continued the story andintroduced the elder brother, who is a clear illustration of the scribes andPharisees. The publicans and sinners were guilty of the obvious sins of theflesh, but the Pharisees and scribes were guilty of sins of the spirit (2 Cor.7:1). Their outward actions may have been blameless, but their inward attitudeswere abominable (see Matt. 23:25-28).
We must admit that theelder brother had some virtues that are commendable. He worked hard and alwaysobeyed his father. He never brought disgrace either to the home or to thevillage, and apparently he had enough friends so that he could have planned anenjoyable party (Luke 15:29). He seems like a good solid citizen and, comparedto his younger brother, almost a saint.
However, important asobedience and diligence are, they are not the only tests of character. Jesustaught that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love others(Luke 10:25-28), but the elder brother broke both of these divine commandments.He did not love God (represented in the story by the father), and he did notlove his brother. The elder brother would not forgive his brother who wastedthe family inheritance and disgraced the family name. But neither would heforgive his father who had graciously forgiven the young man those very sins!
When you examine thesins of the elder brother, you can easily understand why he pictures thescribes and Pharisees. To begin with, he was self-righteous. He openlyannounced the sins of his brother, but he could not see his own sins (see Luke18:9-14). The Pharisees defined sin primarily in terms of outward actions, notinward attitudes. They completely missed the message of the Sermon on the Mountand its emphasis on inward attitudes and holiness of heart (Matt. 5-7).
My friend, the heart ofGod is for lost sinners to be found, and when they are, there is rejoicing.Jesus rejoices, heaven rejoices, angels rejoice, friends rejoice. But do youknow who wasn’t rejoicing? The Pharisees. They were sanctimonious,self-righteous, proud, angry, bitter religious people. Their religion was builton good works, and they thought they were better than everyone else. Jesusnails them with this story.
Jesus uses the story ofthe older brother to drive this home. My friend, we need to be aware of this.Our churches are full of people who work, work, work, serve, serve, serve, butit’s often to be seen, to be commended, to get a pat on the back. Like thePharisees, they say, “I’m not like others. I tithe, I go to church, I do allthese good things.” But they miss the point. When the publican bowed his headand prayed, “I’m a lost sinner, have mercy on me, O God,” Jesus said he wenthome justified, not the proud Pharisee.
Today, we don’t want tobe like the Pharisees—critical, sanctimonious, self-righteous, proud, angry, orrefusing to rejoice when a sinner comes home to the Lord. This is a powerfulending to the chapter. Let’s not forget the lost elder brother, who missed itall because his heart wasn’t right with God or his father.
I trust these threestories of lost, found, and rejoicing will resound in your soul. Keep an eyeout for those around you who need to be found, so you can bring them to Jesus.
God bless!
