Community Bible Study -- LUKE

Text of Luke 15:11-16:18 Presentation, Lesson 15

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The Prodigal Son; the Dishonest Manage

In trying to fit the book of Luke into 24 relatively equal lessons, it was necessary to split chapter 15. It would have been nice to do it in one lesson - since it's essentially a chapter about "the lost" - but instead we'll begin by quoting two one-liners from the last lesson that seem to lay some groundwork for the Parable of the Prodigal Son:

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters -- yes, even his own life -- he cannot be my disciple (14:26).

There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent (15:7).

It also helps understand the Parable of the Prodigal Son if we first understand some cultural factors. All other things being equal, in our society there is usually equality of inheritance among siblings. When my mother dies, I expect my brothers and sister and will inherit pretty much the same as I do - even though I am the oldest son, and my sister is a woman. But in earlier times, the oldest son traditionally received the lion's share of the family wealth. In Old Testament times, at least a double portion went to the oldest son. In colonial times, many younger sons of English noblemen came to America to seek their fortune, because their father's title and estates went to an older brother. English literature is full of stories about neer-do-well younger sons of English noblemen - and the truth is, there really wasn't much productive younger sons could do if they felt commerce and the professions were beneath their dignity - as most did.

So we might view the Parable of the Prodigal Son in the context of a Dickens novel. The father is a rich nobleman with a title and large estates. The older son, who stands to inherit his father's title and most of his wealth, is responsible and obedient. The younger son, jealous of his brother's accident of birth, always feels sorry for himself, and becomes a worthless drunkard. Based on what Jesus tells us about the two sons, this Dickens novel illustration seems pretty accurate.

The plot is totally outrageous: the younger son asks his father to give him his inheritance now so he can leave home. That would be unlikely in a Dickens novel - even as a loan to buy an estate in America. But in the middle eastern culture, the family is so close that the very idea of leaving the village - or marrying someone from even the next village - is considered an act of rebellion. The son's request is so disgraceful that I've been told modern traditional Arabs - who still practice this kind of culture - can't comprehend this parable; they just can't accept the premise that a younger son could possibly ask for his inheritance to leave town . . . and why the father didn't immediately send him away if he did! They don't hear the story because they can't get beyond this cultural paradigm.

I've spent so much time on one verse (15:12) because I want to convey just how shocking and offensive the younger son's request is to a 1st century middle eastern father, and how scandalous it would be to his family . . . far beyond anything we can conceive in our culture. For the father to comply - to give the son his inheritance and let him leave - is a deeper act of love than we can possibly comprehend.

Last week Jesus talked again about the cost of discipleship. The character of the younger son is hardly like that of a Christian believer - especially as we learn more about him later - but his act of violating tradition and leaving home and family to follow a different drummer is exactly what Jesus preaches when he talks about the cost of discipleship. That leads to what may be the best interpretation of Jesus' comment about "hating" one's family (14:26). Jesus is telling believers to put loyalty to him above all other loyalties - including loyalty to family - but when Jesus says "hate," that's almost certainly what he means: that's the word used in the KJV and major modern translations. In asking for his inheritance and leaving, the Prodigal son shows contempt and hatred for his father in their cultural context - even if he really has a latent love for him. Jesus' point may be that sometimes believers are required to do things interpreted as "hate" for one's family in their culture . . . like disobeying a father's command not to follow Jesus. A Christian believer would continue to love his family under any and all conditions, but following Jesus might require him to do things his family interprets as hatred.

Soon after collecting his inheritance, the Prodigal Son travels to a "distant country" (15:13); it may have only been the Gentile areas on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee: near in geography, but light years away in culture. He left home because of resentment and jealousy, not because he had a dream or wanted to accomplish anything. He was irresponsible at home, and his character doesn't change in the "distant country." He soon "squandered his wealth in wild living" (15:13), and if he had friends, they deserted him. With no source of income, he "hired himself out . . . to feed pigs" - something no good Jewish boy would do - and "he longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating" (15:15-16). How low this rich young man has sunk! Finally his hunger overcomes his pride, and "he said, `How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will . . . go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father" (15:17-20). Now the foppish younger son is beginning to act like someone who "finds" Jesus. It doesn't matter why "he came to his senses" (15:17) . . . only that he is sorry for what he has done, and sincerely wishes to change: he repents.

But the Prodigal Son has a problem. By leaving home as he did, he disgraced and insulted his father; most likely, he has not only been disinherited, he is a "nonperson," no longer acknowledged as his father's son. He will not be allowed to beg forgiveness, and might be killed if he tries. Furthermore, his father's friends and neighbors - wishing to avoid embarrassment to their friend - will try to kill the son before he reaches his father. This is the reception the Prodigal Son can anticipate . . . but his only other option is to starve among the Gentiles; that's why he plans to hire himself out as a servant to his family.

But this father's love is awesome. When he sees his son at a distance, he rushes out to meet him - not just to show his love, but to put his protective mantle around him before the neighbors can kill him. The son gives a well-rehersed speech of repentance and submission when the two meet . . . but the father ignores it. He calls for fine clothes to replace his son's rags; he gives him sandals and puts a signet ring on his finger - essentially restoring him as a son and giving him daddy's credit card. And the father proclaims a great feast to celebrate; he even kills the "fattened calf" (15:30), the dinner menu for the most important guests: "For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found" (15:24).

In case we didn't figure it our already . . . this father can only be God: who rejoices more "over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent" (15:7), who rejoices "over one sinner who repents" (15:10) just as much as a woman rejoices over regaining 10% of her dowry, and who now rejoices over the return of the son who scandalously rejected him as an honored guest.

But how about the faithful older son? He's out working in the fields when all this happens. No one thinks to inform him about his brother's return and the celebration his father is holding; he finds out when he finishes work and comes home - hot, tired and dirty - and he hears the sounds of a big party no one told him about. How does he react to this? He says to his father: "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. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!" (15:29:30)
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Most sermons about the Prodigal Son now devolve into criticism of the older son for his bad attitude. I heard one preacher refer to the older son as "the prodigal;" some say he represents the Pharisees - and probably he does. But the older son is reacting just as would be expected in his time and culture; he's saying "What's wrong with you, Dad? My brother insulted and abused you, and you're throwing a party as if he were a really important guest!" You see, it's the father who's unusual - which is Jesus' point: to illustrate God's boundless love, forgiving something unforgivable by human cultural standards. In fact, the older son's reaction is very human . . . as much like a Christian as like a Pharisee. Imagine someone near and dear to you is brutally murdered . . . and you hear the murderer - on death row - has accepted Jesus. Many of us would say: "If he's going to be in heaven, I'm not sure I want to go there"; we might question the justice and the scope of love of a God who opens paradise to a brutal murderer. Is God so full of love for repentant sinners that he doesn't care about faithful followers?

No. The father's response to the older brother shows God is indeed both just and fair, and His love is consistent. This is the line so often overlooked in this parable: "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours'" (15:31). The father is not backing off his commitment to his faithful older son. The younger son has new clothes and a credit card and is guest of honor at a lavish banquet . . . but the older son will still receive the father's entire fortune - just as promised.

And the father explains himself this way: "We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found" (15:32). And that's Jesus' point: he's bringing a new value system to believers. As hard as it may be, we've got to be glad that a family member who stole from us or lied about us or abused us will join us in heaven if he finds Jesus. We've even got to be glad that the brutal murderer of a loved one will join us in heaven if he finds Jesus. The battle is between God and Satan. Satan is "prince of this world" (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11), and Jesus came to take souls away from slavery to Satan, and give them freedom in God. Every soul that comes over from Satan's side to God's side is a victory to be celebrated . . . even people who were despicable before they found Jesus. That's the point of the parable of the Prodigal Son . . . and also the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin.

And how about this new value system Jesus brings to believers? He illustrates it with the Parable of the Shrewd Manager - or the Dishonest Manager. The manager for a "rich man" is inattentive and "wasteful" with his master's assets (16:1); he even may be skimming for himself. When the rich man finds out, the manager is called in and given his notice (16:2). As is usually the case with people operating on the fringe of dishonesty, the manager immediately focuses on how to manipulate himself out of this dilemma: he says "to himself, `What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg. I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses'" (16:3-4). So while he still has authority over his master's business, he offers his master's debtors big discounts for prompt payment. They jump on this once-in-a lifetime opportunity.

We might think the rich man would condemn such unscrupulous behavior . . . but he doesn't; he "commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly" (16:8); perhaps these debtors chronically failed to pay, and he's getting more from them with these "prompt payment discounts" than he would receive otherwise. We also might think: "Why does this dishonest manager think the rich man's debtor's will feel they owe hem anything after he's fired?" But apparently they did; and since believeability to 1st century Jews was a key to the success of Jesus' parables, this kind of cheating may have been common.

As far as Jesus' meaning is concerned . . . it's very subtle. Notice Jesus does not applaud - or even condon - the dishonest manager. And recall that this parable is spoken to Jesus' disciples (16:1), and his point to them is: "the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light" (16:8). He seems to be saying: "This is how the people of this world act, but we're not like them."

Then Jesus makes three important points:

1. "Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings" (16:9). Contrary to what we often hear, Jesus is not condemning wealth; he is saying to use wealth to do good . . . to "provide for yourselves . . . treasure in heaven" (12:33).

2. "If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (16:11). In contrast to the shrewd dishonesty of "the people of this world" (16:8), believers must strive to be trustworthy in everything we do. By being good stewards of worldly wealth - using it to gain "stars" in a "heavenly crown" - we show we are worthy of the riches we will receive in heaven.

3. We must make a choice whether we are "people of this world" (16:8) or people of God; because "No servant can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and Money" (16:13). We can't proclaim loyalty to Jesus' value system in church, then practice worldly values the rest of the time.
   

The Pharisees "were sneering at Jesus" (16:14), so they must hear Jesus say this to his disciples. As we have discussed, the Pharisees believed wealth was a sign of God's favor; they thought they could serve both God and money. Jesus' responds in that context:

"You . . . justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but . . . what is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight. The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached. . . . It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. (16:15-17).

Jesus is saying the Old Covenant between God and the Jews was proclaimed from Moses until John the Baptist. John brought the people the New Covenant of the Messiah - prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-34). In proclaiming the New Covenant, Jesus the Messiah is changing the oral law of the Pharisees because many of its tenets are "detestable in God's sight, and this includes the belief that wealth is a sign of God's blessing. But the New Covenant doesn't change any of God's law in the bible; that is eternal.

Which is why Jesus throws in this one-liner at the end of chapter 16:

Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery (16:18).

Jesus is not commenting on divorce; he does that in Matt 19. What Jesus is saying here is that the divorce practices allowed under the oral law of the Pharisees is one example of how the oral law deviates from God's written law in the bible.

Next week is the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus the Beggar - found only in Luke, and one of my favorites. Then Jesus discusses the fate of pseudo-Christians who mislead believers, and he talks to his disciples about faith. Then he leaves Perea and goes along the border between Samaria and Galilee - not far from Nazareth - and heals 10 lepers; this gives us a snapshot of the appreciation Jesus sometimes receives for his miracles. And lastly, he talks to his disciples about signs of his 2nd coming in glory and power.