Embracing God's Scandalous Grace: The Prodigal Son

Devotional

Day 1: God's Grace is Scandalous and Unconditional

God's grace is often beyond our understanding, defying cultural norms and expectations. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the father runs to greet his wayward son, an act that would have been seen as undignified and shocking in that cultural context. This symbolizes God's grace, which reaches out to us even before we repent or get our lives in order. God's love is not based on our actions but on His character. This grace is scandalous because it is unconditional, offered freely to all, regardless of their past or present state. It challenges us to rethink our understanding of divine love and mercy. [29:10]

Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Reflection: Think of a time when you felt unworthy of love or forgiveness. How does understanding God's unconditional grace change your perspective on that experience?

Day 2: Self-Righteousness is as Damaging as Sin

The older son in the parable represents self-righteousness and entitlement. Despite his outward obedience, he harbors resentment and self-righteousness, which creates a barrier to experiencing the father's love. This attitude can be just as alienating as overt sin, keeping us from a true relationship with God. Self-righteousness blinds us to our own need for grace and makes us judgmental towards others. It is a subtle but dangerous form of spiritual pride that can distance us from God's love and from others. [35:19]

Luke 18:11-14: "The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt self-righteous or judgmental towards someone else. How can you ask God to help you see them through His eyes of grace and love?

Day 3: God is Always Looking for Us

The father in the parable is constantly looking for his lost son, symbolizing God's relentless pursuit of us. Whether we are lost in sin or self-righteousness, God is always seeking to bring us back into a relationship with Him. This relentless pursuit shows the depth of God's love and His desire for us to be close to Him. It reassures us that no matter how far we stray, God is always ready to welcome us back with open arms. [28:32]

Jeremiah 31:3: "The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."

Reflection: Think about a time when you felt distant from God. How does knowing that God is always looking for you change your approach to your relationship with Him?

Day 4: True Repentance Goes Beyond Words

The younger son's rehearsed speech mirrors Pharaoh's insincere repentance in Exodus. True repentance involves a heart change, not just the right words. God sees beyond our words to the true state of our hearts. Repentance is not about saying the right things but about a genuine transformation of the heart and mind. It requires humility and a sincere desire to turn away from sin and towards God. This kind of repentance leads to a deeper, more authentic relationship with God. [25:14]

Joel 2:12-13: "Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster."

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you need to repent. What steps can you take to ensure that your repentance is genuine and heartfelt?

Day 5: God's Love Breaks Cultural and Religious Barriers

The father's actions in the parable break all cultural and religious expectations, showing that God's love transcends human boundaries. This love invites us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him, regardless of our past or our self-righteousness. God's love is not limited by our cultural or religious norms; it is boundless and inclusive. This challenges us to break down our own barriers and extend God's love to everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances. [30:53]

Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Reflection: Think of someone who is different from you in terms of culture, religion, or background. How can you show them God's love in a way that breaks down barriers and builds bridges?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we delved into the profound parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15, exploring the depths of God's grace and love. This parable, often familiar to many, reveals layers of spiritual truth that challenge our understanding and invite us to experience God's love in new and deeper ways. The story begins with a younger son who demands his inheritance, essentially wishing his father dead. He squanders his wealth in reckless living, hitting rock bottom and finding himself tending pigs, a job abhorrent to Jewish customs. In his desperation, he decides to return home, rehearsing a speech of repentance.

However, the focus of the parable shifts to the father, who defies cultural norms by running to greet his wayward son, embracing him with compassion and restoring him to the family. This act of grace shocks the listeners, as it goes against the expected response of shaming and disciplining the son. The father's actions illustrate God's scandalous grace, which reaches out to us even before we repent or get our lives in order.

The parable also addresses the older son, who represents self-righteousness and entitlement. Despite having everything, he resents his father's grace towards his brother. The father's plea to the older son to join the celebration highlights that both sons are lost in different ways—one in sin and the other in self-righteousness. The story leaves us with a question: who is truly lost? The one who sins and repents or the one who clings to self-righteousness and rejects grace?

This parable invites us to see God as a loving father who runs to us, regardless of our past or our self-righteousness. It challenges us to lay down our pride and self-reliance and to embrace the profound grace that God offers.

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Key Takeaways

1. V704FQP8&t=1750s'>[29:10]
2. Self-Righteousness is as Damaging as Sin: The older son, despite his outward obedience, harbors resentment and self-righteousness. This attitude creates a barrier to experiencing the father's love. Self-righteousness can be just as alienating as overt sin, keeping us from true relationship with God.

3. God is Always Looking for Us: The father is constantly looking for his lost son, symbolizing God's relentless pursuit of us. Whether we are lost in sin or self-righteousness, God is always seeking to bring us back into relationship with Him.

4. True Repentance Goes Beyond Words: The younger son's rehearsed speech mirrors Pharaoh's insincere repentance in Exodus. True repentance involves a heart change, not just the right words. God sees beyond our words to the true state of our hearts.

5. God's Love Breaks Cultural and Religious Barriers: The father's actions in the parable break all cultural and religious expectations, showing that God's love transcends human boundaries. This love invites us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him, regardless of our past or our self-righteousness.

### [29:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:11] - The Challenge of Familiar Stories
[07:34] - The Jaw-Dropping Reality of Christmas and Easter
[09:25] - The Layers of Spiritual Understanding
[10:47] - The Barrier of Thinking We Know
[12:14] - The Purpose of Parables
[14:49] - Engaging with the Parable of the Prodigal Son
[16:00] - The Surprising Father
[17:42] - The Outrageous Request
[19:33] - The Cultural Context of Inheritance
[21:18] - The Sacredness of Land
[23:09] - The Depth of the Son's Rebellion
[25:14] - The Son's Rehearsed Repentance
[28:03] - The Father is Looking
[29:10] - The Father's Compassionate Response
[30:53] - The Public Humiliation of the Father
[32:12] - The Pharisees' Reaction
[33:35] - The Father's Favor is Freely Given
[34:15] - The Older Brother's Anger
[35:19] - The Scandal of Self-Righteousness
[37:25] - The Question of the True Prodigal
[38:04] - God's Pursuit of Us
[39:33] - Closing Prayer and Reflection
[41:06] - Psalm 103 and Final Challenge

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What was the younger son's request to his father, and why was it considered outrageous in the cultural context of the time? [18:38]
How did the father respond when he saw his younger son returning from a distance? [29:10]
What was the older son's reaction to the celebration for his younger brother's return, and what does this reveal about his character? [34:15]

Interpretation Questions

How does the father's response to the younger son's return illustrate the concept of "scandalous grace"? [29:42]
In what ways does the older son's attitude reflect self-righteousness, and how does this hinder his relationship with the father? [35:19]
How does the parable challenge the listeners' (and our) understanding of who is truly "lost"? [37:25]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. How did you experience His grace and love during that period? [29:10]
The father in the parable runs to his son before he even repents. How does this change your understanding of God's grace towards you? [29:10]
Have you ever struggled with self-righteousness like the older son? How can you lay down your pride and embrace God's grace more fully? [35:19]
The father publicly humiliates himself to bring his lost son back home. How can you show such unconditional love and grace to someone in your life? [30:53]
The parable leaves us with a question: who is truly lost? Reflect on your own life—are there areas where you might be clinging to self-righteousness instead of accepting God's grace? [37:25]
How can you actively seek to break down cultural and religious barriers in your community to show God's love more effectively? [38:53]
Think of someone in your life who might feel like the younger son, lost and distant. What practical steps can you take this week to reach out to them with God's love and grace? [39:33]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "The God of the universe came to this world so that he could give up his life for you and me. And that should just, it should shock us how absolutely crazy this is. How absolutely crazy this is. How absolutely crazy that is. And then you think of Easter, that the king of kings and the Lord of lords was willing to put his life on the line to suffer the execution of a criminal on the cross so that your sin and mine could be forgiven so that we could be reconciled to the Father." [08:19] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "A parable is a simple story illustrating a deeper spiritual truth. And parables were told in this vivid and fresh way. And the point or the direction of these was to grab the attention of the listeners and to help them understand God's truth and God's kingdom in new ways. Because you would hear these stories and these parables and go, hmm, what's going on there?" [12:14] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The father publicly humiliates himself to bring his lost son back home. The son begins his speech, but can't even get through it because in the enormity of God's grace, he's overwhelmed. Can you imagine a father doing that for you? Can you imagine a father doing that for you that would bring blessing to you after you've walked away from him? Can you imagine a father that would celebrate you after you've failed him time and time again?" [31:37] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Sometimes our image of God is like, he's trying to catch us doing something wrong or trying to shame us or pour the guilt on. Sometimes that's what we think of the father. But what if instead we took this and we actually see that God is a father who's looking for you, who's seeking after you, and he runs to you before you repent, before you get your act together, before you get your doctrine figured out, before you get all your questions answered, before you get right, before you get your addictions fixed. A God who runs to you." [38:04] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Why are we more known for the barriers that we break? Why are we more known for what God has put up than for the grace that God offers each of us? This should be the place where all of us as sinners find this amazing grace from our father. That's how it was with Jesus. People who were lost didn't avoid him, they came close. And the invitation for those who thought they had it all together was to lay it down and to come to him." [38:53] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "One of the biggest barriers to actually knowing something is thinking you already know it. And Jesus tried to get through the facade of people saying, I got it, I know that, I've lived this, when he was leading and teaching. And so to break through some of that, because again, the people and the culture that he was teaching in was Jewish, and so these are people who had grown up, who had lived from the time they were born to where they were in the Jewish rituals and in the regulations and in the law and the teaching." [10:47] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The father is looking for me. Now, let's go back to Luke 15 and pick it up in verse 20. So this young man got up and he went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. And he ran to his son and he threw his arms around him and he kissed him. And the son goes into his spiel. Father, I've sinned against heaven and against you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. But it's almost like the father doesn't hear it." [29:10] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The father's favor is freely given to me. So let me finish the story, starting in verse 25. back at the ranch. It should be in there, I think, right? Meanwhile, the older son was in the field and when he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him, hey, what's going on? What's going on? Your brother has come, he replied, and your father has killed the fattened calf. Because he was, has him back safe and sound." [34:15] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Jesus turns the table on his listeners. And he turns the tables on us. He looks at the religious elite, those who believe they've got it all together. Look down on those sinners and those people. And Jesus describes them perfectly. And he lets them know that in their heart, they have been just as broken in relationship. They have been just as far from the father. Their self-righteousness and their legalism and their religious rule keeping hasn't led them to deeper relationship. With the father." [36:39] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "We think we know the story. We think we have it all figured out, only to see that God's grace and his love is so much deeper and so much more profound than we ever could have imagined. Right, it's down for number two and we're gonna finish. The father's favor is freely given. And I want you to write the same two words after that for me, to me. The father's favor is freely given to me." [33:35] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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