Let's Get This Party Started!

Meditations on the story Jesus told about the lost son.

A father throws a party when his lost son comes home - a story we find in Luke 15: 11-32.

Meet the characters. Kid Btother. Dad. Big Bro. That’s pretty much it unless you count the hoo-kahs. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with the…

KID BROTHER

First of all, kid brother goes away taking half of his father’s wealth with him.

The Anabaptist Community Bible includes a note that says:

“By requesting his inheritance, the younger brother doesn’t sin, break the law, or dishonor his father, wishing him dead. Early inheritance wasn’t unknown. (Tobit 8:21) Though Sirach advises against it, he indicates that it’s the father’s decision, controlling his own possessions.” (Sirach 33:20-24)

In the time of Jesus we see Herod offering his daughter: “Whatever you ask for, I will give you, up to half my kingdom” Mark 6:23. We see the King asking Queen Esther: “What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you” in Esther 5:3. It may seem weird to us, especially since it’s translated using the word “inheritance” which would indicate a death. But giving away a portion of one’s wealth was not an action that was unheard of - and it did not mean that Kid Brother wanted Dad dead.

So we have the son going off with half of the father’s wealth, and his father’s heart goes with him. He engages in “extravagant living” (Luke 15:13) and a severe food shortage came to his country and he became hungry. It’s interesting to note that the fact that he got to the place of being hungry wasn’t entirely his fault - there were unforeseen circumstance that resulted in hunger. Right now in the USA there are a lot of sudden unforeseen circumstances that have come up in the last three months that are making life difficult and scary for people - maybe even hungry.

His older brother accuses him of squandering the father’s wealth on prostitutes. The younger son was away in another country and so older son would have had no way of knowing how he spent his money. It was an ugly accusation, that doesn’t mean it’s true.

My gent and I have enjoyed a TV show on Britbox where an African gentlemen jokes that he spent $2 on “fast cars, fine wine, and hookahs” and the way he says “hoo-kahs” just kills me. Plus, he’s talking about $2, so of course it’s all a sarcastic joke about how he blew this imaginary wealth. Did kid brother spend his inheritance on fast cars, fine wine, and hookahs? Did he start a business that failed when the political situation abruptly shifted? Does it matter what happened to the money? It was his to spend. Whatever happened, he ended up hungry, full of regrets, and a long way from home.

I dare say there are people in our community who are hungry and full of regrets. They made the decisions they made based on the information they had at the time. But things suddenly changed, and that’s not their fault.

Kid brother went home to become a servant even though he was a son. (Luke 15:20)

DEAR OL’ DAD

“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him…” (Luke 15:20)

Firstly, we know that Dad was watching. Dad was always waiting and keeping watch for kid brother to come home. He’s not watching in a “I’ll get you” kinda way. He’s watching out in a good way because he loves his kid.

Secondly, Dad is compassionate. Verse 20 says “he was moved with compassion.” (15:20) Now you’ll see this phrase quite a bit in the gospels - Jesus was moved with compassion… and that movement of compassion within Jesus came out as miracles over and over. Compassion is the fuel that empowered Jesus. Compassion kept him going. Older brother religion brings judgment and accusation - ‘he’s squandered his life with hookahs!’ God shows up with compassion. “His father ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him.” Kid brother shows up with all the emotions and regrets and angst and just throws himself into the arms of his Dad. “I no longer deserve to be called your son.” First, God shows us compassion. Then God hears our confession. Never forget that God’s compassion toward us always predates our confession!

Dad’s compassion is a verb - it’s always on the move. God’s all about closing the gap in the space of a heartbeat. Compassion is never static, it’s always in the flow of watching out for, hugging, and loving on kid brothers, little sisters, all the siblings. All of them. Even the hoo-kahs.

Compassion

Jesus is telling this story about the prodigal son. Jesus has been healing people and moving in the flow of the Holy Spirit, moving in compassion. Jesus is telling this story that features his father and he mentions that God’s heart is moved with compassion. Compassion is the essence of the character of God and we see that flowing through the life of Jesus and all the followers of Jesus. And Jesus is telling us this story to remind us that the compassion ultimately comes from God. So in spite of whatever you’ve been taught, wipe the slate clean (we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds) and replace all that garbage about a scary cruel God with the truth that God is compassion. God’s movement in humanity is through compassion.

Third, God is generous! He brings out the best robe, a ring for his finger, sandals for his feet. Isaiah 61:10 tells us about the “robe of righteousness” and Ephesians 6:15 talks about feet fitted with with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. These symbols indicate that when kid brother comes home to Dad, the compassion and generosity of the Father is overwhelming. Son, daughter, your sins are covered by the robe of righteousness. And here is PEACE - enough peace that you can share! All of it comes in the spirit of compassion, not condemnation.

• God is watching for you.

• God has compassion for you.

• God is always running to meet you.

• God covers the distance that you can’t.

Isaiah 61 tells us that God will

comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of the spirit of despair. -Isaiah 61:2b,3 NIV

It’s the great exchange - our ashes, our despair, our mourning in exchange for God’s beauty, the flowing oil of gladness and being wrapped in Presence of God in praise. It’s the remarkable way the Kingdom works - God gets all the bad stuff and gives us all the gorgeous stuff in return - and that’s how it works. And God is thrilled by it! That’s the generosity of God. That’s the marvelous mystery of who God is - a God happy to offer us this great exchange.

Verse 15:25, Dad threw a party, prepared great food, called a band, cranked up the music and danced his heart out. Can you just see the absolute delight in the Father?

:::cue music change:::

This is where we meet Big Brother.

The party is already started. Big bro comes back from work and sees the party and his first response is “What’s going on?!” His second was FURY. (15:28)

But the Father was still watching out for his kids! Yeah, he was dancing and having a great time with kid brother at the party, but one of his kids was still out there. So he came to Big Brother and begged him. (15:28) Dad literally begged Big Bro to come join the party…

Here’s where the hurt of Big Brother shows up:

”Look, I’ve served you all these years, and I never disobeyed your instruction. Yet you’ve never given me as much as a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours returned…”

Notice how Big Bro throws “this son of yours” at Dad in his hurt and fury. He has no connection with his brother.

Dad replies: “Child, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. We have to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found.” “This brother of yours” is just the little reminder that kid brother is a member of this family also, a brother to Big Brother whether or not Big Bro is able to claim this connection. Whether or not there is love in Big Brother’s heart or not. There’s so much gentleness and compassion in this reminder of their kindship, even in the midst of Big Brother’s fury. We forget that the folks out there are family. It’s easy to do in the busy work of service, the day in and day out of the work. But those folks are family.

Even when we disagree.

What breaks my heart is that Big Brother didn’t know he was a son. I mean… he knew it intellectually, but he had not internalized that all he saw when he looked around was his own. His heart’s cry comes out like an accusation:

“YOU”VE NEVER GIVEN ME… a young goat so that I could have a party with my friends.

But the truth was - it was ALL his.

The young goat was already his.

Big Bro was living like a servant when he was a son.

Living like a servant of God just makes us tired. And maybe even grumpy. Possibly also a little judgmental. Maybe jealous… Living like a servant is a slog of day in day out work.

Friend. You have been serving God a long time. Do you know that all God has is yours? What is the metaphorical young goat you’ve been praying for?

And, what if it’s already yours?

Are you waiting for God to give you something that already belongs to you?

Forgiveness? Yours.

We don’t ask: “God, will you forgive me for (fill in the blank)?” And then wait to feel forgiven. You’ll be waiting a long time because our feelings can lie to us. No! Instead, we ask for forgiveness knowing that it’s already ours. Notice how the Father was moved with compassion before Kid Brother even starts his confession. God doesn’t respond to the confession with compassion, the compassion always get there first.

God’s compassion is yours.

Forgiveness is yours. It already belongs to you.

Grace? Yours.

Mercy? Yours.

Carry this burden for me? Absolutely!

Comfort when I’m mourning? Yes!

Take these ashes of my burned out dreams? Yes!

Lift this spirit of despair? Absolutely!

Take this hopelessness? Yes.

Bring order out of the chaos of my life? Yes.

Stabilize me when I’m afraid. YES.

God’s watching with compassion. The party is already started, there is music and dancing. Will you come as a servant, or will you join in as a child a God, a joint heir (Ro 8:17) with Jesus knowing that all this is yours?

Don’t just be a servant when you can be a child of God.

It’s the priority of Jesus to make you family instead of staff.

Lord I come with all my burdens, hang-ups, screw ups, and all this fear and chaos. Take these ashes of my burnt out dreams and expectations. Thank you for the beauty that you give me in the place of this mess. Thank you for setting a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Help me to focus on You instead of them. Thank you for restoring my soul. Thank you for your glorious forgiveness and empowerment. Thank you that goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life. Thank you Lord! Abba Father, thank you.

Join the party, friends. Enjoy the music. Dance with Jesus. Here’s where you find the courage and strength to go back out there and serve, but not as a servant but as a child of God.

All my love,

-Carmen

I leave you with this blessing:

I release you in the power of the Holy Spirit into the world God so loves, to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with the God, who sees the goodness and grace in you, and walks proudly with you.