The Prodigal Son and his Brother

 

You have probably heard of the “prodigal son” from somewhere. He originates in a parable told by Jesus in Luke 15:11-32.   In the story, he abandons his father and demands his full inheritance at once (which was unheard of in that time and culture). He then goes on to waste it all away on “reckless living” in a far away land. 

The prodigal son represented the "tax collectors and sinners" that were listening to Jesus at the time. These folks were the marginalized in society. 

But Jesus starts this parable off by saying, “There was a man who had two sons.”  That’s right, the prodigal son had an older brother and that brother plays just as important a role in the story.

'The Return of the Prodigal Son' by Rembrandt.
Notice the younger brother collapsed in utter humility while
the older brother (on the right) looks on in disdain. 

You see, this parable is about two ways to be lost and one way to be found. The prodigal son shows us the first way to be lost – through reckless living and rebellion toward God (who is played by the father in this lesson). This way is often obvious to other people but there is a second way to miss God entirely and be lost.

Enter the older brother. The younger brother finally returns home and is overwhelmed by his father’s gracious and joyous welcome. But the older brother is miffed. He resents his little brother and the party that his father is throwing for his return. 

Luke tells us that he says to his father, “‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.”

The older brother represents the Pharisees who were listening to Jesus tell this parable. They were the religious leaders of the day but in their hearts, they had wandered far from God. They had an appearance of righteousness but their hearts were full of sin and pride, judgment and resentment. 

They thought they could earn their way into heaven with law keeping and good deeds. They thought that they deserved what could only be freely given. This is the second way to be lost.

So we see two ways to be lost.  What is the way to be found?  The Gospel of Jesus. The gospel tells us that no sin is too great to be forgiven (i.e. the younger brother). It always tells us that no good deed is great enough to earn forgiveness (i.e. the older brother). 

Only Jesus’ substitutionary death and resurrection can bestow the kind of forgiveness we need. And we can only receive that personally by humility and faith. 

Whatever “brother” we are – let’s comes back to the Father through Jesus. 

*This blog was inspired by Timothy Keller's "The Prodigal God" - a very worthwhile read. 

7 Thoughts on the Reputation of the Church

I love the church for many reasons, not the least of which is that Jesus loves the church – but I often wrestle with her sins.

The reputation of the church can be a touchy subject for all involved. Some would like to undermine the seriousness of her offenses, while others would love to over emphasize them to the exclusion of all else good. 

In this blog, I want to humbly offer some thoughts on this topic. 

Nominal Christianity 

The Bible teaches that when someone truly believes in Jesus, they undergo a spiritual transformation. Their spirit is made alive and they have a new capacity – in theological terms this is call regeneration (Titus 3:4-7).  However, many people in the world would probably identify as Christians without ever experiencing this regeneration. This is nominal Christianity – or being a Christian in name only. 

Each person is responsible for their decision of faith regardless of whether or not they were born into a “Christian” home. As the saying goes – God has no grandchildren. So, it’s important to not just assume that someone naming Christ has any actual interest in following his teachings. 

False Prophets and Deepfakes 

Deepfakes are becoming more common in our age. A deepfake is when someone in a photo or video is digitally altered to look like someone else (usually someone famous) while doing something that is not in line with what the person being portrayed would do or say. 

Jesus spoke of this type of thing long ago, but he used the term in relation to the church. 

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits…” Matthew 7:15-16

This is a level beyond “nominal Christianity”, because the false prophet is deliberately trying to pretend to be a Jesus follower while saying and doing things that are completely contrary to Jesus’ teachings. 

Church and State

In my opinion, church and state must be separate. Almost every time they are not separate throughout history, bad things happen. 

Let me clarify – it’s not that Christians cannot participate in politics or that the church cannot influence the state. The problem really arises when the church begins to control the state or when the state begins to control the church. 

Even True Christians Fail

Remember that we talked about the regeneration of a person when they truly believe in Jesus Christ. This affords them a new capacity to follow Jesus, however the old capacity to do evil is still there (only in Heaven will this old nature go away fully). 

So, the fact remains that real Christians commit real sins and there is no excuse for that. We must own it. And, while there is no excuse, there is grace and forgiveness from God. 

The Good in the Church

In his book, The Air We Breathe, Glen Scrivener offers a compelling argument for how the teachings of Christ have formed the modern West (in line with many other scholars who are not Christian). He also writes about how the church has been a facilitator of those teachings. 

He has a chapter on each of the following values and how they are rooted in Jesus’ teachings and the church: Equality, Compassion, Consent, Enlightenment, Science, Freedom and Progress.  

I can already hear the opposing cries to this list, and I won’t try to convince you of it all in this blog, but I highly recommend picking up The Air We Breathe and giving it a shot… you will be surprised. 

The Straight Line

Despite the great good the church has and is doing; we need to admit the sins of the church.  What is interesting though is that when we rightly critique the church, we are doing so using Christ’s own teachings. 

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?” C.S. Lewis

Glen Scrivener uses this quote of Lewis’ in his book “The Air We Breathe”. The irony is that even when we criticize the church, we are using the teachings of Christ as the “straight line” to correct the “crooked”. May the church always receive the correction of its Founder and repent accordingly.

Look to Christ

It is certainly true that the church is meant to point us to Jesus. Christians should point us to Christ. The sad reality is that this just doesn’t always happen. 

So, if you have had a really bad experience at church or you oppose the church on a larger level due to her sins (or sometimes perceived sins), I implore you to continue to look at Jesus. Read the four gospels. Consider his teaching, his influence and ultimately and simply – who he is. 

I believe you will fall in love. 

Rembrandt, The Three Crosses

Crooked Lines in the Church (and How We Straighten Them)

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?” C.S. Lewis

Glen Scrivener uses this quote of Lewis’ in his book “The Air We Breathe”. In the book he seeks to show how Western society (at least) has been profoundly shaped by the teachings of Christ. So much so, that even when we criticize the church, we are using the teachings of Christ as the “straight line” to correct the “crooked”. 

I love the church for many reasons, one of which is because Jesus loves the church – but I often wrestle with the church’s sins. The theme in Scrivener’s book has helped me rest my faith where it truly belongs – Jesus – while still loving the church. 

Keep in mind that there are also “false prophets” and wolves in sheep’s clothing that use the name of Jesus to commit crimes against humanity and “by their fruits shall you know them” (Matthew 7:15-16). Nevertheless, even true Christians cannot claim complete innocence. As a whole, and individually, we’ve made big mistakes throughout history. We’ve also done a lot of good (but that’s a different point which you can also read about in “The Air We Breathe”). 

I want to quote Scrivener at some length below on this theme. Be warned this passage is from the last chapter of the book so you might consider this a spoiler alert. I highly recommend reading the book cover to cover. 

“Let me assure you that I can sympathize with critiques of the institutional church. Honest Christians ought to have plenty of those… 

Let me list some widespread criticisms of the church, and as I do, let me put each of them in the first person, because Christians too wrestle with these issues. Here is the point though... we wrestle with them for Christian reasons. 

If I don’t like the violence of Old Testament wars, or of church history in the last 2000 years, its probably because I’ve absorbed the teachings of the one who said, “Put away your sword”. 

If I recoil at Israel’s (and the world’s*) ancient practice of slavery, its almost certainly because I’ve inherited biblical notions of redemption, freedom and equality. 

If I’m devastated by church abuse scandals, I’m standing with Christ and against the misuse of sex and power endemic to human cultures. 

If I abhor the instances of the church mistreating minorities, I‘m assigning a sacred (and distinctly Christian) value to the weak, the poor and the oppressed. 

If I consider the church to be on the wrong side of history, I’m considering history and progress in thoroughly biblical ways. 

If I hate the bullish colonialism that has at times accompanied the growth of the church, I’m agreeing with profoundly Christian ideals – that rulers should serve, not dominate, and that differences should be valued, not dissolved.” 

Scrivener goes on to share this thought: 

“John Dickson uses the analogy of a song and its singers. Jesus has given the world a beautiful song. His people have often sung it out of tune – sometimes we’ve been the most discordant voices of all. But the song remains good and beautiful. And if you’ve truly heard it, you won’t be able to get it out of your head (or heart*).” 

 *My addition to the quote.

Pride and Humility: A Lesson from Lucifer vs. Jesus

Pride and Humility:  A Lesson from Lucifer vs. Jesus

Let’s look briefly at two case studies regarding how people view themselves. The first is about pride and the subject is Lucifer (an angel now known as Satan after his rebellion). The second will deal with humility with Jesus being our focal point. 

Lucifer:

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star (or ‘Lucifer’), son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.”  Isaiah 14:12-15 (See also Ezekiel 28:11-19)

Jesus Christ:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (Footnote: ‘Or a thing to be held on to for advantage’), but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11

Jesus has always been God in heaven since eternity past (John 1); however, at a pivotal point in time he became God in the flesh when he descended down to earth.  While Lucifer wants only to ascend for the love of himself, Jesus is willing to descend for the love of humanity. 

Lucifer thinks far higher of himself than he should – he wants to be God! Jesus, who is already God, wraps that godhood in mere flesh – He’s willing to be a man! 

Lucifer repeatedly says “I will”, while Jesus continually says not what I will but what My Father wills. 

Of Lucifer it is said: “Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.” Ezekiel 28:17a

Of Jesus it is said:  “…he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53:2b  Jesus also said of himself: “I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29)

While Lucifer desired to “ascend above the heights of the clouds” but was ultimately brought down by God, Jesus brought himself down and later ascended and was exalted by the Father.

“He (Jesus) who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.” Ephesians 4:10

In his pride and self-will, Lucifer was our example of exactly what not to do. Jesus was the epitome of humility and love and obedience and, thus, our ultimate role model. 

What Jesus gained through his humility was nothing less than the redemption of your soul if you would have him. Talk about humbling. 

“Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 (also 1 Peter 5:5)

The Gospel Chart (From the Gospel Centered Life by Thune & Walker)

This simple chart helps explain how the Gospel of Jesus works in our hearts and minds. It is relevant to both non-Christians and Christians. 

This is taken from a Christian study series called “The Gospel Centered Life” which I highly recommend doing as a student or teacher.  

There are 3 parts to it:

1) The upward line indicates a growing awareness of just how holy (or perfect, or pure) God is. It’s not that God becomes more holy, it’s just that we are beginning to understand it better. 

2) The downward line represents a growing awareness of our own personal sinfulness.  A realization of our utter inability to please God in our own efforts or good works. Again, it’s not that we become more sinful, we just understand it better. 

3) As you can see these two lines grow apart as we gain awareness of each topic That would be depressing if it were not for the middle where we see the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross not only bridges this gap but it grows larger and more lovely as the lines diverge. The cross becomes our only hope.

The Cross Chart from the Gospel Centered Life by Robert H. Thune and Will Walker, 

Copyright 2009, New Growth Press.

The authors of the study cite Colossians 1:5-6 as the ground for their work:

“…the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.”

The idea here being that the Gospel isn’t just “...the door, but the path we are to walk every day of the Christian life”. 

The authors continue: “It is not just the means of our salvation, but the means of our transformation. It is not simply deliverance from sin’s penalty, but release from sin’s power… The gospel changes everything!”

As always if you have any questions about this chart or this series let me know. 

See a PDF preview here.