The Prodigal's Rebellion; Luke 15:11-16

Delivered during the Sunday Morning Worship Service, 6/9/2024. The parable of the Prodigal Son (so called) is one of the best known and most beloved of Jesus' many parables. It is the climax of a trilogy of parables given in response to the grumbling of the religious elite because Jesus is associating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus has used a sheep who wanders off into the wilderness and a silver coin that falls into the dust to describe His mission to seek and save the lost. But now He puts this poignant discussion of rebellion, redemption and restoration into the context of a dysfunctional family-- a loving father and his two wayward sons. In this message we will focus on just the rebellion of the younger son and his spiraling fall into sin and debauchery. Stepping into Middle Eastern culture, we will analyze both the shocking nature of the son's request and the stunning compliance of the father. We will also realize this is far more than a story of a troubled family, but a symbolic depiction of the "radical corruption" of the Imago Dei that occurred at the Fall, and God's plan of redemption to restore it. But surprisingly, we will find that the younger son's abject destitution is actually a Providential blessing of the Lord. For by hitting the boundary of the consequences of his own rebellion he is ripe for repentance, redemption and restoration.