The Lost Son and Unexpected Grace

Luke 15

St. John’s United Church of Christ
Greeley, Colorado
March 16, 2025
Rev. Juvenal Cervantes

Have you recently or in recent years lost something that is precious to you, then serendipitously you find this? I had a cherished guitar-shaped cufflink that I misplaced and this week I was sorting through my shirts and I found a small envelope from the cleaners. My lost cufflink was found. I was happy, all day long.

We all like unexpected surprises. Right now, you may be in a position in life where you could really use something unexpected, because the things that happened maybe aren’t what you had hoped.

Maybe you’re worn out, you are tired, you feel guilty, you feel ashamed of something. Maybe you feel overwhelmed by living the life that you have and you could really use something unexpected to come and fill your life and maybe make things a little easier or feel like it is worth it again.

What I want us to see is that unexpected thing that we need and what this means to us.

We’re looking at a story that never gets old: the story of the prodigal son. This story never fades because it is emblematic of the human condition.  We will examine how grace is the theme of this story and we’ll share the following ideas: 1) The existence of grace means something is broken, 2) grace means that something can be restored, and 3) grace means that someone is looking for us.

I.        Grace means something is broken

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father,

‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.”

‘Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.”      

And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.

So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs

And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!

I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.   

I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father.

This story is best called “The Lost Son,” because it is a the third of a trilogy of stories that Christ shared.

Someone made a comment that Christ was hanging out with tax collector and sinners. So He shares a variety of stories. The first one is the lost sheep, the second one is the lost coin and the third is the lost son. And they follow a formula, for the most part:

1. There is something that the person has that they lose,
2. Then they abandon everything they have and pursue that which was lost,
3. They find the thing and there’s a big celebration.

And that’s the formula for the stories: sheep, coin, lost son.

What stands out in this story is all the brokenness that riddles this story. First, you have the disrespect that the son expresses to the father. He says, “I want the things that are coming to me.” That’s all he wants. “I want my inheritance” which in that day and time it meant to wish your father would be dead. In the Jewish culture that’s an unforgiveable sin; it is a breech in the relationship, it is a high crime.

And then he leaves, he takes everything and then he goes to a faraway land.

Then there’s this abject wastefulness. He pours his life into things that don’t really matter. He spends his wealth, down, down, and down. And then disaster strikes, there is a great famine. It seems the brokenness of the world conspires against him.

And then he hires himself out to somebody in that country. It’s not like he goes to the grocery store to bag groceries. No, he subsumes his identity. He is hired by this Gentile- how do we know he is Gentile? He has pigs. He separates himself from being Jewish, from the promised land and is working with pigs. Essentially, he is an exile.

This young man has fallen under a curse. When a person is in exile, a curse comes upon him or her.

II. Grace means something can be restored

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.

And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

So the son makes the journey home and the father sees him from a long way off. The word “way long off” and “far country” are the same word, almost as if the father sees him in the far country and runs to him. This homecoming is more than the young man could have hoped for.

First, the father feels compassion. This was not window dressing as if the father said, “My, it will look good in social media if I run to receive my lost son.” Neither was his father thinking, “This is my son, I don’t really like him, but I’ll pretend.” No, this father feels compassion. His heart breaks seeing his barefoot, destitute son come home, and he runs to him. In those days to be barefoot mean the person was the lowest of the lowest in poverty and morale. It that time it was undignified for an elder person to run.

The father falls upon him, engulfs him, and he kisses him.

Then the son begins his speech: “Dad, I have sinned against you…” and then the father cuts him off and talks to his servants: “Go get the fatted calf and kill it, let’s celebrate. Get him sandals…” The sign of sandals was an indication of restoration, new life.

There is no thought of a diminished role, but full restoration.

The son thought, “I’ll work and pay off my debt, I’ll hang out with decent folk, do what I can to win God’s favor.”

We’ve all been the prodigal son, we want to live our lives in our own terms, we do that which we know if not best for us.

Then we want employment with God, as if our relationship with God would be a job or a career. We reason, “God, I’ll do your thing on Sunday, but I’m going to live a certain way in my off time.”

My friend, God wants to raise you to the highest form of sonship, daughtership. He wants you and I to have a 24/7 relationship with Him and He promises abundant life for us.

III Grace means someone is looking for us.

“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing

And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.

But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’

And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

A character we have not look at is the older brother. He was supposed to be the one to go out and look for his brother, but his is as alienated from the father as the son who left.

Notice who he asked, “What’s going on?” He asks his servant, not his father. He doesn’t even know why the party is taking place. This tells us how the older son views himself.

The youngest son’s hope is to simply ingratiate himself to the father- maybe he’ll make me as one of the hired servants. The older son views himself nothing more than a servant and finally explodes.

“This son has consumed your property” he says. The word for “property” is “bios” where we get the word, “biology.” What the older son is saying, is “You son is bloodsucker, leech, vampire!”

The father concern is not defending himself, but he is preoccupied with the spiritual condition of the older son, this is a case of acedia. Acedia is when something good happens to someone you experience disappointment.

The Pharisee has a case of acedia. They were working to keep the law, being self-righteous, and yet they were far from God

Both brothers’ spiritual condition is exposed by what they celebrate- sinfulness, not wanting to be a part of a celebration.

My friends, our world is broken and there can be restoration because someone came to look for us.

Someone is tracking you down, to come home, to celebrate with his father. He wants you at his party. Come and celebrate and eat the fatted calf. God has provided for you.

We celebrate this when we observe the Lord’s Supper, we eat and drink his body. Christ is the fatted calf, he was consumed for us that we might have life.

God sent his greatest treasure. God brings an overflow of God’s grace. We can choose to come home, or not. God wants to bring you home.

George Herbert was a pastor of a small parish and he was also a poet. His work, “Love III” makes a sobering statement between ego and the sublime. It is a poem where God is calling us to himself.

Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back
Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lacked any thing.

A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:
Love said, You shall be he.

I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.

Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
Who made the eyes but I?

Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.

And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?
My dear, then I will serve.

You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:
So I did sit and eat.

Hear God’s voice today, “Come home.” This is the word of the Lord.