Luke 15: 11-24

(Luke 15: 11-24)

And he said, A certain man had two sons:  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

This parable is what Jesus said after giving the parable of finding the lost sheep and the discovery of the drachma. The lost sheep and drachma said they did nothing, but the shepherd found them. So, they repented. Most of the church people think they have to do something about repentance. However, repentance is not the concept of reflecting on sin and asking for forgiveness, but repentance is the realization of leaving God and trying to return. The lost sheep and drachmas are spirits who have left the kingdom of God from the standpoint of the kingdom of God.

God is waiting for the spirits to return. The Bible compares the eldest son to the younger son, and the ninety-nine sheep are the eldest sons. By the way, one of the lost sheep refers to the little son. This parable is when Jesus explains to the Pharisees, "Why am I eating with sinners like tax collectors?" He tells the return of the spirit who left God.

The sin of the prodigal son leaves his father. It means that the spirits have left God in the kingdom of God. Repentance is returning to the Father. To return to the Father, they become like dead. The Pharisees and the scribes did not understand sin and repentance.

In Luke 18:10-14『 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon 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 every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 』 The Pharisees are those who advocate their righteousness. But the publican confesses that he is a sinner. The Pharisees think they are righteous because they have kept everything said in the law. But the publicans confessed that they were sinners. The publican repented to God, but the Pharisees did not. Jesus says that he did not come to call the righteous, but that he came to call the sinner.

Even today, many in the church feel that day by day they must repent of the sins of the world. Repentance is repentance for leaving the kingdom of God. So, in order to return to the kingdom of God, you die with Jesus. Repentance means dying with Jesus. If you repent of the sins of the world without dying, can you return to the kingdom of God? The sinner cannot return unless he repents. People are not interested in leaving the kingdom of God, but only in the sins of the world. It is as if the Pharisees are not interested in what is hidden in the law (sin and Christ), but only in keeping the commandments of the law.

In the Old Testament times, when people sinned, sacrifices were offered. The Pharisees thought that only by performing sacrifices would make them righteous, but the publicans realized that only by the sacrifices of the law could not be righteous. What the publicans realized was that through the law they knew that Jesus was the very Christ. So, they came to Jesus, realizing that they could be forgiven of their sins through Christ. Jesus met sinners like tax collectors, healed his sickness, and said, "You have been forgiven of your sins."