These parables actually make me quite uncomfortable, because I find myself in the wrong part of this story. And it’s the part almost everyone misses.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.  But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Sinners were attracted to Jesus. The religious leaders thought that this was proof that Jesus was not a good man. But Jesus had a different side of the story. He told them three parables.

The first parable was that of a lost sheep.

Then Jesus told them this parable:  “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders  and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’  I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Notice how this parable ends. He finds the lost sheep. He gathers his friends. And they celebrate. And the line ends with this is how it is when someone repents. Now look at the next one.

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’  In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Again, we have something lost. This time a coin. The woman frantically looks for it and she eventually finds it. When she finds it, she calls her friends to celebrate. In the same way this is over the sinner who repents.

Now this is where the twist comes. But first, look at the parable.

 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.  The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.  After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.  He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!  I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’  So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

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

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Once again, we have something lost and precious that comes home. The people are invited to celebrate. And we are certain that this is like the other two parables. There is rejoicing over the sinner who repents.

And this is how many take it. Because there’s truth to it. Jesus came to save sinners. He leaves the 99 to go after the 1 sheep that is lost. He searches and when he finds, there is great rejoicing.

Yet most people stop here theologically and practically. The lost is returned and there is celebration. But remember how these parables are introduced?

The parables are in response to the irritation from the religious leaders. They muttered to themselves, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

If the story ended like it did above, it would be a nice sweet story with the point that Jesus went after that which is lost.

But it doesn’t end there.

He goes on. And here’s the twist.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.  But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

The focus of the parable is no longer about the “lost” something. But it’s about the older brother.

The older brother was dying in jealousy. He didn’t think of himself as a son but as a slave. And when his wild, disrespectful younger brother returned home and was celebrated, he was bitter.

It wasn’t love in his heart, it was law. He was the one who should be celebrated and respected, not his brother. His heart hardened both towards his brother and his father.

All of these 3 parables were about confronting the religious leaders with their attitude. They were about following the law and seeking the places of honor as a result of their efforts. It wasn’t about love for them. Except for love of themselves.

So the result?

Jealousy.

When we see ourselves as slaves of God, it does all become about self-righteousness and getting respect and working hard to please God.

But when we know we are children of God, everything changes. Because once we are a son, we are always a son. Once we are a daughter, we are always a daughter. Our seasons of stupidity and wickedness and destruction don’t change the fact that he longs for us.

A mother or father will always long for the child that is outside of the family.

As one person has said,

God doesn’t need another cot in the bunkhouse for slaves.

What he longs for most is the feet of his children underneath his table.

When we understand this, it not only changes how we see ourselves. It changes how we see other people.