Two Sons

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! Luke 15:11-17 (KJV)

Our text from the gospel according to Luke is so familiar to us that one has to be careful not to overlook the details. It is part of a parable used by Jesus in a teaching moment to explain God’s view of those that are lost to some religious folks. There were some complaints among the religious community because Jesus chose to sit down and eat with publicans and known sinners. This made for a very difficult experience for those who made it their business to keep themselves separated from them. Jesus continuously reminded his critics that he came to seek and to save those that were lost. This portion of the parable presents a man and his two sons. This is not a historical sketch but the wisdom of this parable is played out every day and in every place where people can be found. The principles presented in this parable extend beyond culture, race, or religious affiliation.


I. The Youngest Son
A. Wanted to take Control of His Share of His Father’s Possession
B. Wanted the Possessions without His Father’s Oversight
C. Made some unwise Decisions
D. Realized the Wisdom of His Father

II. The Oldest Son
A. Stayed under His Father’s Guidance
B. Maintained the Rest of His Father’s Possession
C. Had to Share What He had with His Unwise Brother


God also had two sons. The bible sometimes refers to them by the same name. Paul, in his letter to the church at Corinth, said “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” God’s first son, Adam, was given possession of the earth with instructions as to how to manage it and what to avoid. Like the youngest son in Jesus’ parable, Adam decided that he could follow his own mind. Perhaps he felt that God’s rule was too restrictive for someone of his stature who was large and in charge of the whole world. Can you imagine being in charge of the entire world and being told that you could not eat from one particular tree? And so Adam ate from the forbidden tree and like the youngest son he loss all he had been given. But I thank God he had a second son, the last Adam. Now the first Adam was created as a physical body and given a spirit so that he could live. The second Adam is an eternal spirit that was given a body so that he could die. What the first Adam loss, the second Adam bought back. The first Adam wanted to be independent of God but the second Adam always desired to be dependent on God. The first Adam was given life but the second Adam gives life. The first Adam caused all of us to be separated from God but the second Adam says whosoever desire to can be reconciled with God through him. The first Adam caused me to run from God’s presence just like he did but the second Adam caused me to seek God’s face. In the past I lived according to the fall of the first Adam but today I celebrate the death and resurrection of the second Adam. God created a friend and companion for the first Adam that he named Eve. In the second Adam we all sing “What a friend we have in Jesus.” I thank God today that he had two sons. And now because of Jesus we are all made children of God through faith in his atoning blood. We celebrate because without the shedding of his blood there would be no remission for our sins that separate us from God.


Robert C. Hudson
August 2, 2009