The Prodigal God – By Tim Keller

Luke 15 is one of my favourite chapters in the Bible. I’ve spoken on the chapter 10+ times in the last couple of years. Some of my thinking on the passage has come from sermons and articles from Tim Keller. I recently read his book, all about Luke 15, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith. It’s very good.

Here’s a basic overview of each chapter.

1. The People Around Jesus – one of the keys to understanding this parable is understanding the two kinds of people that have gathered to hear Jesus. There are the tax collectors/sinners and the cranky Pharisees.
2. The Two Lost Sons – often this parable is focused on the ‘Lost Son’. Keller argues that there are actually two lost sons. The younger brother, just like the tax collector/sinners, is obviously lost. The elder brother, is lost in the same way as the cranky Pharisees.
3. Redefining Sin – this chapter kicks off with two ways to find happiness: moral conformity, like the elder brother/Pharisees; and self-discovery, like the younger brother/tax collectors. Both are wrong because both are on about self-salvation. Yet both are loved by God.
4. Redefining Lostness – the elder brother is angry, feels superior, slavish and joyless. His response to the father’s reckless love of the younger son, shows that he’s depending upon his own religiosity. This chapter is really challenging for anyone who has been around churches for a long time. Keller argues that the primary audience are the Pharisees who don’t think that they are lost.
5. The True Elder Brother – Luke 15 has three parables. In the first two, someone “goes out” to find the lost coin and lost sheep. In this third parable, no-one “goes out” to find the younger brother. Keller argues that this should have been done by the elder brother. He then says that Jesus is our true elder brother. Jesus goes out to seek and to save the lost. When I first heard this idea, I thought that maybe he was over allegorising  the parable. But I’m convinced by his argument and the many examples of Jesus being the True something (Israel, Man, Son of God, Shepherd) that it’s a useful outworking of the parable.  Praise God for the work of our true elder brother on our behalf.
6. Redefining Hope – the parable is placed within a larger biblical context of exile and return. This was a really encouraging picture of homecoming.
7. The Feast of The Father – a great finish to the book. It taps into the joy and celebration of lost people coming home to God and looks forward to the feast in the New Creation.

It’s a book all about rightly understanding the gospel and the reckless love of God for the religious lost and irreligious lost. I thoroughly recommend the book. I wouldn’t necessarily give to any non-Christian friend, some, maybe Arts students/book readers. I think this book is great for those who have some type of background in the church, and a very good read for any Christian.

Check out the book | The Prodigal God website | One of my talks on this passage