Introduction
The parable
The people around Jesus : "all gathering around to hear Him"
Two kinds of people
Why people like Jesus but not the church
The two lost sons : "there was a man who had two sons"
The lost younger brother
The younger brother's plan
The lost elder brother
Redefining sin : "all these years I've been slaving for you"
Two ways to find happiness
Two lost sons
A deeper understanding of sin
Both wrong, both loved
Redefining lostness : "the older brother became angry and refused to go in"
Anger and superiority
Slavishness and emptiness
Who needs to know this?
The true elder brother : "my son, everything I have is yours"
What we need
Who we need
Redefining hope : "He set off for a far country"
Our longing for home
The difficulty of return
The feast at the end of history
The feast of the father : "he heard music and dancing"
Salvation is experiential
Salvation is material
Salvation is individual
Salvation is communal
Babette's feast.