Introduction -- The parable -- The people around Jesus: all gathering around to hear Him -- 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 -- Ways to find happiness -- 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.