The elephant in the room!

You've heard the expression, 'the elephant in the room'.  It simply means something important or that is obvious or that everyone knows about but no one mentions or wants to discuss because it makes (at least some) people uncomfortable or embarrassed.

We've all been in those situations right?  Over the years I can recall all shapes and sizes of elephants, obvious and conspicuous in many diverse settings  The singers that can't actually sing, the man who started singing, "Love...love changes everything" during communion, the lady who would 'in the spirit' ride an imaginary stallion down the aisle.

I can also recall more serious and more intimidating elephants that were ignored for fear of rocking the boat or looking foolish.  It's here that I want to focus in on.  I'm certain that along with preaching the good news, healing and redemption Jesus could have added the title 'Revealer of elephants.'

Let's go back to Luke 15 to find our first big elephant.  Jesus has a crowd of people listening, mixed audience, some for him and some against.  He begins by telling three stories in quick succession, the lost coin, the lost sheep and the lost son.  In each story somebody loses something and then gets it back.  

The people listening to each one begin to detect a familiar pattern.  Story number 1 the lost coin, something precious is lost, someone searches for it, they find it and people rejoice.  Story number 2, the lost sheep, a valuable sheep is lost, someone searches for it, they find it, much rejoicing when they return.  

So by the third story, the one that actually places humanity at the centrepiece Jesus' audience expected the pattern, established in the previous two, to be repeated. 

But here's where Jesus takes his opportunity to point directly at the elephant in the room.

Can you spot it?

Story 1 - someone searches for the lost coin, story 2 - someone searches for the lost sheep, story 3 - no one searches.

But Jonathan, the father goes onto his roof and to the edge of his property waiting in hope for his sons return.  True!  However, that's not a search.

The reason why it's an elephant in the room is because everyone of his Jewish listeners  knew exactly who should have been searching for the lost son.

We need to unpack the culture at the time of Jesus, in fact right back to the book of Genesis, you’ll know that the role of the elder brother was really important. (See - Kenneth Bailey: Jesus through Middle eastern Eyes)

The first story of brothers in the bible is of course the tragic tail of Cain and Abel.  The elder brother who murders the younger out of jealousy is told in no uncertain terms by God that ‘You are your brothers keeper.’

 Esau & Jacob’s story, where Jacob the younger tricks both his older brother (and father) into stealing Esau’s birthright and blessing is also important.  Notice what the elder brother does when he finds his brother Jacob.

“But Esau ran to meet Jacob embraced him, he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.  And they wept.”Genesis 33:4 (by the way does that remind you of anything? 😉)

In this culture, it was the elder brothers responsibility to reconcile division between father and younger siblings.   Traditionally the elder brother would have searched, located and brought him him back into the family at his own expense.

What do I mean ‘own expense’?   

Well, the father always gave a double portion of the inheritance to the elder son.  If there’s just two brothers, the eldest got two thirds and the younger a third of the Father’s estate.

When the father in Jesus’ story said to the elder brother, ‘Son, everything I have is yours’ that was true.  The younger son had already had his third and squandered it all, which left everything else to his elder brother.

In order to restore the younger son back into the family with full rights…the elder brother has to give up a third of his wealth.  The father couldn’t re-instate him except at the expense of the elder brother (the ring, the robe, the sandal technically belonged to the elder brother.)

But in Jesus’ story that kind of elder brother is missing. BOOM! THE ELEPHANT IS EXPOSED!   

The elder brother didn’t search, or leave his father and had no intention of reinstating his brother as a son (at his own expense).  There’s no elder brother willing to seek and save the lost.

Instead, Jesus is making the point that the younger brother has a Pharisee for an older brother and Pharisees don’t seek, search or sacrifice for the least, the last and the lost.

BUT…for those who had eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to perceive there was a true elder brother standing right infront of the.  

WOW!

Jesus is the true elder brother missing from the story.  He didn’t just leave one town to go and search in the next, he left heaven and came to earth. He didn’t give up a third of his wealth…he gave it all to guarantee that we who were far off in sin could be brought near with forgiveness.

On resurrection morning, Jesus’ first words declared that everything had changed.  All that set in motion in the first garden was undone in this one.

“Go to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” (John 20:17)

I know that I have danced around too many elephants in too many rooms during my time as a church minister and as a teacher.    I do think that we have to allow Jesus to point them out to us and to overcome our fear and embarrassment.   I wonder what elephants Jesus would point out in your life, your churches and gatherings?