Joshua
5:9-12, Psalm 32, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Today’s gospel reading is
perhaps one of the most well known stories in the Bible, certainly in the New
Testament. This gospel reading speaks to each of us in a way that we can
understand. We can understand it because Jesus uses a parable to make his
point; he tells a story that is meant to be understood individually through
personal experience rather than to be explained by him. Because of this each of
us make our own connections to the characters or themes of this story.
As we listen to this
parable it is possible that one of the characters reminds us of someone in our
family. This connection between a character and a family member does not need to
match with every detail of the story for us to make this connection. Perhaps
you hear a cousin, or your mother, or grandfather in one of the characters.
This is the beauty of a parable; it is a story, not a retelling of
something that actually happened. And the beauty of a story is that we can
change the characters a bit as we listen, which allows us to become part of the
story.
As we listen to this
parable it is also possible that we personally identify with a character. Some
of us have felt like the younger son... eager to get away, embarrassed by our
mistakes, willing to do almost anything to get back to our old lives. Some of
us have felt like the older brother as well... hardworking, diligent, and then
resentful at the undeserved gain or unpunished wastefulness of another. And
some of us have felt like the father in this story as well... desperate for a
sign of a long-missed loved one, overjoyed by his or her unexpected return.[1]
No matter who we are
reminded of, or who we connect with, we are familiar with this story. This
story of family relationship, this story of mistakes, this story of repentance
and forgiveness. Our parable today tells us of:
A
man who had two children. His younger child wanted to be free of the
responsibilities of daily life in the family and wanted to make a name for
himself in the world, so this son asked for his inheritance. This was a strange
request because by asking for his inheritance, the younger son was telling his
father that he would rather have his father be dead and give him money than be
with him every day. Surprisingly the father agrees and gives his son his
inheritance, probably having to sell land or make sacrifices to turn what was
his into liquid assets.
The
younger son sets out into the world and makes some poor choices. These choices
lead him to be penniless and hungry in a distant land. It is in this time that
the younger son realizes how much he needs his father, even if only as an employer.
He decides to travel back to his father, apologize, and ask to work in his
fields.
To
everyone’s surprise his father is overjoyed to see him and is filled with
compassion. The father barely lets his younger son apologize before the
celebration of his return begins. The father rejoices because this son has been
dead to the family and now he is home.
When
the older son hears that a party is being held to celebrate his younger
brother’s return, he is furious. See when the younger son left, even more work
fell to the older son and the responsibility has weighed on him. He is furious
not only with his brother, but also with his father. After a heated discussion,
the father begs his older son to come into the party and rejoice with the
family because the younger son has been brought back to life and the family has
been restored.
That is where the parable
ends, but is that where the story ends? We do not get to know if the older son
went into the party, or if the brothers become close, or if the younger son
leaves the family again. When Jesus tells this parable he does not resolve every
issue that the story presents. I believe that Jesus does not tell us a
satisfyingly complete ending because we are meant to see ourselves, and our
families in this story. We are meant to live this parable with all of its
relational twists and turns regularly. We are meant to hear God’s plea to come
home or into the party.
Because ultimately this is
a story of God’s grace. Like the parable we heard last week about the fig tree
getting another year to bear fruit, this is a story about second chances. A
story about seeing where we have gone wrong and repenting of that wrong. A
story about seeing where others have wronged us and offering forgiveness. A
story where we see God’s unending love for each of us... no matter how many
times we walk away or mess up or hurt others. When we are penitent and amend
our ways, God forgives us. No matter how many times we repeat this cycle, we
are forgiven and welcomed back with open arms because God loves us.
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