Word to the Wise
Saturday, March 10, 2007 - Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
[Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 and Luke 15:1-3, 11-32]My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.
Where can one even begin to reflect on the parable of the Prodigal Son (even if it could be otherwise titled The Merciful Father or the Resentful Older Brother)? From the perspective of each of the three characters, so much can be said. I believe that this time I will simply reflect on the merciful Father. The psychology of the two sons is a lot to chew on later. Given the fact that the younger son, in effect, wished the Father dead because he (the son) asked for his inheritance which would normally come only on the death of the parent, it's an amazing demonstration of mercy to receive the younger son back into the family and an equally amazing demonstration of mercy to go out and reason with the resentful older brother. Notice that the merciful Father goes out to each of the two sons! I'm counting on that kind of mercy - one that comes out to meet me! The lines of Amazing Grace echo this parable: "I once was lost but now I'm found...." Indeed, without that mercy, we are truly lost. Foolish decisions and envious resentments seem to crop up in all families. Perhaps Lent will offer us all a chance to open our eyes and see where these things exist in our own families and give us an opportunity to have mercy. AMEN
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