Word to the Wise
Saturday, March 6, 2010 - Saturday in 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. [Luke]
"I once was lost, but now am found...." - those words from the great hymn, Amazing Grace, are a good way to view the parable of "The Prodigal Son," for a couple of reasons. One must go back to the beginning of the chapter (which the lectionary does by tacking on the first three lines) to find the complete context. Two other parables come before this story - God, the shepherd, goes after the one lost sheep and invites us to rejoice that the lost one is found; the woman searches to find the lost "drachma" (a full day's wages!) and invites everyone to rejoice with her. Now, the father invites the whole village to rejoice because the "lost" son has returned! But is there only one lost son? The second son appears to be "lost" as well. And the father goes out to him, too! However, we must guard against seeing this story purely in terms of individual repentance and conversion! The story is told to the Pharisees and scribes who object to Jesus' preaching to tax collectors and sinners. In short, whole classes of people are being excluded in the minds of those who consider themselves to be "saved." The whole relationship to God is being examined here. The first son tries to change the relationship to one of master-servant. The Father will not permit that. The older son also tries to change the relationship in the same way by noting how long he has "served" the Father. Again, the Father will not permit that. Both these young men are "sons" and God will love them to the end. Neither son has the right to exclude the other. Our relationship to God is not a mercenary one! Yes, the "sin" of the younger son is serious. He has spent the part of the inheritance that would have enabled him to take care of his father in his father's old age - a profound obligation. The older son is reminded of this in the father's statement at the end as well. But the mercy and love of the Father for the children is beyond all that. No person or group of persons has the right to tell God what to do with God's love and mercy! We should all be grateful for that! AMEN
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