Luke
15:1-3, 11b-32
1
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And
the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow
welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3 So he told
them this parable: 11 "There was a man who had two
sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father,
"Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he
divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the
younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he
squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he
had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and
he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself
out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed
the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the
pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But
when he came to himself he said, "How many of my father's hired hands have
bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I
will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have
sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer
worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands." 20 So
he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father
saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and
kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, "Father, I
have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called
your son." 22 But the father said to his slaves,
"Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on
his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted
calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for
this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And
they began to celebrate. 25 "Now his elder son was in
the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and
dancing.26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going
on. 27 He replied, "Your brother has come, and your
father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' 28 Then
he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead
with him. 29 But he answered his father, "Listen! For
all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never
disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I
might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of
yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed
the fatted calf for him!' 31 Then the father said to him,
"Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32But
we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has
come to life; he was lost and has been found.' "
Your brother has come, and your father has killed the
fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.
·
This is such a lovely story! It is so unfair! And
so surprising! Let’s take a good look at it.
·
The younger son demands his inheritance in
cash, an inheritance he should only get when this father has died and his older
brother has received his share, which by the way, would be double what the
younger boy receives. So the boy is saying to his dad: “You’re dead to me, old
man!” That’s a rather serious way to start a story.
·
Surprisingly, the father swallows his pride
and cashes in to give his younger boy what would be due to him in the will. The
boy promptly goes off and squanders it on shady real estate deals and criminal dealings
for illegal substances. No, not really.
The boy uses up his money on “dissolute living” or as his elder brother, who is
not one to mince words, says, the boy has
devoured your property with prostitutes.
·
In true Hollywood style, this boy suffers for
his unsound money management when a famine hits. To make things worse, he has
to take a job as a farmhand. Even worse, he’s to tend the pigs. Could things
get worse for a Jewish man? Yes! The pigs are eating better than he is!
·
He remembers that his father’s farmhands
always had enough to eat. Maybe it’s time to go home.
·
Can you imagine the humiliation he’s willing
to endure by going home, admitting his failure, and asking to be permitted to
work as a farmhand? Can you imagine the scorn he’s setting himself up for –
from his father, his brother, the rest of the family, and the other farm
workers? There was no guarantee that he’d be accepted even as a farm worker. He
might be turned away and told to lay in the bed he’d made.
·
He decided he’d try. Was his father waiting in
the front room for him to grovel? Was his father out in the field where he’d
grudgingly accept the apology and humiliation of his wayward son, hand him (or
rent him) a hoe and tell him to get to work? Was his father going to sic the
dogs on him? Report him to the authorities as an illegal beggar?
·
What happens in not what we’d expect: …while he was still far off, his father
saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and
kissed him. … the father said to his slaves,
"Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on
his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted
calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this
son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!'
The boy can’t even get his rehearsed speech out!
·
The response of the older son – who appears
very upset – is just what we might expect. He might be thinking: Who does he
think he is, coming home like this? And after insulting us? He should earn a
place in the household, work his way up, and maybe, after a years of showing
he’s worth the trouble, maybe we can accept him back into the family. Until
then, I won’t go in.
·
What happens next is another surprise. First
the father ran to meet his lost son before he got to the farm. Now he leaves
the party he’s thrown for the returned son to speak to his angry older boy. In
Jesus’ time – and often in our own – the head of the household wouldn’t run to
meet the child who had insulted him, taken his money, and then burned through
it for pleasure. Neither would the head of the household leave the celebration
to plead with someone who has refused to come to the celebration. To refuse
such an invitation would be insulting and to criticize who the family offered
hospitality to would be just as insulting.
·
The father doesn’t seem to be worried about
any of that. He’s so incredibly pleased that his one son is back that he
basically throws a party the equivalent of a wedding banquet, which in Jesus’
time could go on for days. He puts the best robe and sandals on him and puts a
ring on his finger, possibly the signet ring, marking him as a full member of
the family and tribe again.
·
To the elder son, he goes out to beg him to
come in. By rights, he should leave him alone. If he refuses his father’s
command, forget him! No, this man is generous to BOTH of his sons, and wants
them both to rejoice in death turned to life. He even says how much he
appreciates the faithfulness of the older son and assures him that all that is mine is yours.
·
We know who all the characters in the story
represent. Jesus is eating with sinners (whoever they might be) and tax
collectors, while the Pharisees and scribes grumble. A “righteous” rabbi
wouldn’t do that. To make his point, Jesus tells his parable in big, bold
letters. The lost son holds the place of the sinners and the older, dutiful son
shows the keepers of the Law, who often judge who does or doesn’t keep the Law.
The father, of course, is God.
·
Who is the real “prodigal” here? The
dictionary defines “prodigal” as free, reckless, perhaps wasteful spending, or
giving on a lavish scale. This word is often applied to the way-ward younger
son and the parable is called “The Prodigal Son.” However the father is the
prodigal one. He gives and gives and doesn’t seem to count the cost.
·
Here’s the final surprise… and probably the
best one of all. The story isn’t so much about either of the sons. It is about
the Father, the gracious, loving father who is anxious for both of his sons and
wants them both under his roof.
·
This the same Father who has pursued us our
whole life long, loving us through our mistakes and missteps, waiting and
watching and working to have us turn around and return. This is the creator of
the universe with all its wonders who want us to call him “Our Father.”
·
As it turns out, grace and the love of God is
the MOST prodigal reality we could ever imagine… and thank God it is so.
But we had to celebrate and
rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was
lost and has been found.
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