O Lord, we pray, speak in this place, in the calming of our minds and the longing of our hearts, by the words of my lips and in the thoughts we form. Speak, O Lord, for your servants listen. Amen.
The Scribe and Pharisees criticized Jesus, because he ate with sinners.
And so Jesus told them a story. The story of what I would call the story of "the prodigal family".
That story is very familiar to those of us who have been attending church
for a few years. Many of us have it heard it several times, read it several times, perhaps even taught it several times.
It is a very rich story - a story that can be told or examined from a
great variety of views. A story that can be identified with from a variety
of vantage points.
MANY LOOK AT IT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE YOUNGEST SON - the prodigal
- the one who wasted his living in a foreign land and ended up going from bad to worse till - at last - he comes to his senses and flees homeward hoping against hope that there he can put his life together again – even if must be as a servant - for he knows that in his father's house even servants live better than does he.
John Newton - the writer of one of the Church's favourite hymns, Amazing Grace identified himself with the youngest son.
In the year 1779, after a tumultuous life as a sailor, a dissolute life, a
bitter and angry life in which he mocked those who believed in God and
tore down the faith of those who lived decently, he came to his senses and he gave his life to Christ, and he found in Him a welcome - a love – that till that time he had only dreamed of.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.
T'was grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved,
how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.
OTHERS OF US IDENTIFY WITH THE FATHER IN THE STORY - especially those of us who happen to be parents of children who have gone, or are going, wrong.
Think of the father in today's gospel for a minute. Think of his pain.
His youngest child - his youngest son has turned out badly.
He loves the child dearly - and what happens? The lad demands his
inheritance, what he claims will be his when his father dies,and upon
receiving it leaves home and is not heard from again.
We don't know why the father gave in to the demands of his youngest son for the money. Loving parents know that children are different.
It is impossible to treat children exactly the same, because each child is
unique. That makes child-rearing the most complex of all human tasks.
Doc Blakely once said that no man knows his true character until he has
run out of gas, declared bankruptcy, and raised a teenager.
Perhaps the father gave in because he figured if he did not his son would
only become more rebellious. Perhaps he gave in because he did not what else to do.
Whatever the reason - I think many of us here today can identify with the pain that the father must have felt; the pain - the second guessing – the constant worry -and the constant wondering...
- Will my boy make it?
- Will he survive?
- Will he become a decent man?
- Will he ever come home?
And so there are people who understand what happens at the end of story of the prodigal son. They understand why the father upon seeing in the distance his son returning home lifts his robes up around his thighs and runs down the road to meet him.
They understand - and they pray that such a seen might be enacted in their own lives. That they might be able to embrace their own child
and say to him or her - welcome home.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER SON IN THE STORY? What about the oldest brother?
How many of us, I wonder, identify with him?
Let me do something for a second - let me take a poll - How many of you are the oldest child in your family? How many first-born do we have? Would you stand?
O.K., thank you. Please be seated.
Now, how many of you were the baby or the favourite in your family?
Would you stand, please? Thank you.
Now, for those in the first group - the oldest children. How many of you
felt like the baby of the family got away with things you never could have gotten away with? Would you stand please?
I do think about the older brother in the story of the prodigal family.
The older brother is like a lot of us.
He gets up and goes to work every day and tries to be responsible.
Indeed he feels he must be. It is expected of him. So you can understand why he would be upset with his baby brother.
First of all, that brat asked for his inheritance early, while father was still alive. That was selfish and an insult. It was the same thing as wishing father was dead.
And then, it was just like that baby brother to wasted it all. He never was responsible. He took it and went away and just wasted it. All that money that it had taken our family generations to accumulate. He just spent it on sports cars and women and high living. It served him right that he wound up feeding somebody's pigs. He deserved it.
But now he comes home. And wouldn't you know it, Dad throws a party for him. He always could get away with murder around here. Nobody ever threw a party for me. Nobody ever appreciated that I stuck around and did what I was supposed to do. I didn't waste Dad's money. I worked hard in the fields every day. And do you think anybody ever butchered anything for me so I could have a party with my friends? No!
And who do you think will be the one to be responsible enough to take care of Dad when he grows old and feeble? Do you think it will be that brother of mine? No. It will be me. Because I am the responsible one around here.
Yes, Dad, little brother can come home - but don't throw a party! Make him grovel a little. He asked to be a servant. Let him do that for a while.
He doesn't deserve to wear your fine robes.
Sound familiar?
It should - because that older brother is that responsible part in all of
us who doesn't like it when somebody else gets something for nothing.
The older brother is that part of us that measures and weighs every deed
for its value - every person for what they have earned or deserve - and
has decided that by comparison we aren't getting the deal we deserve to
get - or that someone else is getting more than the deserve.
It's important today that we understand whom Jesus told the story to that
day long ago in Israel and why he told it.
The tax collectors and sinners with whom Jesus ate are not simply friendly people who have been misunderstood. They were the kind of people who were making a good living taking money from their own people for the sake of the occupying forces. Sinners were so designated because their behaviour had gotten them ejected from the synagogue.
The Pharisees and other guardians of law and order could see the corrosive effect of not distinguishing between good and evil people.
Do the sayings: "birds of a feather flock together" or "evil companions
make evil morals" sound at all familiar?
Think about it - doesn't forgiving look a lot like condoning?
To Jesus' listeners 2000 years ago, and perhaps to us today, the party is what is really offensive in the story.
Let the penitent return, there's nothing wrong with that. Both Judaism and Christianity allow for that. But let him return to bread and water not fatted calf and fruit of the vineyard; to sackcloth and ashes not to expensive robes and rings and merriment....
Those who to whom Jesus told the story of the prodigal family were
responsible people. They followed the letter of the law. They did what
they were supposed to do. And what did they see when they saw Jesus?
They saw a man whom they recognized as a holy man - a man whom many said was the Messiah, one whom some said was the Son of God,
welcoming sinners and eating with them. Showing them the honour of his presence. Telling them that God loved them.
The Pharisees didn't like that one little bit. Because those sinners hadn't toed the line. Yes, let them come in. But make them grovel a little.
The Pharisees, in all their super-responsibility were missing the party.
They weren't getting the message. They couldn't hear that God had enough love for them too.
Who are you in this story?
Are you the older son, jealous that somebody else is receiving God's love?
Are you the younger son, afraid to come home and ask for God's love?
Are you the Pharisee, so aware of what you have done and what others have failed to do that you can't enjoy the party? That you resent your God for being loving and forgiving?
The youngest Son learned an important lesson while starving in a foreign land. He learned about priorities. He learned that his father was a life giver.
That is something that we all need to learn.
What our real priorities are in life.
Where life is to be found - and how good that life really is.
In our lives here sometimes it seems that love is limited. That our
parents, our wives or husbands, or our children, simply don't have enough love to go around. But that my friends is not so in the family of God.
In the story that Jesus tells to the scribes and pharisees who resented
his eating with sinners, in the story he told to the oldest brother or
daughter that lives inside our hearts he says:
"My child, you are always with me. You are very special to me.
Indeed all that I have is yours - understand that - and rejoice with
me that your younger brother - he who was as good as dead, is alive -
he was lost - but now is found."
Hear the Good News. God's love is for you.
Let your heart soften a little.
Throw away the things that are blocking you from receiving the fullness of the love that God is aching to give you - and party a little.
Embrace your brother or your sister.
Welcome them. Pray for them. Give thanks for them.
The world won't end if you do.
In fact it will become a better place for everyone. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment