WHO ARE YOU?

The Pharisees and the Scribes criticized Jesus, because he ate with sinners, and tax collectors. And so Jesus told them a story. The story what we know of as the Prodigal Son, but I honestly think that the name of the story should be the Prodigal Family, as it is the story of the entire family and not just only about the son.

I know that the story we heard in today’s reading is a very familiar one to those of us who have been attending church for a few years. Many of us have heard it at least a few times, perhaps read it several times, and maybe even taught it a few times.

It is a very rich story – a story that you can tell it or have it examined from many different angles. A story that can be identified with from a variety of essential points.

MANY PEOPLE LOOK AT IT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE YOUNGEST SON – the prodigal son – the one who wasted all his money and time living in a foreign land and ended up going from bad to worse until – at long last – he comes to his senses and make his way homeward, hoping against hope that at home, he can at least put his life together again – even if he might have to work there as a servant – for he knows that in his father’s house, even the servants live a better life than he has been living in the foreign land.

John Newton – the writer of one of my favourite hymns identified himself with the youngest son.

In the year 1779, after a life as a sailor, after serving as the captain of a slave ship, after living a dissolute life, a bitter and angry life in which he mocked all those who believed in God and tore down the faith of those who live decently, he finally came to his senses and he gave his life to Christ, and he found in Christ 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. It was grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved, how precious that grace appeared the hour I first believed.

AMAZING GRACE INDEED!

OTHERS OF US IDENTIFY WITH THE PARENT IN THE STORY – especially those of us who are parents who have children who have gone, or are in the process of going wrong. Think of the father in today’s Gospel reading for a minute. Think of the pain he must have been going through. His youngest child – his little baby – his youngest son has turned out badly.

He loves the child dearly – and what happens? The young boy demands to have his inheritance, what he claims will in any case be his when the father dies. Upon receiving his inheritance, he leaves home, and not a word has been heard from him ever since.

We do not know why the father gave in to the demands of his younger son for the money. Loving parents know that children are different. It is not at all possible to treat all our children in exactly the same way, because each child is unique. That is what makes bringing up a child the most complicated of all human tasks. A Professor once said that no man knows his own true character until he has run out of gas on the highway, declared bankruptcy and raised a teenager.

Maybe the father gave in because he thought that if he did not comply with the demands of his son, his son would only become more rebellious. Maybe he gave in because he did not know what else he could do, or maybe he gave in due to love for his son. Just like God, who gives us the freedom to choose which path we may wish to take, whether we wish to go on a life of wandering, or a life of love at home with him.

Whatever the reason may have been – I think that many of us here today can identify ourselves the pain that the father must have felt; the pain – the second guessing – the constant worry – as well as the constant wondering….

- Will my baby make it?
- Will my baby survive?
- Will my baby become a decent man?
- Will my baby ever come home?
- Is my baby safe?
- Has my baby enough to eat?
- Has my baby enough clothing to wear?
- When will I see my baby again?

And so, there are some of us who understand what happens at he end of the story of the prodigal son. They understand why the father upon seeing in the distance his son returning home lifts up his robes around his thighs and runs all the way down the road to meet the son.

They understand – and they pray that such a scene might be enacted in their own lives. That they might be able to embrace their own baby 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?

Le 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 hold up your hands?

O.K. thank you.

Now, how many of you were the baby in your family? Would you hold up your hands please? Thank you.

Now, for those in the first group – the oldest children. How many of you felt that the baby of the family got away with things that you yourself never could have got away with? Will you hold up your hands please?

I think a lot about the older brother in the story of what I call the prodigal family.

The older brother is a like so many of us. He gets up early in the morning and goes to work every day and tries his best to be a responsible person. Indeed he feels that as the eldest son he must be. It is expected of him just because he is the eldest son of the family. So you can understand why he would be upset with his baby brother.

First of all, that brat was asking for his inheritance early, while father was still alive. That was extremely selfish and an insult. It was the same as wishing that their father was dead. It was exactly the same as wanting the death of his father, and no matter what your cultural background is, or what time in history we are talking about, such a request is unthinkable. It is an insult to the father and an insult to the family. It is a most offensive act. His leaving home also signals an abandonment of tradition, a complete rejection of his family and his roots. This is unlike the migrating to another country for work or adventure. This is a cutting off from his past.

And then, it was just like him to have spent and wasted it all. He never was a responsible person. He took the money, went away, wasted it all, and never even a word back home to let people know how he was getting on. Nobody knew whether he was well or sick, dead or alive.

All that money that took generations for our family to accumulate. He just spent it all on sports car and women and high living. It served him right that he ended up feeding somebody’s pigs. He rightly deserved it.

But now he finally comes home. And can you guess it? Dad is throwing a welcome home party for him. He always could get away with murder around this house of ours. Nobody in this house ever threw a party for me. Nobody in this family ever shows any appreciation that I am the one who stuck around and did what I was supposed to do. I never did waste any of dad’s money. I worked hard in the fields each and every day. Nobody in this family of mine 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 that it will be that baby brother of mine? No, it will fall on my shoulders, because I am the only responsible one around here.

Yes, dad, little brother can come home – but do not throw a welcome home party for him! Demean him a bit. He asked to come back to be a servant. We should let him do that for a while. He does not deserve to wear your fine robes or your rings.

Does this in some way sounded familiar to you?

It should – because that older brother is the responsible part inside all of us, who does not like it when somebody else gets something for doing nothing at all.

It should – because that older brother represents the resentful part of us. The part who is

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 are not getting the deal that we definitely deserve to get – or that somebody else is getting more than he or she deserves.

It is important today for us to understand to whom Jesus told that story to 2000 years ago in Israel and the reason why he told the story.

The tax collectors and sinners whom Jesus ate with are not simply friendly people who have been misunderstood by everyone else. Tax collectors were making a very good living by helping the occupied forces take money off their own people and pocketing part of the money themselves. Sinners were so called because they sere people who were ejected from the synagogue due to their behaviour or the kind of profession they were in.

The Pharisees, the scribes and other guardians of law and order of Israel could see the corrosive effect of not distinguishing between good and evil people in their world.

Do you not find the sayings: “birds of a feather flock together” or “evil companions make evil morals” sound at all familiar to you?

Think about it – does not forgiving such people look a lot like condoning or encouraging people to go ahead and sin?

To Jesus’ listeners 2000 years ago and perhaps to some of us present here today, the welcome home party is what really is the most offensive part to the elder brother in the entire story.

Let the repentant sinner return, there is nothing wrong with that. Both Judaism and Christianity allow for that. But let him return to bread and water, not fatted calf, young lambs and fruit of the vineyard; to sackcloth and ashes and not to expensive robes and rings and merriment…

Those people whom Jesus told the story of the prodigal family were responsible people. They followed the letter of the law. They did what they supposed to do. They did what they were expected to do. And what did they see when they saw Jesus?

They saw in Jesus a man whom they recognized as a holy man – a man whom some people said was the Messiah, whom some other people said was the Son of God, welcoming sinners and eating with them. Showing them the honour of his presence. Telling them that God loves them…

The Pharisees did not like that one little bit. Because those sinners did not toed the line. Yes, let them come, but humble them, make them suffer for what they did.

The Pharisees, in all their super sense of responsibility were missing the party. They were not getting the message. They could not 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 cannot have a good time at the party? You hate it so much that you resent God for being loving and forgiving?

WHO ARE YOU?

The youngest son learned an important lesson while starving in a foreign land. He learnt about priorities in life. He learned that his father was a life giver.

That is something that all of us here 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 in this world, sometimes it seems that love is limited. That our parents, our husbands or wives, or our children, simply do not have enough love to go around. But that my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is not the case in the family of God.

The story that Jesus tells to the Pharisees and the scribes who resented his eating with sinners, in the story he told to the oldest brother or sister 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 was dead, is now alive – he who was lost – but now is found.”

Hear the Good News. God’s love is for you. Let your hearts soften a little. Throw away the things that are blocking you from receiving the fullness of the love that God is looking forward to give to you – and party a little.

Embrace your brother or your sister. Welcome them. Pray for them. Give thanks for them. The world will not end if you do that. It will, in fact, become a much better place for everyone. Amen.