Luke 15:13-24

Posted by DJL on Nov 5, 2013 in Daily Bread | 1 comment

A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 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. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 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! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ 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. 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.’ 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. 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!’ And they began to celebrate.

You could write a whole book on this scene…and people have! Moreover, it has inspired about as much artwork as any story in the Bible. And Ralph Waldo Emerson once described it as “the best story in the Bible…or out of it.”

Why?

Surely some of it is the vivid details that are so carefully packed into such a short space – gathering all he had, distant country, squandering property, dissolute living, a sever famine, wanting to eat the pigs’ pods, and more (and that’s just the first few sentences!). Jesus’ parables generally catch our eye and stimulate our imagination, and none more than this.

I also think we’re engaged by some of the mystery of the story, the things not said. Why did the son go off in the first place? Where is his mother in all this? (No doubt things would have turned out differently had a mother been on the scene!) Is he sincere or scheming when he “comes to himself” and plans his speech of repentance? And more. These “gaps” in the story invite our participation and call on us to share in the story-telling.

But I think what draws us most deeply into this story is the promise of home-coming, of return and reunion, of being accepted by one who loves us more than we ever realized or even could have imagined.

Despite how much we appreciate this sense of reunion, however, we should also admit that it comes at a price. For this father acts the fool once again. I mean, who knows how long the son has been gone, but apparently his father has done little else than wait and watch for his return. How else could it be that he is the first to spot his son, even at a distance, had he not been pacing and waiting and scanning the horizon endlessly since his son’s departure? And then he runs! He, a wealthy landowner – who as a rule send messengers but do not themselves run! – rushes out to greet his son. And then he ignores his son’s speech (sincere or scheming) of repentance, sweeping it aside in this moment of joy that is both desperate and raucous at one and the same time.

Yes, this father is a fool, a fool to give his self-indulgent son half his property and send him off; a fool to wait and watch for so long; a fool to embarrass himself by running out to meet him; a fool not to at least listen to, if not also demand more than, this token of repentance; a fool to restore him to his status as son and risk being taking advantage of again. He is in every way a fool, prodigious in his folly and undeterred in his reckless love.

And the reason we treasure this story so much is that, deep down, each one of us wishes we could find someone who loves us as fully and foolishly as this prodigal father does his lost son, someone who will always welcome us home, someone whose forgiveness and acceptance is beyond question…no matter what we have done.

Which is why Jesus tells this parable, of course, to both Pharisee and tax collector…and to us. Because this story provides a summary of the whole gospel: we do have such a one.

Prayer: Dear God, envelop us in your love, easing our fears, calming our terror, and replacing our self-doubt with acceptance, grace, and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.