Lost and Found

Monday, March 26 – Read Luke 15:1-32

The Parable of the Prodigal Son, which begins in verse 11, is Jesus’ greatest parable precisely because in one way or another, we are all like the younger son. In reading this parable, we should not simply think of the younger son as some kind of rebellious teenager. Jesus’ culture is extremely patriarchal, and no son could ever address his father as does the younger son, who basically wishes for his father to starve so that he can immediately enjoy the wealth that he would ordinarily only hope to inherit in the distant future. If a son did treat a father like that, the elder son would be expected to beat him silly and make him apologize abjectly. And in any case, the father would never agree to such a request. But this father is like no human father. This father is a stand-in for God, and so agrees that the younger son can have his share of the property and can do with it what he pleases. Then when he returns to his senses, the father runs to him, embraces him, and restores him to his position, not as a servant, but as a son.

We should note that the behavior of the older brother is not much better than the younger. The older brother also accepts the division of the property. He simply doesn’t sell his portion and leave his father high and dry. But when his brother returns, he refuses to accept him back in the family and humiliates his father by staying outside instead of helping with the party. In this, the older son is a stand-in for the religious authorities. The parable reveals God’s gracious love, both to the righteous and to the obvious sinners. The younger son – the obvious sinner – repents and returns to live inside God’s love. But at the end of the parable, the older son – who has technically done things right – chooses to remain outside his father’s love, and it is not clear what he will decide. In this parable Jesus in effect says the Pharisees and scribes, “Look, the ball is in your court. God’s kingdom of love is here. Are you going to enter it or not?”

Reflection Questions: How are you like the younger son? How have you taken God’s gifts and traveled far away, using the gifts for your own purposes?

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for my life and for all you have placed into my hands. Help me not to run away in selfishness. Keep me always in the circle of your love. Keep me loving others. Amen.