The Parable of the Prodigal Son, March 6th - 4th Sunday of Lent 2016

This Sunday the Lectionary's Gospel verses came from the 15th Chapter of Luke.  The verses covered three of Christ's parables; the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable that most of us know as 'the Prodigal Son'.  I will confess that Luke is my personal favorite of the four Gospels, and one of the reasons for this is it is the only book that relays the parable of the Prodigal Son.  It has long been my opinion that it is virtually impossible to grasp the true nature of our all loving God without the parable of the Prodigal Son.  Here in this story (with no small assist by the two preceding parables) is I believe the clearest and most concise illustration of the greatest characteristic and primary attribute of our God and Father in Heaven.

The parable of the Prodigal Son is found at the very center of the Gospel of Luke as written in Greek.  This is significant to note as so very often in Scripture the 'meat of the matter' is found in the center of the writing.  There can be no doubt that to Luke this story is literally and figuratively central to the message of Jesus in Luke's eyes and in his writing.

So, let's take a look at the scripture containing these three parables:

Luke 15  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Parable of the Lost Sheep
15 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: 4 “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother
11 Then Jesus said, “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. 32 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.’”

Now, let's take a look at this bit of scripture, we'll first turn our attention to the third parable, the story of the Prodigal Son. Obviously, the first thing that we have going on here is the younger son's complete lack of respect or regard for his father.  His statement to his father on wanting his inheritance immediately is basically saying to the father "your wealth is more important to me than you are, I wish you were dead so I could have the money that is entitled to me"; this incredible request is callused to say the very least.

The next thing which is equally amazing is that the father acquiesces to his young son's unreasonable demand.  The father gives the son his share of the father's property, which under Jewish tradition would have been a third of all that the father possessed.  Under Jewish custom the eldest son would be entitled to a double portion, in other words, two-thirds of the fathers estate.  Given this property, the younger son liquidates the assets and takes off to parts unknown with the cash in hand.

To add injury to insult the young boy goes off to foreign lands (gentile territory) and proceeds to waste his inheritance on wine, women and song... and to make it all even worse... that's gentile wine, women, and song.  He's not even blowing his money on naughty Jewish girls these are gentile strumpets he's carousing with.  In short order, he's blown through the cash and he finds himself in the worst possible situation that a 'good' Jewish boy can find himself in... he's tending to swine!

At last the boy comes to his senses (a little late as everyone notes) and realizes that he needs to go back home.  Back home perhaps his kind father will allow him to live in the household as a servant or slave.

The boy heads home and is barely upon the horizon when his father spies him on the road.  Immediately, the father forgets all decorum and runs to the boy, he throws his arms around his son and kisses him in sheer joy! The son tries to offer up his wager of being a servant to the father... but, the father simply ignores this suggestion.  

Bear in mind during all of this that the son has been off in gentile territory, carrying on with gentile women.  And whereas the father realistically couldn't have known that he had been tending to hogs... we the readers (listeners in Jesus' day) know, and we are horrified, for the son is about as ritually unclean as one can be.  The father disregards all this uncleanliness and freely and spontaneously embraces his lost son.

The father quickly turns and calls to a servant (who no doubt has come running when he saw his master running, which is something that no adult Jewish male EVER did, and this bears no small amount of notice), for the servant to fetch immediately three items.  Now... we need to carefully examine these three items because they are very important to the understanding of this extremely vital parable. 

The first item that the father calls for is a robe, the third thing that the father requests are a pair of shoes.  Both of these items signify that the boy is not a slave nor a servant.  The robe isn't to keep him warm rather it's a sign of his station, the shoes are important for only slaves are barefoot.  But let's look at the second item, for this is the crucial and all important item that the father calls for immediately upon embracing his son.  Let's pause and recall that often in scripture and ancient writing it is what's at the center that is what is most important.  The second item is the 'ring'... now this isn't just a ring, this would be a signet ring.  A signet ring shows that the boy is a part of the family, it shows that this boy is the father's son... just as he was when he left his family behind.  The father has restored his son to his place in the family.  Once he was dead to them, but now he lives again.

The father has restored his son, he has reconciled the son to those whom he has injured through his careless behavior... through his 'sins'.  Above all else, in my opinion, this parable is a story of reconciliation, of complete restoration of that which has been broken and distanced by sin.  The father (representing, of course, our Holy Father in Heaven) through his station as the father and because of his unlimited love and grace has forgiven the boy so completely, that it is as if none of the transgressions had ever occurred.

Such is the amazing depth and breadth of our Holy Father's love for each of us.  This love goes far, far beyond forgiveness and grace.  One can forgive, and love without wanting to be reconciled; without wanting to be restored to those that they love.  Our Heavenly Father's deepest longing and greatest attribute is this unfailing desire to be restored, restored and reconciled with each and every single one of His children... no matter how lost, or how sinful, or how 'unclean' we might be.  He will run to us and embrace us and place upon our finger the ring that identifies to all who see... that we are His and His alone.

Let's now turn to the elder son and to his angry reaction when he learns that the father has restored his wayward younger brother, and to make things worse the father is throwing a party of celebration concerning the son's return.  The father on learning of the elder sons distancing himself from the remainder of the family comes looking for him and finds him outside.  The father confronts the boy and implores him to join in the celebration.  The elder son shows his anger towards his brother by calling him to the father "your son", thus denying any relationship to him, but the father corrects him and states that "your brother" has returned to us from the dead.

The father has pursued the elder brother in order to restore him in relationship to the remainder of the family.  In this parable, we find that both brothers are 'lost' in one fashion or another.  One brother has let his lust and selfish behavior break his fellowship with his father.  The second brother has stumbled due to his anger and self-righteousness leaving himself distanced from his family.  There are differences here to be certain, but both sons have failed in their relationship with the father.  The father though has not given up on either son and readily greets one home with open arms, and goes in pursuit of the other.

Here it's helpful to go back and look at those first two parables that come just before the story of the Prodigal Son.  The parables of the 'lost sheep' and the 'lost coin'.  In the first we have a shepherd that goes looking for his 'lost' sheep, and upon finding the lost sheep calls all his friends to join him in celebration.  It's worth noting that in Matthew's Gospel the sheep are identified as having 'gone astray'; it's not that the sheep have just wandered off innocently, they have gone astray in their path through life much as we all do from time to time. But the shepherd has gone looking for them none-the-less. In the parable of the lost coin we see the same behavior, she has lost one of her coins and she looks diligently for it until it is found and then she tells her friends they must celebrate her reunion with the lost valuable.

These three parables taken together as they are here in the Gospel of Luke paint a wonderful story about a God that loves each of us so deeply.  A God who never gives up on us and who pursues us no matter why or how far we've wandered off from His prescence.  

Praise God, for His overly abundant love and devotion to each of us.

Praise God, that we serve such an awesome and loving God!

Please remember to be a blessing to someone today!

In His Unfailing Reconciliation,
Roy

(the video of the sermon is attached below, blessings!)