By The Rev. Deacon Virginia Jenkins-Whatley
Prayer: Dear Lord, we humbly welcome you into worship with us. Please guide our study of your word, illuminating its meaning according to your will. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
My best friend’s father was 87 years old when he passed away in 2017. His only son married a woman that he did not approve of in 1998 and they stopped speaking to each other at that point. A very large financial amount had been withdrawn from the father’s account but nothing was ever done about it. His two daughters had constant contact with the son and knew what he had been doing but never told the father.
Father had become ill in 2014 and he had to be institutionalized. He would not give any of the children power of attorney so their family attorney had to step in. He had some wealth and he always threatened to disinherit any of the kids that defied him. As his condition worsened the family was told to prepare for the worse and hope for the best.
His daughters informed their brother and he came to the hospital to see their family. Dad was so thrilled to see his son, they hugged and kissed and apologized to each other. He continued to visit his father daily. His sisters were not pleased but did not say anything as long as dad was happy. The father instructed the attorney to come to the hospital so that he could amend his will. The father asked to see his grandsons that he never met. The father died within the hour and never met the kids. The son thought that all was forgiven with dad.
The reading of the will was devastating to the son. All of the properties, money, etc went to the two daughters. Father wrote that the two of you tried to keep me strong at the weakest point of my life. The son received a letter stating that you stole from me out of hatred and revenge. I allowed you to keep the life you chose.
This modern day story shows similarities to today’s gospel
The parable of the Prodigal Son only found in Luke’s gospel more accurately should be called the Forgiving Father
In the gospel, this father did not just forgive a younger son, his prodigal son. He also forgave an older son, a dutiful son. A son who was very much like the Pharisees who were listening that day. And we miss the point if we don’t deal with both of these young men.
Luke tells us up front why Jesus is telling his story. His preaching was attracting tax collectors and sinners. In other words, they were upset that Jesus was hanging out with drug dealers and addicts and thieves and alcoholics and prostitutes. They were upset that Jesus was hanging out in the neighborhood around Triune.
In the parable, the younger son asked his father to give him his share of the property that belonged to him. So the father divided his property between them.
This younger son was a piece of work. Asking for your inheritance before your father’s death was an insult. It was saying to your father. “I wish you were dead”.The younger son took all that he had and left. He squandered his property into dissolute living. He spent everything and a severe famine took place throughout that country and he began to be in need.He worked on a farm feeding the pigs and contemplated eating the pods fed to the pigs because he was so hungry. He began to think of how well the hired hands working for his father were being fed. So he decided to return home and throw himself on his father’s mercy.
While he was far off, his father saw him.Now the story turns the spotlight on the father. The father saw him far off which makes you believe the father never stopped watching for his son’s return. The parable tells us something else too. The father was filled with compassion and ran toward his son. This doesn’t sound odd to our ears. But it was shocking to Jesus’ first century audience.
The father lavished his son with symbols of welcome and respect and restored his place as a son of the household restoring him to his original position. The father gave a big party and stated that this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found
Now the oldest son being informed by the hired hands of the treatment his brother is receiving from the father is furious and refusing to go in the house. The father came out and pleaded with him. In his rage he told the father how he had been working like a slave for him and never disobeyed him yet the youngest fully disobeyed and disrespected him.
Again the father repeated that his younger son had been lost and now he is found .
Now don’t forget who is listening to this story along with the tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees and scribes are there, people who focus on right and wrong, people who focus on religious law. In this story, Jesus was talking about tax collectors and sinner who like the prodigal son were offered the gift of grace.We like to see the Pharisees and the self righteous get their comeuppance in the scriptures. We root for the underdog, the prostitute that poured perfume on Jesus feet,for the tax collector who prayed in the temple with his head bowed, for Zacchaeus hidden in tree.The gospel is not the gospel if it is not available to the self righteous Pharisee
The problem, as this parable points out, is that it may be easier for the tax collector and the sinner, for the prodigal son, to accept God’s grace than it is for the Pharisees and the scribe and the older son
If you are always right, it is hard to see that you need forgiveness.
There were tax collectors and sinners and grumbling Pharisees and scribes. Jesus told them a story about a God who forgives them all.
Their challenge, our challenge, is to realize that forgiveness is available and forgiveness is necessary to every single one.
Amen