Lent 4
Devotional
Water From the Rock
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle C
And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."
-- Luke 15:2
It is in this context that Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son. It is a much beloved parable but sometimes to truly hear the impact of what Jesus is saying, we have to ask ourselves with which character we identify in the parable. Do we identify with the father who was so willing to share all that he had with his younger son even when his son behaved in such a disrespectful way? After we have worked and saved our resources, would we be willing for a member of our family, let alone a member of our church, to say to us, "Give me half of what you have because I want to leave the family and live free of its constraints"? Or do we identify with the younger son who was so self-centered that all he could think about was how to focus on pleasuring himself? Yes, he came to his senses eventually, but do we really identify with the path he took to get there? Or do we identify with the older brother who seemingly had nursed anger at both his father and his younger brother for so long that he could not be open to the possibility that his brother had truly returned?
Each of the figures in the story has some characteristics that we would not like to emulate. If we suggest that a reflection of God is seen in the father, are we comfortable in recognizing that God would give humanity such freedom and then be so gracious in receiving them home again without asking them to do anything to prove their repentance? As religious people who strive to practice the faith that we have received, don't we almost have more empathy for the older brother who feels shortchanged by God's generosity of forgiveness? Isn't this why as a society we are so quick to want to judge the public figures that betray our trust? Perhaps the most comforting part of the parable for many of us is the ending. While the father has thrown the party for his son who has returned, the parable ends with the father standing outside the party, as he previously had watched for the younger son, waiting for the older, self-righteous brother to repent as well. It raises the question as to who is preventing God from enjoying the joy of his creation the most?
-- Luke 15:2
It is in this context that Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son. It is a much beloved parable but sometimes to truly hear the impact of what Jesus is saying, we have to ask ourselves with which character we identify in the parable. Do we identify with the father who was so willing to share all that he had with his younger son even when his son behaved in such a disrespectful way? After we have worked and saved our resources, would we be willing for a member of our family, let alone a member of our church, to say to us, "Give me half of what you have because I want to leave the family and live free of its constraints"? Or do we identify with the younger son who was so self-centered that all he could think about was how to focus on pleasuring himself? Yes, he came to his senses eventually, but do we really identify with the path he took to get there? Or do we identify with the older brother who seemingly had nursed anger at both his father and his younger brother for so long that he could not be open to the possibility that his brother had truly returned?
Each of the figures in the story has some characteristics that we would not like to emulate. If we suggest that a reflection of God is seen in the father, are we comfortable in recognizing that God would give humanity such freedom and then be so gracious in receiving them home again without asking them to do anything to prove their repentance? As religious people who strive to practice the faith that we have received, don't we almost have more empathy for the older brother who feels shortchanged by God's generosity of forgiveness? Isn't this why as a society we are so quick to want to judge the public figures that betray our trust? Perhaps the most comforting part of the parable for many of us is the ending. While the father has thrown the party for his son who has returned, the parable ends with the father standing outside the party, as he previously had watched for the younger son, waiting for the older, self-righteous brother to repent as well. It raises the question as to who is preventing God from enjoying the joy of his creation the most?
