Prodigal Family Values: Luke 15:1-3; 11b-32 - Fourth Sunday in Lent

¹Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus.] ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
  ³So he told them this parable: ^11b“There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The 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. ¹³A 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. ¹⁴When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. ¹⁷But 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! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ‘ ²⁰So 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. ²¹Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²²But 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. ²³And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴for 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. ²⁶He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. ²⁷He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹But 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. ³⁰But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ ³¹Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But 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.’ ” (NRSV)

By Rembrandt - Public Domain on Wikipedia Commons

I’m sitting at my desk; an email is staring at me on the computer screen:

I couldn’t believe what I just read…

“The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg is now making full-tuition scholarships available to all new full-time, ELCA rostered leader candidates studying in residence.”

I wasn't excited…  I was mad.

Elizabeth and I didn’t get a full-tuition scholarship.  We didn’t qualify.

At one point, I was so angry that I’d resolved to never again make any financial contributions to the institution.

It wasn’t until about a week later, in a conversation with some of my former classmates, that I remembered the partial scholarships I’d received, and all the dessert auctions and fundraisers my sponsoring congregation held on my behalf.  It wasn’t until later that I came to my senses and realized that my education was worth every penny—because God changed my life in those four years.  I met my wife; and now we have Becca.  I’m in a vocation I love, in a church and community I love.  God’s graciousness to future seminarians—and the Church—is not a loss for me.

Yet I see clearly which Prodigal Son I'd be in Jesus’ parable …

The story begins with the youngest of two sons brazenly asking his father for his share of the inheritance even though father is still very much alive.  Surprisingly, the father not only gives him exactly what he wants.  Not surprisingly, the son goes off and squanders his father’s estate, living like a rock star (for a little while), only to end up broke and starving.  The swine he’s tending are eating better than he.

Eventually, in desperation, with nothing to lose, he concocts an apology and heads for home. 

Amazingly, his father was already looking for him.  As soon as he sees his son, he runs to him, embracing him and kissing him. Notice how you hear no harsh words or stern lectures.  Instead, he gives his son the finest robe, a gold ring, and sandals for his feet.  He kills the fatted calf and they feast.  The reason: “my son who was dead is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

But the eldest son isn’t celebrating.  He is enraged—and it's easy to understand why…

He has never been less than 100% faithful to his father.  It isn’t fair that he gets nothing while the idiot son gets treated like a king.

Have you ever been that angry—because someone less deserving gets what is denied to you—or that someone else gets for free what you have to pay for?

I did very recently—and it wasn’t the first time…

The way I see it: if I had to struggle to get what I got, other people should have to struggle like I did. That’s fairness. That’s life.

It angers me profusely to see people doing whatever they want and never having to face the consequences.  If you do the crime, you should do the time. 

But then I realize, it’s because of sin that think of myself as superior over others.  It's sin that makes me angry when I see good things coming to “lesser people.”   God’s been gracious to me, too—and I reject God’s graciousness to someone else, I am rejecting God.

The father owes nothing to the young prodigal son.  He doesn’t owe anything to the elder prodigal son One son is lost in his foolishness, the other in his self-righteousness.  Both are intoxicated by greed and entitlement.  But there’s something more precious to the father than honor, shame, wealth, or even fairness—and that’s the family. Family is first.

This is how God loves the world. None of us deserves to be called God’s child; and none of us can come before God as righteous.  But that doesn’t matter.  We are all God’s children.  If we get lost, God seeks us out.  If we’ve never been in relationship with God; or if we’ve turned away from God, God isn’t keeping score.  God is reconciling the world to himself through the body and blood of Jesus Christ.  That’s it. 

So if you identify yourself as the younger son, take heart—your sins are forgiven.  God is welcoming you back into the family, to give you a brand new life and a brand new start.  You matter!  You belong!

If you identify yourself as the elder son, take heart—you also matter.  You also belong.  Your sins are forgiven.  When you see grace given to someone else, don’t get mad!  Celebrate it as God’s grace given to you!

Life is different in God’s family.  The family values are different.  We don't keep score on who gets more!  In God’s family, nobody gets labeled “prodigal” or undeserving.  We’re not battling each other for our own self-interests, because God takes all of our needs to heart.  We give to one another not on the basis of what is deserved, but what is needed.  If someone’s hungry for food, we make sure they’re fed.  If someone’s hungry for companionship, we make sure they’re included.  If someone has gone astray, we welcome them back and give them a fresh start.

Sooner or later, we all will need the lavish grace that the father gives his younger son.  It's our only hope. 

In God’s family, there’s nothing greater to value than the God who loves and claims us as we are.  In God’s family, broken people are healed and broken relationships are restored as God’s love binds us together.  In God’s, we embrace the future with hope.  Together.