Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Prodigal--An adjective that is used to characterize behavior that is lavishly wasteful, or extravagant.
Clearly, the younger of the two sons fits this characterization in Jesus' parable. He takes his father's financial gift (and I do mean gift here; just because it's an inheritance does not mean he was entitled to it--especially since his father hasn't yet died) and he goes off and lavishly wastes it in what the text calls dissolute living. Clearly this man is about as wasteful as they come with his father's financial gift. Notice, however, the text does not condemn him for wasting money on prostitutes--that's the older brother's statement of judgment against his brother. The text says that he wasted it in dissolute living. In other words, he lived indulgently beyond his means, without adequate maturity of restraint. So, if you are eager to condemn the younger brother, be prepared to face the same condemnation yourself. How's your credit card debt looking these days? Maybe it's time to return to the Father and pray for a little maturity of restraint.
But, then there's the older brother--the so-called good son, the one who stays away from dissolute living. In the parable his prodigal behavior is actually more insidious than his brother. Upon learning that his father is throwing a celebratory feast for his younger brother he is furious. His self-righteous judgment condemns his younger brother in a fit of anger that refuses to forgive his brother and declines his father's invitation to the feast. This brother is also a prodigal son. His younger brother may have been wasteful with the father's finances, but he is wasteful with the father's love. This action breaks the father's heart. The father desires that both of his sons reconcile and celebrate the feast with him. Instead, his elder son refuses to come. So, which of the two prodigals did the most damage? The one who wasted the Father's inheritance, or the one who wasted the Father's love?
Is there someone to whom you need to say "I'm sorry"?
Is there someone with whom you are so angry that you feel like you simply cant forgive them?
In what ways are you a prodigal?
Fortunately, there's a third prodigal character in this parable. It's the prodigal father. His lavish, even extravagant, offering of love and forgiveness--even before the son could say his rehearsed apology--is easily seen as wasteful. The prodigal father offers forgiveness and a feast of love without hearing his son even promise to change. When the older son becomes angry his father reminds him that he desires for him to come, and that the gifts of the father's house are always his. Neither of these sons deserve the feast, nor do they deserve the forgiveness that is showered upon them from the father.
In Twila Paris' song "Lamb of God" the second verse goes like this "Your gift of love we crucified. We laughed and scorned him as he died. The humble king we named a fraud and sacrificed the Lamb of God." Jesus is the Father's gift of amazing grace that we too often take for granted, and waste. But, to us and for us, he died. Because with Easter morning, our Father comes running back to us. Before we can utter our confessions, He embraces us with the undeserved renewing grace of his love that will not die. Then, he invites us to an eternal feast of celebration.
We are all prodigals in one way or another---but thanks be to our prodigal God, who continues to offer his grace even to the likes of us.
Lord God, thank you for your abundant grace. Help me to forgive others. Make me to see the err of my ways. Humble me, that I may apologize to those whom I have offended. Most of all, Lord, thank you for inviting me to join you in your eternal feast of celebration over sin and death. Through Jesus Christ I pray. Amen
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