Temptation,
sin and repentance are three big themes in Lent. We are tempted by a variety of things every
day. Temptation gets our attention and,
despite our better judgment, we sin. As
Christians, we are called to the observance of a holy Lent that includes
prayer, fasting, meditation and self-examination. When we are tempted, and when we fall into
sin, hopefully we are self-aware enough to examine our lives and behavior, repent
and return to the Lord.
Today’s
gospel gives us a classic example of temptation, sin and repentance. The younger son was tempted by his share of
the father’s estate. He was tempted by
the possibility of getting out from under his brother’s shadow. He was tempted by visions of freedom. He allowed those temptations to overtake him
and he got caught up in “dissolute living;” or, as it is more commonly known,
“sex and drugs and rock and roll.” In
other words, he fell into sin. And when
he spent time in self-examination while knee deep in pig slop, he repented and
returned to his father.
Upon
seeing his son return, the father welcomes him back into the family, dresses
him in fine clothes, and throws a huge party.
The son is home, the family restored and all is well. This story is one of the most beloved in all
of Scripture.
I
think this is one of the beloved stories in Scripture because we don’t pay
attention to the whole thing. Like the
compilers of the Lectionary leave out uncomfortable passages, we want to edit
out the bit with the older brother and jump right to, “This son of mine was
dead and is alive; was lost and is found!”
But we can’t edit out that part.
After
the happy reunion, the story transitions to the obedient older brother. He is out working in the field when all this
transpires. Nobody comes to tell him his
brother has returned. Nobody tells him
there’s a party going on. He finds out
about all of this by asking one of his slaves.
Everyone forgot about him in the excitement of his brother’s
return. He gets blindsided by both the
news and the reaction: he wasn’t
prepared for the possibility of a return, nor was he prepared for how his
father is acting. Both of these things
take him by surprise.
For
him, the more distressing of these two was the father’s reaction. The irresponsible brother blew his entire
inheritance on drugs, drinking and prostitutes.
As the song says: he had dozens of friends and the fun never ends; that
is, as long as he was buying. Eventually
it all dried up and he went home flat broke; but his dad welcomed him with open
arms. And this is where, and why, the
story gets uncomfortable.
The
older brother is the responsible one.
He’s the one who stayed on the farm.
He’s the one who probably picked up the slack when his brother left. He’s the one who’s making wise
investments. And now, after his loyalty,
after his patience, after continually placing his desires under his father’s
wishes, he has to watch as his irresponsible brother comes home to a hero’s welcome.
Initially
we see the older brother’s behavior as self-centered and petulant. He becomes angry at not being told about the
party. He becomes angry at his father
for throwing a party for his loser-brother.
He becomes angry at his father for allowing himself to be taken
advantage of.
When
dad comes out to invite him in, he refuses.
“How could you?” he demands. “I
have been loyal, responsible and obedient all my life, but you have never given
me so much as a young goat for a celebration.
But now . . . now this loser-son of yours comes dragging his sorry
you-know-what home and you throw the biggest party of the year. How do you think that makes me feel?”
His
self-righteous anger keeps him outside.
His judgment of his brother’s sins keeps him from seeing his brother as
a lost person who desires nothing more than to gain his father’s blessing and
live in a holy, covenanted relationship where he is considered part of the
family. The older son’s refusal to
participate in the younger son’s return to the family ensures that he will no
longer see him as a child of the father, but as nothing more than the sum total
of acquired sins which he finds distasteful.
And because of his self-righteous anger at the father and younger son,
his inability to accept the father’s generous welcome, and his belief that
those he labels “notorious sinners” have no place in the father’s house, the
older son will most likely leave his family and find a new place which holds to
the same stringent rules and which appeals to his sense of judgment and
punishment.
The
story of the prodigal son is one of the most beloved stories in Scripture
because it presents a story of unconditional welcome and love. It presents a story of second chances. It reminds us that the father, our heavenly
Father, loves us with no strings attached.
It reminds us that we, sinners that we are, are always welcome in his
house.
But
the story of the prodigal son is also extremely uncomfortable because we are
also the older brother. It’s easy for us
who attend church regularly and pledge of our time, talent and treasure to see
ourselves as more deserving than people we deem notorious sinners. It’s uncomfortable because we can be just as
self-righteously angry and judgmental as the older brother. It’s uncomfortable because, like the older brother,
we can’t stand the thought of Those
People being welcomed into the Father’s house. It’s uncomfortable because like the older
brother, we are faced with the choice of remaining in our Father’s house and
joining the party because the lost have been found, or we can choose to leave
our family and look for another place that holds to the same stringent rules
and sense of judgment and punishment that we do.
This
story of the prodigal son really isn’t about the prodigal son – it’s about a
generous father and a self-righteous brother.
This story gives us two examples to choose from: a Father who gladly and
happily welcomes everyone into the family just as they are, and a brother who
is more interested in seeing people get what he thinks they deserve over and
above a generous welcome.
Of
these two, which example do you choose to follow?
Amen.
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