Dearest e-votees,
Our appointed gospel text for this coming Sunday is the beloved parable of a man and his two sons.
If you want to see a powerful song ("When God Ran" by Benny Hester) interpreted in video fashion I would encourage you to check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPen1jQrlhU.
Peace,
Karl
------------
1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus]. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable:
“There was a man who had two sons. 12 The 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. 13 A 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. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But 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! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ 20 So 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. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But 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. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for 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. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But 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. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But 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.’”
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32, NRSV
This text is unique to Luke. It is a deep and evocative picture of the profuse and lavishly given love of God. The father is a God-figure. We are found in and among the brothers. Often people will relate more to one brother or the other. They will find in their own story rebellion, wandering, brash requests, reckless living, moments of desperation and groveling in hopes of a new way and so relate to the younger brother (and also the tax collectors and sinners). Or they will find in their own story faithful service, long-suffering, righteous indignation, unjust favoritism and willful non-repentance and so relate to the elder brother (and also the Pharisees and the scribes). The truth be told we are both younger and older (aka simuls adulescentior et senior).
But the point isn't really about who we are. Or who the sons were. Or who was treated fairly or not. The point is the lavish, relentless, embarrassingly effused love of the father.
The younger son deserved nothing when he came up to dad and said "You're like dead to me. Give me my inheritance." Yet the father lavished his inheritance (1/3 of the estate, his brother as the eldest would receive a double share of 2/3). The son exhausts his inheritance (during famine and, if you believe the elder's assertions, wild living). He comes back trying to find some way to eke out an existence. His father is looking and sees him from far away (his father was looking with the diligence of a shepherd with a missing sheep or a woman who has lost her coin--see verses excised from this Sunday's lesson). I expect his father spent many days looking out across the horizon. When the father sees his son he runs to greet him. This was undignified behavior for a patriarch of a family. Almost as undignified as granting a covetous and disrespectful request from your son. But he runs and when he reaches his son he offers hugs and restoration and disallows a canned statement of apology. He slaughters the fatted calf and bedazzles him with a ring and a robe. And then he throws a party (more expense lavished on a wayward son). The younger son gets not what he deserves but what the father's heart decides to give. It isn't really about the son but about the father.
The elder son catches wind of the party and comes up to the dad. He asserts "I'm like dead to you." He insinuates "You have never given me anything." (untrue) and when "your son" (not "my brother")returns you give him everything (also not true). The father had no obligation to answer to the elder son. It was his money and he could do with it what he wanted. Nonetheless, he pleads with his elder son to come and be part of the party for "your brother" (not "my son") (also rather undignified behavior for a patriarch). He reiterates the punchlines of the lost sheep and lost coin parables. The elder son gets not what he deserves but what the father's heart decides to give. It isn't really about the son but about the father.
If we want to draw something out of this parable for our own lives it is this: "It isn't really about us but about God." We can't wander far enough away to escape God's love. We can't live the good enough life to merit God's love. We are comprised of the shortcomings of both the elder and the younger. God's lavish, reckless, undignified love is for us and for all and it is more than enough. Thanks be to God.
God, thank you for running to us. Help us learn to accept your lavish, reckless and undignified love. Help us learn to lavish reckless and undignified love on all those we encounter. Amen.
Our appointed gospel text for this coming Sunday is the beloved parable of a man and his two sons.
If you want to see a powerful song ("When God Ran" by Benny Hester) interpreted in video fashion I would encourage you to check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPen1jQrlhU.
Peace,
Karl
------------
1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus]. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable:
“There was a man who had two sons. 12 The 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. 13 A 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. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But 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! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ 20 So 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. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But 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. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for 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. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But 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. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But 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.’”
This text is unique to Luke. It is a deep and evocative picture of the profuse and lavishly given love of God. The father is a God-figure. We are found in and among the brothers. Often people will relate more to one brother or the other. They will find in their own story rebellion, wandering, brash requests, reckless living, moments of desperation and groveling in hopes of a new way and so relate to the younger brother (and also the tax collectors and sinners). Or they will find in their own story faithful service, long-suffering, righteous indignation, unjust favoritism and willful non-repentance and so relate to the elder brother (and also the Pharisees and the scribes). The truth be told we are both younger and older (aka simuls adulescentior et senior).
But the point isn't really about who we are. Or who the sons were. Or who was treated fairly or not. The point is the lavish, relentless, embarrassingly effused love of the father.
The younger son deserved nothing when he came up to dad and said "You're like dead to me. Give me my inheritance." Yet the father lavished his inheritance (1/3 of the estate, his brother as the eldest would receive a double share of 2/3). The son exhausts his inheritance (during famine and, if you believe the elder's assertions, wild living). He comes back trying to find some way to eke out an existence. His father is looking and sees him from far away (his father was looking with the diligence of a shepherd with a missing sheep or a woman who has lost her coin--see verses excised from this Sunday's lesson). I expect his father spent many days looking out across the horizon. When the father sees his son he runs to greet him. This was undignified behavior for a patriarch of a family. Almost as undignified as granting a covetous and disrespectful request from your son. But he runs and when he reaches his son he offers hugs and restoration and disallows a canned statement of apology. He slaughters the fatted calf and bedazzles him with a ring and a robe. And then he throws a party (more expense lavished on a wayward son). The younger son gets not what he deserves but what the father's heart decides to give. It isn't really about the son but about the father.
The elder son catches wind of the party and comes up to the dad. He asserts "I'm like dead to you." He insinuates "You have never given me anything." (untrue) and when "your son" (not "my brother")returns you give him everything (also not true). The father had no obligation to answer to the elder son. It was his money and he could do with it what he wanted. Nonetheless, he pleads with his elder son to come and be part of the party for "your brother" (not "my son") (also rather undignified behavior for a patriarch). He reiterates the punchlines of the lost sheep and lost coin parables. The elder son gets not what he deserves but what the father's heart decides to give. It isn't really about the son but about the father.
If we want to draw something out of this parable for our own lives it is this: "It isn't really about us but about God." We can't wander far enough away to escape God's love. We can't live the good enough life to merit God's love. We are comprised of the shortcomings of both the elder and the younger. God's lavish, reckless, undignified love is for us and for all and it is more than enough. Thanks be to God.
God, thank you for running to us. Help us learn to accept your lavish, reckless and undignified love. Help us learn to lavish reckless and undignified love on all those we encounter. Amen.
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