by Rev. Canon David B. Tabo-oy
v32But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’ – Luke 15:32
I am sure that if this article is entitled ‘The Prodigal Son’ most would have already opted out and read other parts of this newspaper. The biblical story is so familiar and if you have come to this part you might have started recalling how it was told during your Sunday School and the numerous sermons you’ve heard in the Sunday Masses attended. So familiar focused on the self-centered son who asked of his inheritance in advance and squandered it freely in ‘sky-is-the-limit’ manner. And I am reminded of this anecdote that is also in my article in 2019 and I still find relevance and amusement.
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Norm Linville wrote, “Is there a better picture of forgiveness in the whole Bible? It reminds me of a story about a woman who had upset her pastor because she claimed that she had conversations with God. She had attracted quite a following in the church and everyday people gathered at her house, got on their knees, prayed, sang hymns and listened to her describe what God was saying to her. The pastor thought all this was getting out of hand, so he went to visit her. “I know you say you are talking with God,” he said, “but what you hear talking back at you is just your imagination. Just to prove it, I want you to ask God to name three of the sins that I confessed this morning. Then tell me what God said. If you can name those sins, I’ll believe that you really are talking with God.” The woman sat there for a long while, praying. Then she looked up and said, “I asked God to name your three sins, but God said, ‘I forgot.’”
Oh well, there are two ways of understanding this anecdote: That the ‘woman medium’ is a hoax or that God forgets and forgives our sins.
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The Prodigal Son. This gospel story is one of the best loved stories in the Bible. It tells of a merciful father and his two self-centered sons. The younger who is pasaway in our term today, tells us something about greed and the consequences but also about virtues of humility and repentance. The elder, the good boy according to the set standard, and grumbler, speaks so much about human nature and how easily envy, jealousy and resentment arise when people are treated good. Our gospel story this Sunday starts with the grumblings of the Pharisees and teachers of the law when Jesus had fellowship with tax collectors and other social outcasts. And he told two parables to teach them the ways of God on sinners. The first parable is about the Lost Coin and the second about the Lost Son.
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The second parable is so popular that it would be an understatement that it is not heard by all. And yes songs are composed to tell others about it. It is called the parable of the Lost Son but more popularly known as the Prodigal Son. Emerson called this story, “The most beautiful story in all human literature.” It is a story that never grows old and it is enjoyable every time you hear it. Songs are written about it and every generation has its own remake about this gospel skit. It revolves around three characters: a younger son, his older brother and a father who loves them both. As we revisit this parable, let us keep in mind that the real star of this story is not the prodigal son, but it is the prodigal’s father. The story also tells us about the lost-ness of the other son.
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The star of the story is the father who welcomes his son home without a word of reproach or blame. And if I have my way I would retitle this Bible story to “The Good Father”. Despite of what has transpired, the father cannot change the one basic fact of life. His son is still his son even if that is not mutually shared and recognized. And the father will always receive the son no matter the past. The father’s love never changes even it is not shown according to one’s expression. The father in the story is someone whose love never fails.
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This is the gospel’s message to us this fourth Sunday in Lent. It is about the gracious goodness of God. Despite our sinfulness His arms are always open to welcome us back in his fold just like the hen calling and covering her chicks under her wings in our gospel lesson the other Sunday. Indeed, God never changes. He knows in a way beyond our understanding our weaknesses, our waywardness and even perversity of our human hearts. His love for us remains. He is always willing to forgive.
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Lent is a time of thinking and reflecting how we are living this life. The life God has given us. This is the time for growing in an appreciation of the beautiful and comforting truth that every person has a place in the heart of God as Mr Desmond Knowles puts it. The story of the lost sons popularly known as Prodigal Son is drawn from a real life with existing situations and if we are honest we can see parts of the elder and younger sons in ourselves. We have been wandering, disobedient and selfish children who hold grudges and are unwilling to forgive one another. The gospel tells us what coming home to our Father is really like.
Let us pray.
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down
from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world:
Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in
him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect 4th Sunday in Lent).
