03262022 – Luke 15. 1-32
The story of the “prodigal son” in Luke 15 – is the “quintessential story” of reconciliation in the Early Christian Writings.
It is the story of A FATHER that has TWO SONS. (I don’t know about you, but I immediately think of Adam, and of the Cain and Abel story.) Brothers just do not do fare well in the Holy Scriptures!
The younger son asks for his SHARE of the inheritance while his father is “STILL ALIVE AND KICKING,” a GRAVE, and MAJOR insult, being TOTALLY RUDE, insulting, ungracious, irreverent, to the point of being abusive and completely DISRESPECTFUL.
The way the story is told, the dad DIVIDES UP – ALL THAT HE HAS. That’s kind of important. Everything.
“EVERYTHING,” that means, the old man’s got nothing left for himself. He is indigent, poor, pauperized, impoverished, and broke. His boys OWN it ALL. For all intents and purposes the father is “completely destitute.”
Yet, the father GRANTS what his youngest son REQUESTS and the prodigal son, takes off to UNKNOWN far-away places, without a care in the world, no doubt – “following his dream,” and ends up “blowing ALL of his resources” in the process.
He actually squanders IT ALL, on GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT it could have been spent on wine, women, and song…but then again, maybe not. We’re not actually told.
Whatever, that’s a dumb distraction…any way…
The point being, the SON winds up bankrupt, hungry, and feeding SLOP to pigs… Poor Kid!
Don’t forget pigs are “UNCLEAN” for Jews, and always have been since the days of the book of Leviticus.
They cannot eat pork, so evidentially wherever the son is, he is in a NON-JEWISH region. And he (himself) should be considered “ritually unclean.”
When that SLOP begins to look APPETIZING and GOOD enough to eat, he “begins” to come to his SENSES.
MAYBE it’s time, to swallow some of that “OLD PRIDE”…and to APOLOGIZE and to beg for some FORGIVENESS, for being such a jerk. Ya think?
He had probably better return to his father GROVELING on hands and knees…begging for forgiveness or SOMETHING…perhaps EVEN pleading “temporary insanity” on his part.
For, he reasons, or plots and schemes, it would be BETTER to be a SERVANT OR a SLAVE in his father’s house than to be here…where he currently finds himself.
So “the kid” resolves to RETURN BACK TO THE FATHER.
(You do remember of course, that a major Lenten theme is that of returning to the Lord our God, drawing closer to him.) So, the cool thing is – this is actually played out in the story that Jesus tells.
So, as the kid walks up the pathway to his village, full of FEAR and TREPIDATION, the father RUNS OUT to MEET & GREET him, (while he is still a long way off) and embraces him PUBLICLY FOR ALL TO SEE (as a sign of acceptance) clothes his with a robe and ring, and throws him a MAJOR party, RESTORING HIM to his FORMER relationship with his father and to the entire household.
It is an EXTRAORDINARY IMAGE of A RECONCILING and FORGIVING God.
(We have to remember and not lose sight of the fact, the reason Jesus was telling this story to begin with – IS BECAUSE the HIGHBROWS don’t like the fact that Jesus associates with lowlife’s.)
The father is now made “ritually unclean” and his entire household along with him by his son.
When it comes to HONOR AND SHAME: The father is shamed. Both sons are shamed. The Prodigal is shamed. And now the father is shamed again. Shame on you all. Shame, Shame, Shame, (in the best Gomer Pyle voice there is…)
The “old neighborhood” is going to have plenty to talk about tonight! They are ALL a bunch of losers. ALL of them are bringing down the entire village in which they reside.
There is NOT any honor whatsoever in this household. They are ALL lowlifes!
The Father has to beg, plead, beseech, and implore his older son to join in the family-household-festivities. Talk about your messed up, toxic, dysfunctional households! But returning to the Father matters…
Oh, those neighbors are gonna talk…
The father tries reasoning with his older son…And, we are never told of the outcome.
What we are told IS that there CAN BE forgiveness, reconciliation and a letting go of resentment and of the desire for vengeance. A relationship CAN BE restored again. And that’s what happens whenever WE return to God.
Amen.