Fourth Sunday of Lent (C)

Readings:

1. Joshua 5.9a, 10-12
   Psalm 34. 2-3, 4-5, 6-7 Response:  “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
2. 2 Corinthians 5.17-21
3. Luke 15.1-3, 11-32

[Note:  Many parishes use the readings from Cycle A during Lent.  In that case, the gospel would be John 9.1-41, the story of Jesus and the man born blind.]

Reflections on the Gospel Reading

Lost and Found

Today we listen to one of Jesus’ most famous parables.  We marvel at Luke’s artistry as he places on the lips of Jesus a story that has ignited the religious imagination of countless listeners over almost two millennia.¹  Although commonly called the parable of the Prodigal Son, the center of attention is the father.  Perhaps the parable should be called “The Loving Father and His Two Lost Sons.”

The first two verses set the stage for three parables that stress the sorrow of losing and the joy of finding again.  (The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin are omitted in this Sunday’s reading.)  In Luke’s setting of the parables Jesus is reacting to the Scribes and Pharisees.  Instead of being overjoyed that tax collectors and sinners were listening to the message of Jesus and welcoming the reign of God, they complained, just as the people complained against Moses.  (See, for example, Exodus 15.24.)

Before we are too quick to condemn the Scribes and the Pharisees we should put ourselves in their place.  Today’s gospel challenges us as church.  How much joy do we find in the conversion of “sinners?”  How often do we hear expressions of satisfaction that a criminal got what he or she deserved?  How often do we actually complain when someone “gets off easy?”  How welcoming are we as a community to people who have been away from the church for a long time?  In what ways do we positively welcome them to the table of the Lord?

To realize the full impact of this magnificent parable, we need to spend some time on the details of the story in the cultural context of the first century Mediterranean world.

The Younger Son’s Sin

First, let’s look at the younger son.  What did he do and what were the results?  When the younger son, probably a teenager, asked for his share of his father’s estate, it was equivalent to saying:  “I wish you were dead!”  Surprisingly, the father complied and designated one third of his property for the younger son and two thirds for the older son.  It appears that although the sons became owners, the father had the right to all the proceeds from the property until his death.

In essence, then, the younger son converted his inheritance rights into cash and took off for a gentile country, ignoring his duty to care for his father until he died.  It is hard to conceive of a greater dishonor to his father.

Before long he had squandered his money and ended up tending swine, about as low as an Israelite could go.  This turned out to be the moment of healing and grace, the moment of conversion.  He came to his senses and decided to return, apologize, and catch on as a day laborer at his father’s estate.  He braced himself for the anger and shame that would be heaped upon him by his father, brother, and the whole village.

In describing the younger son’s conversion Luke twice uses the Greek word for “getting up,” anastas.  It is the same word Luke uses to describe the effects of Jesus’ healings, Mary’s action in setting off to visit Elizabeth, and the resurrection itself.  Instead of groveling in remorse and self-pity, the younger son got up and went into action.

The Father’s Response

The father’s reaction is a stunning portrayal of completely counter-cultural behavior.  Far from sulking in wounded pride, he is filled with compassion.  He seizes the initiative to protect his son from the wrath of the village and his son’s brother.  The fact that he catches sight of his younger son while he was still far off indicates that he had never stopped looking for him to return.  He runs out to meet his son, hardly a dignified thing to do.  He embraces and kisses him as a sign of forgiveness.  He cuts off his son’s speech at the point where he was going to ask to be a hired hand.

Rather than shame his son, he showers him with signs of honor.  He gives him “the first robe,” probably his own; he places a ring of authority on his finger; he puts sandals on his feet to distinguish him from the slaves who go barefooted; and he throws a party for the whole village.  A fatted calf could feed up to one hundred people!  It will be clear to all that the young man has been restored to the honor of being his son.

The Older Son’s Sin

The older son also dishonored his father.  To begin with he didn’t object to the division of the property.  As the older son he should have objected, tried to dissuade his brother, or at the very least refused to accept the division.  Acquiescing to his brother’s demand dishonored his father.

Once he learned of the village party to honor his brother Luke tells us he became angry.  Unlike his younger brother, he refuses to move toward his father, forcing his father to come out to him.  He begins his tirade against his father with no respectful title of address.  He likens his years of service and obedience to slavery; he accuses his brother of consorting with prostitutes; he won’t even use the word “brother,” thus casting an aspersion on both his parents; and he embarrasses his father in earshot of all the guests by comparing what his father has not done for him with how much he is doing for his wayward brother.  Again, it is hard to imagine more insulting behavior.

The Father’s Response

Luke doesn’t refer directly to the father’s compassion for his older son as he does for the younger son.  However, ignoring the snub he received, the father addresses his older son with the affectionate term teknon, “my child,” a form of address that he did not use for the younger son.  When the father says, “You are here with me always.” one can almost see him placing his hand over his heart.  Finally, the father reminds his older son that he is his only heir.  Everything the father owns outright will go to the older son when the father dies.  No onlooker would have any doubt about how precious the older son was to his father.

The Moral of the Story

Luke ends the story there.  We are still waiting for the sequel.  We would like to know how the older brother reacted.  Did he embrace his brother?  Did he stuff his anger for the time being and get revenge later?  How did he treat his brother after his father died?  We don’t need to know, because Luke has already made his point.  God is like a parent whose love for her/his children is scandalously generous, absolutely prodigal.

This parable challenges us members of the Christian community.  Do we believe that God is more like a prodigal parent than a stern and demanding judge?  Are we ready to rise up and return to such a God?  Are we prepared to imitate God’s forgiving love?  Do we mean it when we pray:  Forgive us our sins [against you] as we forgive those who sin against us?  These are questions well worth pondering in this season of Lent.

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In preparing these reflections, in addition to the biblical texts, I consulted the following works:

Fitzmyer 1985 – Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke X-XXIV: Introduction, Translation, and Notes (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1985), PP. 1071-1094.

Johnson 1991 – Luke Timothy Johnson, The Gospel of Luke, Sacra Pagina Series Volume 3, A Michael Glazier Book (Collegeville, MN:  The Liturgical Press, 1991), pp. 234-242.

Kemp 2001 – Carrie Kemp, Catholics Can Come Home Again!  (New York:  Paulist Press, 2001), passim.

LaVerdier 1990 – Eugene, LaVerdier, S.S.S., Luke.  New Testament Message, Volume 5.  A Michael Glazier Book  (Collegeville, MN:  The Liturgical Press, 1990), pp. 197-204.

Malin & Rohrbaugh 1992 – Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels  (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1992), pp. 369-373.

Meier 2016 – John P. Meier, A Marginal Jew:  Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Volume Five:  Probing the Authenticity of the Parables (New Haven:  Yale University Press, 2016)

Pilch 1997 – John J. Pilch, The Cultural World of Jesus, Sunday by Sunday,  Cycle  C .  A Liturgical Press Book (Collegeville, MN:  The Liturgical Press, 1997), pp. 58-60 and 136-138.

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