Today we encounter arguably the most famous story Jesus ever told: The Parable of the Prodigal Son. But it’s really a story of two sons and...
Today we encounter arguably the most famous story Jesus ever told: The Parable of the Prodigal Son. But it’s really a story of two sons and one incredibly merciful Father.
The younger son seeks a "false freedom." He asks for his inheritance (basically telling his father, "I wish you were dead") and squanders it. When he hits rock bottom, he decides to Return, not out of love, but out of hunger. Yet, while he is still a long way off, the Father runs to him. In the ancient world, a nobleman never ran—it was undignified. But the Father’s love is greater than His dignity. He replaces the son's rags with a robe and starts the Rejoicing.
Then there is the elder son. He has stayed home and worked hard, but his heart is far away. He is filled with Resentment. He refuses to go into the party. He calls his brother "this son of yours," refusing to even acknowledge him as a brother.
The Father goes out to him too. He pleads with him: "Everything I have is yours."
As Micah says in the first reading, "Who is a God like you, who removes guilt... and will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins?"
Where are you in this story today? Are you the younger son, needing to come home from a "far country" of sin? Or are you the elder son, needing to let go of bitterness and judgment? The Father is standing outside, waiting for both of you. He wants to mend the family. He wants the party to be complete. Come inside and join the joy.
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