Fourth Sunday of Lent - Sermon and Video -
Video of Divine Service
Isaiah 12:1-6
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.
The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of those biblical stories that has inspired myriad authors and artists. People can easily see others and themselves in this story. In the course of a lifetime some of us may unwittingly play the part of the three characters in different phases of our lives. We may have a few stories about time squandered, and after wising up, we might discover that we somehow become the righteous big brother, and, at another time, we may at some point be overcome with tears of forgiveness and love because the one who went away has finally returned. We really don’t care what they did, we are just relieved and thrilled to have them back.
This parable has universal appeal. I don’t think one has to be religious to appreciate the dynamics at work here. But, if we treat the Parable of the Prodigal Son as simply a human story about our very human ability to create and sustain drama, we will have missed an important lesson here. That lesson is a Good News lesson. Because we are together in church and we are reflecting on this biblical story on the Fourth Sunday in Lent, we do need to hear this for the reasons that Jesus told it.
First off, I want to point out that Jesus actually told three parables in rapid succession as he once again found himself in conflict with the Pharisees and Scribes. The first parable is the Parable of the Lost Sheep. The second is the Parable of the Lost Coin. Those two parables emphasize the tenacity that is required to find that which is lost. And when the lost is found, what a celebration there is. After those two parables, then Jesus proceeds to the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The power of the third parable lies not only in the embrace and reconciliation of the waiting Father of his wayward son, but also the repentance of the foolish younger son. And, there is a profound criticism of the responsible one who is righteously angry, or so he thinks, he is right to be angry.
Second, in order to appreciate why Jesus says what he says, we must pay attention to the first two verses. Who is leaning in so that they can hear Jesus’ preaching? Tax collectors and sinners. In other words, men who can legally take your money as they collaborate with the brutal Roman government. Tax collectors are the rich sinners. The word “sinners” casts a wide net and can be anyone who works for the Romans or other gentiles, women who do not keep a kosher kitchen, the divorced, prostitutes, non-observant Jews, functional agnostics or atheists, thieves, perpetual drunks and other kinds of addicts. Sinners may not know who they are, but the righteous know them. The righteous do not like it that the wrong people are leaning in to listen to God’s Holy Word. The righteous disapprove. As Jesus points out through his parables, the righteous are wrong to disapprove. For it is for the sinner that Jesus becomes incarnate. It is for the sinner that Jesus preaches. It is for the sinner that Jesus takes up the cross. The righteous must learn this.
For those of us who have heard this parable a few times, I suspect that your experience is similar to mine in that certain words or phrases catch your attention more than the last time. The word that caught my attention this time around is the word “squandered.” After the younger son requests his inheritance and gets it, the text says, “Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.”
So, what does “squandered” mean here? The pictures that accompany the children’s books always show a party. No work, no responsibilities, no commitments, just a constant party with ample food, drink, and acquaintances. The younger son spent all his money on living in the moment and for a good time as only one can have it far away from home.
Squandered means all of that and more. Another part of the inheritance that the younger son walked off with is the moral and religious lessons that he learned as he lived in his father’s house. He would have heard about the necessity of keeping God first. Therefore, worship no idols, use God’s name with respect and worshipfully, keep the Sabbath. He also learned the second table of the law. Honor parents, respect life, respect the opposite sex, respect other people and their stuff. Even before the young man left his father’s house, he was squandering the inheritance of his upbringing. He was casting all of that aside for the sake of his own moment, his own pleasure and amusement, to forge his own path.
Who else in the Bible has squandered their upbringing? Adam and Eve certainly squandered their inheritance in the garden. They chose not to live in complete trust of their creator and provider. They bought the lie that they could become wiser than God by eating forbidden fruit.
Cain squandered his inheritance when he let jealousy transform into murderous rage. He killed his brother Abel. He squandered the inheritance of his extended family and the gift of a brother.
The Old Testament lesson is the conclusion of a section that begins in 10:20. Here God addresses Israel through the prophet Isaiah. Israel squandered the inheritance of God’s covenant and protection from other nations when they chose to no longer trust in the Lord God for their well-being. They looked to their own political ingenuity and alliances to shape their own future. They trusted in gods of their own choosing. Of course, it all backfired. They eventually became enslaved by Assyria.
I have no doubt that those who were leaning in and listening to Jesus tell this parable had their own stories of squandering recalled. In our current moment, our broader American culture has its own squandering stories to tell. Time and energy are squandered with anger, resentment, division, and mindless distractions with our many electronic devices.
When we go down the rabbit hole of chasing after our sinful squandering, we can feel hopeless. Any notion of presenting ourselves as heroes before the Lord are dashed.
As Jesus speaks of the younger son’s desperation and solution, a question forms in our minds. Why does the Prodigal Son think that his Father is going to give him the time of day to even hear his request? What makes him think that Dad is going to even let him on the property? What makes him think that his Father is going to allow him to get close enough to make a personal appeal? Shouldn’t the spurned parent simply say through a messenger, you made your bed, now lie in it?
The son knows who he is, but he knows his father is who he is too. He is above all fair and merciful. The son knows His father’s character. His father is trustworthy and good. He will allow the son to live.
The surprise, of course, to those leaning in to hear Jesus’ precious words, is that the waiting Father is much more than the son could possibly hope for. The prodigal son never really knew his Father at all. The Father desires reconciliation. The Father yearns to offer forgiveness. The Father wants to express mercy of the most significant kind. When the son comes home with a contrite spirit and words of sorrow begging for a simple place to live, the Father restores him to his rightful place in the household. This is my son. Let’s celebrate. The lost son has come home.
You know, this is not the kind of message that the tax collectors and the sinners hear from those that speak for God. The message they hear is condemnation, keep away, you are not even worthy to hear God’s words. Leave!
When those tax collectors and sinners keep leaning in to hear what Jesus has to say, they will learn that the Father has always been more than what they thought or were told. The Father is righteous. The Father is merciful. When Adam and Eve squandered their inheritance, God gave them life in a different place and equipped them for it. When Cain squandered his inheritance of family and brother, God spared his life. When Israel squandered the inheritance of God’s covenant and promise of protection, God made a way to receive them back.
Knowing that we will always squander the inheritance that God our heavenly Father has given us, he gave us Jesus, who will not squander a thing, but die on a cross, so that He can declare us righteous, beloved, sons and daughters of His kingdom. And the squandering for which we repent are remembered no more.
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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