We all know the story of the prodigal son and how the son wants his inheritance, and when he gets it he goes off and squanders all his money on living…
The 15th chapter of the gospel of Luke is about repentance. The story of the son is about him getting what he thought he wanted, and then figuring out he really screwed up and repented about his decision. Now is that really all the story is about. I am not saying that the son did not repent, but is that really all the story is about. What about the older son, or the stories that come before of the lost sheep or the lost coin. How does the older son repent? How does a sheep repent? How does a coin repent?
A sheep repents by saying, “sorry I’ve been baaaaaaad.” And a coin repents by saying, “I promise I’ll change.” Ok bad jokes, but really I have heard this chapter is about repentance, and to me it really does not fit.”
The story is not about the younger son either… The story of the prodigal son starts, “Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons.” It does not say, “then Jesus said, “there was a younger son who had a father and an older brother…” It clearly says, “There was a man who had two sons…” It is about a man, the father. It is not about the son, and what he did or did not do. The story of the prodigal son in my opinion, should be called the Loving Father. It is about how the father dishonors himself, first in giving what the younger son asks for, saying that he is dead to his son, then running to his son, and giving him a ring, sandals, a robe, and then going out to get the older son…
And what about the lost sheep, and the lost coin… They are not about the sheep or the coin. The stories are about the shepherd and the woman.
However is this where this story ends? The great thing about the Bible and texts in it is they are living breathing texts that give us something new each and every time we read them…
This year around on this story I heard the older son saying, “that son of yours…” and then the father turns it around on the older son by saying, “your brother…” It is not just about the loving father who runs to us and goes way beyond what he should to get us back after we leave home, but it is about the community that is around the story. Also on the Good Shepherd and the woman with the money is they invite others to come and celebrate with them that what was lost, now has been found. And the older brother is a vital part of the story. He is the part of the story that comes in and says why is he here. It is the story of when you die and you stand at the gates of Heaven with St. Peter, and look over his shoulder into heaven, and see the person that really did you wrong, and you ask, “why are they in there?” Are you not going to go into heaven because of this? There are people everywhere that we wonder why they are here, but we still need to be in relationship, and we are a part of the body, if all of the body is not there then it is not complete. We are our brother’s and sister’s keepers… We can not push our interpretations and laws on all our brothers and sisters though, we need to love them where they are and let it go at that. We are called to love, and accept them even in there sin… Your brother needs you. Celebrate that what was lost has been found, by the loving father who also found you.
aSacredRebel 