The Two Prodigals
Sermon
Sermons on the Gospel Readings
Series II, Cycle C
Object:
The relationship between and among siblings is a study both intriguing and challenging. Many of us know the truth here firsthand from the experience of growing up in families. Even if one happens to be an only child, we are brought in touch with brothers and sisters in other families.
A great deal is made of the birth order in a family. For example, the oldest son has traditionally been known as the child who is to make his mark in the world and, in some cases, look after parents and those siblings who are younger. Frequently, the youngest child is seen as "the baby," who gets special privileges.
Oh, yes, we know the dynamics, don't we? Joys and sorrows abound. Successes and failures come and go. Tragedy and triumph are there to see. Who is the most successful? Who does mother/father love the best? Don't tarnish the family name! Close ranks for the sake of family unity.
When we read the stories of the so-called great of this world, often some of the most captivating accounts involve siblings. On the current scene the Bush and Kennedy families receive lots of attention. In a sense we only need to look inside our own to note our curiosity.
The younger son went out and brazenly sowed his wild oats. Was he bored or just wanted to stretch his wings? Perhaps, neither one nor the other is the right answer but the two do point to causes that get people in trouble -- regardless of age or station in life. Haven't we all been there and done that? We just get tired of the "same old same old" and decide that there has to be a better way to live in this world of ours. Boredom over an extended period of time can be almost maddening for enterprising people. Then, doesn't everyone have the right to seek growth situations? We are here to stretch and not atrophy.
How long did it take him to squander his inheritance in sordid living -- days, weeks, months, or years? Apparently, no answer is to be found in the holy scriptures. Frankly, it sounds like it might have taken quite a while. There are similar situations all around us. Who among us cannot cite the young man or woman who headed out with Dad's (or Mom's) money in hand to some exciting place to have a really good time? Perhaps, like the younger son, the venture ends up being experiences of sex, booze, drugs, and the like. Then, it comes time -- broken and downtrodden -- for him/her to come home. The most terribly sad tales are of those who never came home and died in squalor.
The whole idea of sowing wild oats has been deeply ingrained in our culture for generations. It was thought necessary and even a rite of passage, especially for youthful males. For some years, we have witnessed the acceptance of young women also entering into this experience. While our reaction may be negative to both, something far more sinister has come into the picture of today's living. Sowing wild oats may very well continue for a lifetime! Morally, there is no settling in and becoming a decent contributing member of society. Some seem to spend all their days moving from one relationship to another and rationalize it by noting its charm and practicality. Yes, it is past time for us to cry out to God for help!
To die of hunger is a tragedy far beyond what most of us can understand. The media sometimes gives us graphic pictures and more details than suits our temperaments. The younger son is dying of hunger and lives on a level much lower than his father's hired hands. We observe the interplay of both material and spiritual hunger. To the benefit of many, we have learned the two are really closely related. Our blessed Lord tells us to be spiritually right with him is to feed the hungry and he doesn't say just to pass out attractive Bibles! The message is clear and is not always easy for some of us to accept the clarity of it immediately. We can be so engrossed in writing sermons or some other worthy venture, the truth escapes us!
The elder son was consistent, hard working, and faithful. He must have been the epitome of what the firstborn son should do and be. We can look upon him and note that he is likely holding up the good name of the family. He is probably picking up after the mistakes of an aged father and had formerly worked around the younger fellow, who likely had never earned his weight. He was solid as a rock and gave the whole family a sense of stability and security, especially as the father grew older. We don't ask our sons and daughters to emulate the younger son. We say become like the elder son.
So, what is our experience along this line? Perhaps, one of us is the oldest in the family and senses the pressures to be close to perfect for the sake of the family name and ours. It is not an easy role, at least for those known to me. Expectations are high and maybe even impossible in a real world. Those who are conscientious deserve our respect and maybe even our admiration. Some family units owe nearly their entire success to such people. This may be less true today than in yesteryear, but it is still true to some extent. We have known those who earned our sympathy. They tried their best to measure up but just could not do it. Their faltering was more noticeable because, after all, they were supposed to succeed for themselves and others.
When the young wastrel returned, it was reported to the older son. How appropriate! He was out working in the field, just as he had been all his adult years. You could set your clock by a fellow like that and not be disappointed. No doubt the neighbors praised his work ethic and loyalty to his father. We all want children like that, sons or daughters. Yes, it is a matter of pride but also the sense of seeing fulfillment for good in the family. We thank God for them and sing their praises, usually to others. Maybe in this case there just weren't enough open signs of approval. In fact, it sounds like he was being taken for granted. He didn't mind being faithful but why give recognition to his brother, who turned out to be a first-class bum?
Initially, as we read the story, aren't we on the side of the elder son? Early on, it seems mostly an open and shut case of who is right and who is wrong. One fellow is head and shoulders above the other. There is no contest and little or no debate. One keeps the home fires burning and the other shows us his nature is that of a parasite. One knows that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. The other is so morally soft he winds up eating with pigs. There is so much to be said positively about the elder one. In the other case, it is difficult to find something remotely resembling anything positive! Our hats go off to the superior son.
The younger son came into an awareness and did the right thing. He admitted to himself the party was over. It is possible he was so emaciated he was hard to recognize. Maybe that's when he truly came to himself and did so remembering with great fondness and exhilarating appreciation his former life. It had been quite a time of planting pernicious seed and now the harvest was being grievously gathered. He had learned internally and externally that whatever we do in life has a result to it. Yes, he was reaping what he had sown. There was nothing pretty about the picture but there was hope. Why? Because he knew what fatherly goodness was and prepared to go back to it.
In a way, his story is one of all of us. We may not have been promiscuous, sexually or otherwise, but we were far from knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord. There was a void of major proportions. Christ may not have been berated or declared inconsequential, but he may very well have been totally ignored. Yes, and can't we do this in the most marvelously, socially approved ways? We may be eating high-priced steak and drinking fine wine, but somehow cannot get through our heads we need to come home to the Father! It seems to me that Christ is especially concerned about such types because they remain blind and too proud to cry out to the Father.
As he repented and declared that he was no longer worthy to be a son, the angels and all the heavenly hosts must have sung songs of jubilation. Ah, what a time to celebrate a lost son being found! The father is overjoyed and tears must have been streaming down those once sorrowful cheeks. Nothing would be too good for this young prodigal who had been to the far country and now had returned. He was beaten up badly and probably smelled like the pigs that may have been the closest thing to friends he had. A gala event would mark the return of him who had thrown away not only his material resources but himself as well.
So, we have placed before us the story, most likely ours as well, of one who trampled on his inheritance and the good will of his father. We can relate to that! Despite our civilized and sometimes sophisticated ways, you and I are prodigals. The only difference among us is that some have returned home and others have not. It is much like saying all are sinners, some are saved by the grace of God and others are not. To come to oneself in the highest and best sense is a remarkable gift which God enables to happen. It takes humility, sincerity, and honesty to admit our dependent place before God, doesn't it? The prodigal trudges from a foul-smelling pigpen to his father's front yard with flowers blooming, birds singing, and the aroma of forgiveness in the air.
The elder son belittled his brother and did the wrong thing. What's all this music and dancing about? Maybe my father has finally noticed what a good boy I am! Maybe my pet sheep has brought the highest price ever at the livestock market! Maybe my name will appear at last on our biggest grain barn! Maybe my father is presenting me with all that is his and no one else will even be considered! Well, that isn't very complimentary, is it? Is it realistic? Sorry to say, most likely it is because we can perceive his mindset, cold heart, and unforgiving spirit. He had been found out. He was simply being himself.
Obviously, he is not a prodigal and yet he is far from the virtues necessary to forgive his once-decadent brother. But, wait a minute. Wouldn't you be angry, too? Dumb-dumb little brother threw away what his family had accumulated for him. He displayed disdain for the very people, especially his father, who had loved him and supported him. What does anyone owe this degenerate? Oh, yes, unquestionably yes, there is a legitimate point provided here. It would take many adjectives with strong negative tones to describe this guy. When we apply a common standard of fair play, this hedonistic son is a real loser. Who is more justified than the elder in taking offense at the stupidities of a wayward brother?
With the attitude and tone of "Mr. Perfect," the father's heart must be breaking. Yet, he manages to reiterate that his son, who was dead has now come to life. He also affirms the elder son and wants him to know he remains a very important son, who shares in all the father has. The father, even in the face of impudence and unbelievable jealousy, does not reprimand him or even indicate his totally selfish behavior. Are we listening? There really are two prodigals and in our time we are called to live the Christian life in full realization that that's the way things are. Our Heavenly Father pleads with us to learn, and learn well, lessons presented.
Much of the commentary over the generations and even centuries tend to come down on the side of one prodigal son who lived despicably and then revived triumphantly. The elder brother is either something of a nonfactor or a misunderstood fellow caught in unpopular circumstances. Truly, he is also a prodigal and we hope and pray the parable is not the complete story. A more inspiring conclusion would discover he repented of his arrogance and lack of mercy. Furthermore, we long to hear him tell his father that he is grateful for all that has been given him. It would be an inspirational appendage and appear to fulfill a gospel narrative we have known from our earliest days in Sunday school or other forms of Christian education. But we are not authorized to write holy writ!
Two sons and their father are forever with us in seriously living out the faith. Despite the majority viewpoint, both are prodigals. One has returned home and the other is physically home, but not spiritually home. What a story! These fellows have all kinds, sizes, and shapes of problems. One has the humility and sincerity to seek honest solutions. The other wonders why his younger brother can do what he did and get by with it. The difference, of course, is the grace of God. One accepts it and the other doesn't. There is so much of you and me in these fellows. Perhaps we understand ourselves to be above them. Well, look again!
Truly, dear friends, the message is quite clear. Both are in need of the salvation of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now, let's include ourselves and the rest of humankind. To be prodigal sons and daughters is no disgrace. To continue to be -- even when the Holy Spirit pleads with us -- is the major problem of every precious human being. Lent is an exceptional time to fall on our knees and unhurriedly seek the riches of the Christian message, delivered long ago. Yes, softly and tenderly Jesus is calling us home. Yes, oh, gentle Savior, pass me not and hear my humble cry. Yes, he touched me and made me whole. Our days are numbered but praises be to the living God there is today and maybe tomorrow.
A great deal is made of the birth order in a family. For example, the oldest son has traditionally been known as the child who is to make his mark in the world and, in some cases, look after parents and those siblings who are younger. Frequently, the youngest child is seen as "the baby," who gets special privileges.
Oh, yes, we know the dynamics, don't we? Joys and sorrows abound. Successes and failures come and go. Tragedy and triumph are there to see. Who is the most successful? Who does mother/father love the best? Don't tarnish the family name! Close ranks for the sake of family unity.
When we read the stories of the so-called great of this world, often some of the most captivating accounts involve siblings. On the current scene the Bush and Kennedy families receive lots of attention. In a sense we only need to look inside our own to note our curiosity.
The younger son went out and brazenly sowed his wild oats. Was he bored or just wanted to stretch his wings? Perhaps, neither one nor the other is the right answer but the two do point to causes that get people in trouble -- regardless of age or station in life. Haven't we all been there and done that? We just get tired of the "same old same old" and decide that there has to be a better way to live in this world of ours. Boredom over an extended period of time can be almost maddening for enterprising people. Then, doesn't everyone have the right to seek growth situations? We are here to stretch and not atrophy.
How long did it take him to squander his inheritance in sordid living -- days, weeks, months, or years? Apparently, no answer is to be found in the holy scriptures. Frankly, it sounds like it might have taken quite a while. There are similar situations all around us. Who among us cannot cite the young man or woman who headed out with Dad's (or Mom's) money in hand to some exciting place to have a really good time? Perhaps, like the younger son, the venture ends up being experiences of sex, booze, drugs, and the like. Then, it comes time -- broken and downtrodden -- for him/her to come home. The most terribly sad tales are of those who never came home and died in squalor.
The whole idea of sowing wild oats has been deeply ingrained in our culture for generations. It was thought necessary and even a rite of passage, especially for youthful males. For some years, we have witnessed the acceptance of young women also entering into this experience. While our reaction may be negative to both, something far more sinister has come into the picture of today's living. Sowing wild oats may very well continue for a lifetime! Morally, there is no settling in and becoming a decent contributing member of society. Some seem to spend all their days moving from one relationship to another and rationalize it by noting its charm and practicality. Yes, it is past time for us to cry out to God for help!
To die of hunger is a tragedy far beyond what most of us can understand. The media sometimes gives us graphic pictures and more details than suits our temperaments. The younger son is dying of hunger and lives on a level much lower than his father's hired hands. We observe the interplay of both material and spiritual hunger. To the benefit of many, we have learned the two are really closely related. Our blessed Lord tells us to be spiritually right with him is to feed the hungry and he doesn't say just to pass out attractive Bibles! The message is clear and is not always easy for some of us to accept the clarity of it immediately. We can be so engrossed in writing sermons or some other worthy venture, the truth escapes us!
The elder son was consistent, hard working, and faithful. He must have been the epitome of what the firstborn son should do and be. We can look upon him and note that he is likely holding up the good name of the family. He is probably picking up after the mistakes of an aged father and had formerly worked around the younger fellow, who likely had never earned his weight. He was solid as a rock and gave the whole family a sense of stability and security, especially as the father grew older. We don't ask our sons and daughters to emulate the younger son. We say become like the elder son.
So, what is our experience along this line? Perhaps, one of us is the oldest in the family and senses the pressures to be close to perfect for the sake of the family name and ours. It is not an easy role, at least for those known to me. Expectations are high and maybe even impossible in a real world. Those who are conscientious deserve our respect and maybe even our admiration. Some family units owe nearly their entire success to such people. This may be less true today than in yesteryear, but it is still true to some extent. We have known those who earned our sympathy. They tried their best to measure up but just could not do it. Their faltering was more noticeable because, after all, they were supposed to succeed for themselves and others.
When the young wastrel returned, it was reported to the older son. How appropriate! He was out working in the field, just as he had been all his adult years. You could set your clock by a fellow like that and not be disappointed. No doubt the neighbors praised his work ethic and loyalty to his father. We all want children like that, sons or daughters. Yes, it is a matter of pride but also the sense of seeing fulfillment for good in the family. We thank God for them and sing their praises, usually to others. Maybe in this case there just weren't enough open signs of approval. In fact, it sounds like he was being taken for granted. He didn't mind being faithful but why give recognition to his brother, who turned out to be a first-class bum?
Initially, as we read the story, aren't we on the side of the elder son? Early on, it seems mostly an open and shut case of who is right and who is wrong. One fellow is head and shoulders above the other. There is no contest and little or no debate. One keeps the home fires burning and the other shows us his nature is that of a parasite. One knows that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. The other is so morally soft he winds up eating with pigs. There is so much to be said positively about the elder one. In the other case, it is difficult to find something remotely resembling anything positive! Our hats go off to the superior son.
The younger son came into an awareness and did the right thing. He admitted to himself the party was over. It is possible he was so emaciated he was hard to recognize. Maybe that's when he truly came to himself and did so remembering with great fondness and exhilarating appreciation his former life. It had been quite a time of planting pernicious seed and now the harvest was being grievously gathered. He had learned internally and externally that whatever we do in life has a result to it. Yes, he was reaping what he had sown. There was nothing pretty about the picture but there was hope. Why? Because he knew what fatherly goodness was and prepared to go back to it.
In a way, his story is one of all of us. We may not have been promiscuous, sexually or otherwise, but we were far from knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord. There was a void of major proportions. Christ may not have been berated or declared inconsequential, but he may very well have been totally ignored. Yes, and can't we do this in the most marvelously, socially approved ways? We may be eating high-priced steak and drinking fine wine, but somehow cannot get through our heads we need to come home to the Father! It seems to me that Christ is especially concerned about such types because they remain blind and too proud to cry out to the Father.
As he repented and declared that he was no longer worthy to be a son, the angels and all the heavenly hosts must have sung songs of jubilation. Ah, what a time to celebrate a lost son being found! The father is overjoyed and tears must have been streaming down those once sorrowful cheeks. Nothing would be too good for this young prodigal who had been to the far country and now had returned. He was beaten up badly and probably smelled like the pigs that may have been the closest thing to friends he had. A gala event would mark the return of him who had thrown away not only his material resources but himself as well.
So, we have placed before us the story, most likely ours as well, of one who trampled on his inheritance and the good will of his father. We can relate to that! Despite our civilized and sometimes sophisticated ways, you and I are prodigals. The only difference among us is that some have returned home and others have not. It is much like saying all are sinners, some are saved by the grace of God and others are not. To come to oneself in the highest and best sense is a remarkable gift which God enables to happen. It takes humility, sincerity, and honesty to admit our dependent place before God, doesn't it? The prodigal trudges from a foul-smelling pigpen to his father's front yard with flowers blooming, birds singing, and the aroma of forgiveness in the air.
The elder son belittled his brother and did the wrong thing. What's all this music and dancing about? Maybe my father has finally noticed what a good boy I am! Maybe my pet sheep has brought the highest price ever at the livestock market! Maybe my name will appear at last on our biggest grain barn! Maybe my father is presenting me with all that is his and no one else will even be considered! Well, that isn't very complimentary, is it? Is it realistic? Sorry to say, most likely it is because we can perceive his mindset, cold heart, and unforgiving spirit. He had been found out. He was simply being himself.
Obviously, he is not a prodigal and yet he is far from the virtues necessary to forgive his once-decadent brother. But, wait a minute. Wouldn't you be angry, too? Dumb-dumb little brother threw away what his family had accumulated for him. He displayed disdain for the very people, especially his father, who had loved him and supported him. What does anyone owe this degenerate? Oh, yes, unquestionably yes, there is a legitimate point provided here. It would take many adjectives with strong negative tones to describe this guy. When we apply a common standard of fair play, this hedonistic son is a real loser. Who is more justified than the elder in taking offense at the stupidities of a wayward brother?
With the attitude and tone of "Mr. Perfect," the father's heart must be breaking. Yet, he manages to reiterate that his son, who was dead has now come to life. He also affirms the elder son and wants him to know he remains a very important son, who shares in all the father has. The father, even in the face of impudence and unbelievable jealousy, does not reprimand him or even indicate his totally selfish behavior. Are we listening? There really are two prodigals and in our time we are called to live the Christian life in full realization that that's the way things are. Our Heavenly Father pleads with us to learn, and learn well, lessons presented.
Much of the commentary over the generations and even centuries tend to come down on the side of one prodigal son who lived despicably and then revived triumphantly. The elder brother is either something of a nonfactor or a misunderstood fellow caught in unpopular circumstances. Truly, he is also a prodigal and we hope and pray the parable is not the complete story. A more inspiring conclusion would discover he repented of his arrogance and lack of mercy. Furthermore, we long to hear him tell his father that he is grateful for all that has been given him. It would be an inspirational appendage and appear to fulfill a gospel narrative we have known from our earliest days in Sunday school or other forms of Christian education. But we are not authorized to write holy writ!
Two sons and their father are forever with us in seriously living out the faith. Despite the majority viewpoint, both are prodigals. One has returned home and the other is physically home, but not spiritually home. What a story! These fellows have all kinds, sizes, and shapes of problems. One has the humility and sincerity to seek honest solutions. The other wonders why his younger brother can do what he did and get by with it. The difference, of course, is the grace of God. One accepts it and the other doesn't. There is so much of you and me in these fellows. Perhaps we understand ourselves to be above them. Well, look again!
Truly, dear friends, the message is quite clear. Both are in need of the salvation of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now, let's include ourselves and the rest of humankind. To be prodigal sons and daughters is no disgrace. To continue to be -- even when the Holy Spirit pleads with us -- is the major problem of every precious human being. Lent is an exceptional time to fall on our knees and unhurriedly seek the riches of the Christian message, delivered long ago. Yes, softly and tenderly Jesus is calling us home. Yes, oh, gentle Savior, pass me not and hear my humble cry. Yes, he touched me and made me whole. Our days are numbered but praises be to the living God there is today and maybe tomorrow.
