Homecoming

Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 18, 2007

QUESTION: At the end of the story of the prodigal son,
who felt the worst of all?
ANSWER: The fattened calf!


The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Lent is one of the most celebrated stories of Luke's Gospel and of all four Gospels. Everything in the parable of the prodigal son is surprising; no one had never portrayed God in this way.

This parable has touched more hearts than all the sermons that have been preached put together. It has an incredible power to act on the mind, the heart, the imagination, and memory. It is able to touch our humanity by repentance, shame, nostalgia.

The theme of the parable is the unconditional love of God. Also, it has the theme of the Joy of God for a repentant sinner… the joy of homecoming.

There are three main characters in parables addressed by Jesus to the Pharisees...

The Son
The youngest son, like many young people, was longing for freedom, he wanted to be independent. He thought he would be responsible enough being away from home, being free. He wanted to prove the world that he can live on his own. The son knew the comfort and security he would have if he would stay with his father, but the thought of his own money and freedom was very attractive.

He asked for what he thought he deserved, and the Father let him have it. Instead of the glamorous life he thought he would have, after the initial fun he ended up having to work with pigs just to barely survive. To a Jew, this was the ultimate disgrace, for pigs are considered the uncleanest of animals.

He came to senses, he decided to come back to his Father. But his motive is not really to reconcile with his Father. He never thinks of the humiliation of he caused his Father or the anger he caused his elder brother, his only concern is his own survival – his empty stomach! He says to himself, How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father. He tries to memorize a speech that he’s going to say to his father to make him believe he’s sorry, he is afraid that he will not be welcomed anymore.

But then look at what happens when he returns to his father... Despite everything he is not driven away....His father was so overjoyed at his return he didn't even wait for his son to get all the way back...he ran out and met him! When the son recites his memorized speech, his father won’t let him continue. His father is busy hugging him, calling for the finest robe in the house, a ring for the young man’s finger, sandals for his feet, and a huge banquet of celebration.

The good Father understands. He is overcome with joy that his young boy came home. "Let us eat and make merry, for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.

The Forgiving Father
Jesus wants to assure us that God our Father is always there for us. The parable shows how much God wishes the return of the sinner and with what goodness he prepares to welcome us. He will not deny us if we come to Him, and He will not shame us for our past actions when we do. God holds us so close to his heart that he is willing to take the losses we inflict. Even when we join forces with evil in the world God waits and prays and welcomes us back with open arms, sins and all.

The Self-Righteous Son
The elder son in the story is a self-righteous person. He is a type of the Pharisees. He represents the hardness of the Scribes and Pharisess who have no idea of God’s mercy with sinners.

The elder Son sees his father’s forgiveness with proud envy. When his Father throw a party for his younger brother, “he became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.” His words to his Father are disrespecting and he has contempt for his younger brother, calling him not his brother, but the son of his father. The elder son says, Look all these years I served you and not once did I disobey you orders yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on my friends...but when your son returns who spent all your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf..”

The Father never raise his voice, he speaks with gentleness and understanding, he said to him, My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.

The father is the symbol of perfect lover. His qualities as loving, forgiving and understanding parent makes the message of Lent clear: be reconciled to God.

Let us be confident that our loving Father welcomes us with an open arms.. His love is manifested through his Son, Jesus Christ, whose arms are wide open hanging on the Cross.

God is our first and true love, let us now return to him… Amen