Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
In my re-reading of the parable of the prodigal son – or more accurately, the loving father – I was reminded of a story I heard 10 years ago from a teacher’s assistant in my systematic theology class. Our topic for the day was grace. Dave shared about one Reformation Sunday when he really wasn’t feeling the pomp and circumstance of the day, so out of spite or against his better judgment, he preached the most basic sermon on sin and forgiveness that he could think of. And, of course, it turned out to be one of his most warmly received sermons. As he put it in a recent email to me confirming the details of the story, “Shows how people respond to a message of forgiveness!”
Perhaps the moment is right for preachers to offer our versions of the most basic sermon on sin and forgiveness. In this time of upheaval, we need to hear the heartbeat of the gospel: that when we turn from sin and return to God, God rushes to welcome us with open arms. Redemption is possible, even for this younger brother who has wandered just about as far away from home as he could go, squandering away all that the father generously, perhaps even foolishly, entrusted to him. In these days when we wonder how we will put our country back together, the promise of reconciled relationship when we turn from sin is hope we need to hear.
We also need to hear the father pleading with his older son, who keeps himself at arm’s length from the celebration of the younger brother’s return. Not only does the older brother refuse to come to the party, he refers to his brother as “this son of yours,” denying his sibling relationship with the one who has just returned home. The father, urging the older brother to join the feast, stresses their bond: “We had to celebrate and rejoice because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life.” As we struggle with deep divisions in our nation, God invites us to remember that even the people whose actions we abhor are our siblings. And even those of us who feel sure of our righteousness can be hard-hearted and callous.
God calls us all, both older brother and younger brother types, to turn from isolation and into relationships with each other.
Questions for reflection on Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32:
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Where do you see signs of redemption happening around you? People turning to community, asking for and receiving forgiveness, moving towards the wholeness God desires for all of us?
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In his commentary on this passage, Fred Craddock writes: “Like an explained joke, an explained parable violates the listener.” But he also notes that filling in historical context can help the listener more clearly hear the parable. What historical details could help your listeners hear this familiar story afresh?
- The father invites the older brother to participate in his joy at the younger brother’s return. How can you invite your congregation to participate in joy in this difficult time in the life of the world? What difference does joy make when we are struggling?
View the corresponding Order of Worship for the Fourth Sunday in Lent
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