Sermon: The Prodigal Son (or Sons); Luke 15:11-32

Sermon for Lent IV C, Revised Common Lectionary
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster on 10 March, MMXIII
Luke 15:11-32

A Tale of Two Brothers

Today’s Gospel lesson is part of a larger series of parables Jesus told to illustrate the effusive and incredible scope of God’s love for us. He spoke to a mixed audience, which included both observant Jews and shall we say, those who were not so observant. The question arose during the discourse about Jesus’ habit of mingling with “sinners” who were certainly included among those who were less than observant. What we usually call “the parable of the prodigal son” constitutes the bulk of our Lord’s answer to those assembled that day. But when we focus on “the prodigal” son who fell into rebellion and sin, we miss a good half of the parable. In the second part of the story, we see the rather justified if hard hearted response of “big brother” to “little brother’s” return. It is in the combination of these two men that we more perfectly know God’s love and expectation for those who call upon his Name. And the lesson is just as true for us as it was for them two millennia ago.

As we start our consideration of the text, it is essential to note that the Father, who doubtless represents God in this passage, calls both boys his sons. This is important, because there is a tendency to treat this parable as two, and to look only at the half which makes our point, which is often as political as it is religious in nature. It is essential for us as Christians to consider the whole of God’s teaching if we are to follow him as he would have us to do.

One school of Christian thought, I will call those who adhere to it “the responsibility and order crowd,” considers primarily the first part of the parable. It maintains that all of those undisciplined, lazy, irresponsible, rebellious, and selfish people who walk apart from God need to admit that they are wrong, humble themselves, ask forgiveness, and change their ways. All of that is true. The second school of thought, which I will call “the sensitive, caring, peace and justice crowd,” considers the second half of the parable. It maintains that the older brother, the one who goes to temple and synagogue, keeps the holiness portion of the law, and does not gamble, smoke, drink, or kiss girls who do; has missed the whole point of the law by being hard hearted and mean spirited. He needs to admit that he is wrong, humble himself, ask forgiveness, and change his ways. All of that is true. The problem with the two schools of thought is that they only read what supports their own political outlook and social agenda. The first despises the poor and the second hates the rich. God on the other hand loves all people, and calls us all to worry about the beams in our own eyes before we move on to the speck of dust in the eye of our neighbor. I think it is especially important that we look at the reality of the fact that God’s word is for all people today, and that Jesus doesn’t single out the rich or the poor, the haves or the have not’s, in his teaching about God’s love, or about loving each other if we are to love him. If you are in the fabled “one percent” today (or aspire to be) and bear the Name of Jesus Christ, you are called by Jesus to love and understand the 47% who the politicians of your ilk say would never vote to your liking. If your heart is cast with those whom you believe have been marginalized by oppressive policies and institutions, or if you believe yourself to be among the marginalized, and if you bear the Name of Jesus Christ, you are called to reject the call to denounce and abhor what demagogues call the 1% and those whom you believe mistakenly support their unjust and oppressive practices and institutions.

God does not give us the option of loving one class of people and rejecting another. He does not allow us the indulgence of lionizing one group and demonizing another. That Jesus has the Father calling both brothers “his sons” calls you and me to realize that no one is beyond The Father’s love, and that we all have some changing to do. But what is the nature of that change? It is after all still Lent.

First, if you have a tendency to be like little brother, that is, you are the life of the party and never met a stranger, but you play loose and free with chastity, or taking care of your body, or being responsible with money or property or power entrusted to you, or with your broader responsibility to your family, or your employer, or nation, then learn from little brother in the story. Like someone in a good twelve step program, he realized that he was trapped in sin, saw he couldn’t fix it himself, came home, said he was sorry, exhibited true humility and stated his intent to not do again what he had done before. That is the expectation that God the Father has for us all. We call it the Expectation of Holiness, or Obedience.

But if you are more like big brother, that is you are always responsible, and in church, and you coach or volunteer at the school, and your bills are always paid on time, and you mow your grass to maintain property values in the neighborhood; but you are unforgiving, and judgmental, and unwilling to give a person another chance, then learn from what the story has to say about big brother. Learn to color your responsibility with mercy and start passing on to others a bit of the grace that God gave to you. Come down off of your high horse and admit in humility that Jesus died that we all might be saved, and start acting a bit more like Jesus in your relations with other people. That is the expectation of God the Father for us all. We call it the Expectation of Love, or Grace.

That’s about it for today. It doesn’t take a lot of thought or introspection for most of us to know what we need to work on. Actually, most of us probably have a bit of both brothers in us. While the Bible doesn’t say, I’ve always hoped that both boys grew up to be more like their father. Because that has always been God’s desire, that we would be more like him, living lives characterized by Love and by Holiness, by Obedience and by Grace.

Let us pray. “Heavenly Father, enable us to move beyond our presuppositions and agendas, beyond politics and philosophy, to consider the whole counsel of God. Make us ever to be humble and obedient, loving and gracious, and let us demonstrate to all the world what your love is like by how we love each other, and how we live in responsible obedience to your commands. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. AMEN.