Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 14, 2010
Reflection by Pastor Macholz
Introduction
The psalm sets the tone this day: "Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away!" Happy are those who have "become the righteousness of God" in the merits of Christ Jesus. Happy are those for whom the forgiveness of God has "rolled away ... the disgrace" of former times. Happy is the father at the return of his prodigal son. Happy are we that our sins are forgiven for Jesus' sake. Rejoice!
Prayer of the day
God of compassion, you welcome the wayward, and you embrace us all with your mercy. By our baptism clothe us with garments of your grace, and feed us at the table of your love, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
FIRST LESSON Joshua 5:9-12
By celebrating the Passover and eating the produce of the promised land instead of the miraculous manna that had sustained them in the desert, the Israelites symbolically bring their forty years of wilderness wandering to an end at Gilgal.
{9} The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of
Psalm 32
1 Happy are they whose transgressions | are forgiven
and whose sin is | put away!
2 Happy are they to whom the Lord im | putes no guilt,
and in whose spirit there | is no guile!
3 While I held my tongue, my bones with | ered away,
because of my groaning | all day long.
4 For your hand was heavy upon me | day and night;
my moisture was dried up as in the | heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my | sin to you,
and did not con | ceal my guilt.
6 I said, "I will confess my transgressions | to the Lord."
Then you forgave me the guilt | of my sin.
7 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in | time of trouble;
when the great waters overflow, they | shall not reach them.
8 You are my hiding-place; you preserve | me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts | of deliverance.
9 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that | you should go;
I will guide you | with my eye.
10 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no | understanding;
who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will | not stay near you."
11 Great are the tribulations | of the wicked;
but mercy embraces those who trust | in the Lord.
12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice | in the Lord;
shout for joy, all who are | true of heart.
SECOND LESSON 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
In Jesus’ death on the cross, God works to persuade us of divine love, so that we might be reconciled to God. As part of God’s new creation, we are challenged to share with others the good news of our reconciled relationship with God.
{16} From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. {17} So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! {18} All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; {19} that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. {20} So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. {21} For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
GOSPEL Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Jesus tells a story about a son who discovers his father’s love only when he walks away from it. But the father’s grace is also a crisis for an older brother, who thought that by his obedience he had earned a place in the father’s home.
{1} Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. {2} And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." {3} So he told them this parable: {11} "There was a man who had two sons. {12} The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. {13} A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. {14} When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. {15} So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. {16} He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. {17} But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! {18} I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; {19} I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' {20} So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. {21} Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' {22} But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. {23} And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; {24} for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. {25} "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. {26} He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. {27} He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' {28} Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. {29} But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. {30} But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' {31} Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. {32} But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"
REFLECTION
Charles Dickens called the Prodigal Son the ‘greatest story ever told’. Quite an accolade from quite a writer. Having said that, is the title of the parable truly reflective of its content? In reading through some material for this text earlier today one author suggested that the parable might better be titled “A Father and Two Sons” or “A Father Loses Two Sons.”
This parable is packed with action, drama and surprises around every corner. The son who got lost was found by the father in a very unexpected way; unexpected because this younger son came home to seek a position as a hired hand and work his way back into his father’s graces. Never in his wildest imaginings could he have conceived of being returned to status not only of a son but also welcomed in such fashion!
The father apparently is sitting on the front porch waiting for his son to return when he sees him and runs to him, embracing him and changing his life for ever. He dresses him in the finest clothing and throws a big bash for him, a bash which the older son approaches with great hesitation and anger. He’s been working his fingers to the bone and never so much got a goat for his friends, to say nothing of a fatted calf! His anger appears justified.
Yet, what is perhaps most interesting in the story is where we find ourselves. What role do you play? Father? Younger Son? Older Son?
We are quick to condemn those who waste resources, who stand outside the boundaries of what we understand the church to be, who don’t fit our neat little descriptions of who God’s children truly are. If they don’t look like us or act like us we approach with great caution and care.
Like the older son we often reflect on what we have done, our faithfulness to the church and our work ethic and when someone breaks those stereotypes we grow furious.
Maybe where we should truly land is at the party the father throws. Note the theme of great rejoicing, not only in this parable but in the parables preceding it as well. There is great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.
This all starts of course because the Scribes and Pharisees are critical of the fact that Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners. Who’s sitting at your dinner table these days?
LET US PRAY
To be people who rejoice when the lost are found
To search out those in need and embrace them with joy
For hearts wide enough to accept those who are different than us
For our enemies
With thanksgiving for God’s loving embrace
QUOTE
“Never cease loving a person, and never give up hope for him, for even the prodigal son who had fallen most low, could still be saved; the bitterest enemy and also he who was your friend could again be your friend; love that has grown cold can kindle” Soren Kierkegaard
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