Domes - Our Monthly Newsletter
Dunbar UCC
March 18, 2007
Luke 15:1-3
The Prodigal God
- We’ve heard this story so many times, I’m not going to read it again. I’ll tell it to you instead. But first I’ll warn you. If the Kingdom of God is like this story that Jesus tells, then it’s not like life as we know it.
- There were two sons and a father. The father was probably wealthy because he had slaves and hired hands. The younger son didn’t want to wait for his father to die to get his inheritance -- he wanted it now. He said: “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.”
- According to the Jewish law, the younger son wasn’t entitled to any of the property. It all went to the older son. So if I were the older son, I’d have been resentful right there. Even if the father gave him anything, it was, legally, the older son’s. The father didn’t follow the law, or the tradition, but actually did what the younger son wanted -- he divided his property and gave the younger son his portion. And with that gesture, the older son just lost half of his estate. Wouldn’t you be angry?
- The younger son left home and quickly spent the money. It was probably a large sum -- but he spent it fast. And he wasn’t used to working, or living as a poor person -- so he decided to go back home -- where life was so easy. On his father’s estate, even the slaves had a good life. The younger son hadn’t changed -- he was still looking out for his interests -- he was as selfish as ever. So he went home.
- But even though the younger son was narcissistic and irresponsible, the father was so glad to see him returning that he ran down the road to greet him, hugging and kissing him. He was so happy to have this loser of a son back, that he had a big party, with the best food and wine and desserts. He hired musicians and there was dancing -- it was like a wedding.
- The older son -- responsible, hard working -- was in the field, working, as usual. When a slave told him that the party was for his brother’s return, he was angry. And why not? His brother had just lost half of the estate that was rightfully his, and now the father was throwing an expensive party -- which was being paid for by the older brother! Remember -- the father already divided the estate between the two brothers -- he had nothing. So the older brother had to pay now for his brother’s party. The older brother also had to pay for the younger brother’s expenses because he was living at home again. Anger is probably too mild a word to describe what the older brother must have been feeling.
- And what was the father’s explanation? “Who cares about the money -- your brother was lost and now he’s found. Isn’t that what’s important?” Jesus said that at the final accounting -- none of us will get what he or she deserves. And he called that the Good News.