The 4th Sunday of Lent, March 6, 2016
The parable of the Prodigal Son is only found in Luke 15. It belongs to the three parables that Jesus used to answer the grumblings of Pharisees and the religious leaders that he was associating with sinners and collectors.(Lk.15:12) The first of this triad of parables is the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7) and the second is parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10). These two parables are quite short and similar to one another. They could be seen as an introduction to the third parable-“the parable of the prodigal son”. The structure of these parables revolves around three common elements: something is lost, it is sought and found. The end of it is that the seeker and his friends rejoice and celebrate. This act of rejoicing and celebrating is compared to the joy in heaven over one repentant sinner (Luke 15:7, 10). The central message here is that: a lost sinner who lives a very sinful life can and will be accepted by God through repentance. There is no limit to God’s mercy. His mercy endures forever and triumphs over sin at the end. In the structure of this story of the prodigal son we could see how depraved the prodigal son is. He asked his father for his inheritance early, essentially implying that he wishes his father was dead (Lk. 15:12). Such a request would dishonor the father, and would sever the son from the family, as well as from the community at large. Sin is simply a separation. This is why he took his share and left to a far country. He separated himself from his father, his family and community. One commentator describing this in modern terms says “one might say that he was essentially kicking his father out of the driver’s seat and taking control of the wheel.” He was acting on his own will, in rebellion against the moral and spiritual leadership of his father. At the end he realizes the foolishness of his decisions and the gravity of the sin against his father and Heaven (v. 17). He decided to returns to his father to confess his sin and repent. He humbled himself enough to be his father’s servant (v. 19). The level of transformation that he had undergone is shown in his change of words. At the beginning he said to his father “Father…give me” (v.12). When he came back he said to his father “Father… make me”. (v. 17). This is a sign of total submission to the will of his father, who has the best plan for his children. His father was filled with joy at the return of his son and started to celebrate. This joy and celebration were resented by the older son who refused to rejoice and celebrate with his father at the return of his brother. This could be compared to the resentment of the Pharisees, who resent Jesus’ rejoicing over the lost/sinners who come to Him. Reexamining the attitude of the Self-Righteous Brother In examining the attitude of the self-righteous brother it is important to closely look at the relationship between the two brothers. Notice the words, “this son of yours” (v. 30). The older brother did not see himself in relationship with the younger, but saw them both in the terms of his perception of their relationship to the father in these words “this son of yours” This makes one ponder the question, “Which brother is really lost?” This is typical of the Pharisees who explicitly claim that they are “not like” sinners. (cf. Luke 18:9-14) This alienation from “sinners” was frequently a point of contention between Jesus and the Pharisees. This older brother in the parable may be compared to those who imagine themselves to be close to God because of their external conformity to the law yet neither loves his follow man nor values the love of the father for his fellow man. Such people are not only far from God, but are also far from others. The prodigal son represents, alternatively, a person lost in sin, and a person receiving grace through repentance. The father represents God, giving his son the freedom to choose to sin, but seeking his return and welcoming him as a son when repentance is demonstrated. Let us at this period of lent continue to seek a living and dynamic relationship with God through repentance and to our fellow man through concrete works of mercy and reconciliation.
Fr. Sylvester Ajunwa, Ph.D.