Scripture: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Series: Lent
God’s reconciliation through Christ is unconditional and complete — like the father who runs to embrace the prodigal — and those reconciled are in turn sent out as ambassadors to reconcile others.
Illustrations: tax-collectors-idolatrous-coins, jesus-as-your-child, meditation-as-prodigal-son, meditation-as-father, meditation-as-older-sibling, splanchnizomai-bowels
March 30
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11-14
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 no longer know him in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 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. 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. For our sake God made the one who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
“Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable…Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 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. 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. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need.”- Luke 15:1-3,11-14 NRSV
Today’s reading is the famous parable of the prodigal son. Jesus lays out these three great parables in chapter 15, preceded by a brief introduction, which I read earlier. This is the third in that chapter and it occupies three times the space of the other ones.
Tax collectors and sinners come up to Jesus, and this frustrates some others in the community. I love how we have these two groupings of people: tax collectors and sinners, as if the sinners aren’t tax collectors and vice versa. Tax collectors were despised not just because they were weasily and skimmed from the top, but because they handled idolatrous coins with the face of Caesar on them. This may seem moot today with the strange images on our currency, but it mattered deeply in that time. Tax collectors were impure and folks were up in arms.
Pharisees and scribes are coming up to Jesus and saying, “this man eats with sinners and welcomes them.” Scribes could also be writers. It is people who know their letters. Educated people. The educated people are offended by the people that Jesus hangs out with. If we shift perspective a little bit, imagine Jesus is your son or daughter, and he is meeting with sinners and idolators. And you notice this and you say something about it. Don’t think the Pharisees are wicked or out to get at Jesus. They are concerned that this person in authority is mixing with the wrong crowd.
Jesus responds with the three great parables of Luke 15. The parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and finally, the parable of the lost son. The heart of the good news of Jesus Christ is found here: it’s not about what we do. It’s what God does for us.
Today, as we go over the parable of the prodigal son, I want to do it a little differently. I want us to rest and pray in this story that Jesus tells. I didn’t read the full passage before because I want to read it now. I’m going to read part of it, and then I want us to close our eyes and have a little guided reflection.
- Then he said, a certain human had two sons.
- And the younger one of them said to the father, “give to me the portion of the estate (οὐσίας) falling (ἐπιβάλλον). Now he divided the wealth.
- And with not many days, having gathered it all together (συναγαγὼν), the younger son went into a far country, and there he wasted his estate, living with abandon (ἀσώτως).
- Now having spent everything of his, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be behind others in resources (ὑστερεῖσθαι).
- And having left, he glued (ἐκολλήθη) himself to one of the citizens of that country, and that person sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
- And he was longing to fill his belly out of the pods the pigs were eating; and no one was giving him.
- Now to himself having come, he was saying, “How many hired servants of my father have abundance of bread, now I am here perishing in hunger?”
- Having risen up (ἀναστὰς) I will go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned into heaven and before you,
- I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make (ποίησόν) me like one of your servants.
We’re going to stop there. I want you to close your eyes for a minute. Imagine yourself as the prodigal son or prodigal daughter. Where did you go when you left home? Why did you go? What is something not worthy of forgiveness that you’ve done or you’ve thought about doing? Stay in this person. What does it feel like to go back to a place that you’ve run away from? Okay, now we will read a little bit more.
- And having risen up (ἀναστὰς), he went to his father, Now still far away, he being distant, his father saw him, and was moved with mercy (ἐσπλαγχνίσθη) and having run, fell upon his neck and kissed him.
The verb used here has to do with the Greek word for bowels, often translated as heart. ἐσπλαγχνίσθη could literally be a bowel movement.
- Then his son said to him, “Father, I have sinned into heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.
- Then the father said to his servants, Quickly bring out the best robe and clothe him, and give a ring for his hand, and sandals for his feet;
- And having brought the fattened calf, kill and having eaten, let us celebrate.
- For this son of mine was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to celebrate.
Now I want you to close your eyes and put yourself in the position of the father or the mother; gender is not the important thing mercy is. What would it feel like for your child to think you dead and run away? What would you do? How would you cope? What would it feel like when he returned? Would you celebrate or lecture?
Finally I’m going read the last part of the passage.
- Now his elder son was in the field; and while coming, he came close to the house, he heard music and dancing,
- And having called one of the servants, he began asking what these things might be.
- Now he said to him, “Your brother is come and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him in good health.
- Now he was angry (Ὠργίσθη), and was not willing to enter. And his father was begging him.
- And answering, his father said to him, “Behold, I serve you so many years, and never disobeyed a commandment of yours, and you never gave me a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.
- Now when your son, the one having consumed your wealth with prostitutes (πορνῶν), came, you have killed for him the fattened calf!
- And he said to him, son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
- Now it was necessary to celebrate and rejoice, since your brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost and is found.
Now, put yourself in the story as the older brother or older sister who never left, who always obeyed while the younger sibling did what younger siblings do. What do you think when he left? Did you ever expect him to come back? What are you going to do when he does get back?
One of the great powers of the parables is that we can go back to them again and again and again and still receive a different lesson, receive a different message. It is a new message that does not contradict the prior one.
When I read the parable as the father, it does not destroy my reading of it as the son. If I read it as a straight allegory where the prodigal son represents the gentiles and the older brother represents the Jews and the father is God the father, this reading doesn’t destroy other readings. These words are holy and all these readings are fair because they point to the God who is here. The God who welcomed his son home.
Some days we are that prodigal son. Some days, we are the ones who have turned away from God, who have forsaken our family and our friends and lost our way and only return home out of desperation, but in that desperation we receive mercy and grace.
Some days, we’re the older son who did not stray, who grew up and stayed on the path of God and we may look with jealousy at the younger son who went off and had his fun before coming back. Or we may be like the father who feels betrayed, but our love is greater and love washes over a myriad of sins.
In all this, we must rest in the reconciliation promised by Paul in 2 Corinthians. True reconciliation. Not conditional. Not partial. No catch. Fully reunited and together.
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 no longer know him in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 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.
Here is where Paul takes reconciliation a step further. We are not only welcomed home, but sent out again to reconcile others. Others in our lives. Others in our past. Those we have wronged. Those who have wronged us. Paul writes:
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. For our sake God made the one who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness, the justice of God.
May it be so.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.