“We Are All Prodigals”
Luke 15:11-32 (15:3) – March 30, 2025
We have the familiar parable of the Prodigal as our Gospel reading today. One of the best known of the parables, one that resonates with the heart and soul of many. It’s the story of two brothers and a father, the story of discontent and disgruntlement, the story of wandering in a far country, the story of return, and most of all, the story of forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption.
What is the setting for this parable? In verse 1 of chapter 15 we see Jesus sitting down to dinner with a bunch of social outcasts. As far as the scribes and Pharisees were concerned, that is—they were outright offended! How could Rabbi Jesus, a self-respecting, reputable rabbi, be associating with riff-raff, with undesirables, with people like that?
Tax collectors, outcasts and sinners. The upright, righteous Jewish leaders even had rules about associating with those people. They just didn’t. They were forbidden to have any dealings with them at all. But—Rabbi Jesus welcomed the tax collectors and sinners. Get this—He even ate dinner with them!
Except, Jesus wanted to stay in dialogue with these Jewish leaders, so He did was he often did – He told them parables. What a story! “And yet, the characters, the scenario, the family dynamics, are so familiar to us, it is real. And it is true in all the ways that matter, of course, for in one way or another we have lived this story. From one viewpoint or another, this experience is ours.” [1] It’s a story about brothers (or, siblings), about family, a loving father, repentance, and ultimately, about forgiveness.
This younger son was no prize, was he? He had been selfish and self-centered, for sure! Imagine, asking his father for his inheritance right then and there! (Which is kind of like saying that he wished his father had died already!) The nerve of that kid! However, his father went along with it, maybe cashed in some stocks or sold some property, and gave the younger son what he demanded. And, the ungrateful kid promptly goes out of the country to live it up.
One title this parable could have is “The Story of the Lost Son,” because the younger brother goes to a far country, spends all his money in riotous, profligate living, eventually doesn’t have a penny to his name, and is forced to herd pigs for a farmer just to scrape by and earn a pittance.
We heard the first half of this parable in our Scripture reading today. I continue now:
Remember, we left the younger son starving in the pigsty, with the pigs. ““When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.”
It’s so easy to point the finger at this younger son, isn’t it? He was selfish and self-centered, wasn’t he? He didn’t think of anyone else, except for himself. Especially when he lived it up in the far country with high living, wine, women and song. Yet – how often are you and I selfish? Thinking only of our own interests, not caring for anyone else? Sound familiar?
Let’s continue with the parable. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’”
My, goodness! What a turnaround this young guy has had! Sure enough, he has had a major change of heart and mind. We can see how much the father loved his younger son, can’t we? Imagine, a fine, upstanding middle-aged landowner comes running to meet his son, from far away down the road! The father must have had an eye out for his son for some time!
Yet, what about the older brother? What has he been doing all this time that the younger son has been partying it up in the far country? “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’”
Think about it. You and I can easily see how “lost” this younger son was. But, what about the older son? On the surface, he’s the perfect son. Always obedient, always compliant.But underneath? Discontented, disgruntled, resentful, angry. Do we see anything selfish and self-centered about the older son? Even though he stayed at home, he was pretty “lost,” as well.
We are in the middle of Lent, a season of reflection, contemplation, particularly on our human brokenness and our need for God’s redemption, God’s forgiveness.[2] If we are honest, Lent helps us see the “lostness” of all of us – just as much as both the younger and the older sons were “lost,” too.
Both sons need a change of heart, a repentant heart. And, both sons are equally loved and forgiven by their father. We are considering the part of the Lord’s Prayer this week where we say “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” It doesn’t matter whether we say “sins” or “trespasses” or “debts.” What we are asking God to do is to forgive us! Except, we ask God to forgive us exactly in the same way we forgive others!
Just think about that. If you and I are unforgiving people, why on earth ought God forgive our sins? If I come to the Lord, praying the Lord’s Prayer and asking – petitioning – for God to forgive my sins, how can I – you – we – possibly think we are going to get away with regularly being mean, nasty, and especially unforgiving to others?
Finally, we consider that Lent is the time when we are following Jesus on His journey towards the cross. “the cross is not a means of payment [for our sins] but rather shows us just how far our prodigal God will go to tell us of God’s immeasurable love. Period.” [3]
Did you ever think of God being a prodigal? Our prodigal God, wandering in the wilderness, seeking each one of us as we sojourn in the far country. Just like the younger son. And, just like the older son – resentful and disgruntled, and especially unforgiving to others?
In our parable, what is the father’s response? “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
If we had a title of this parable from the father’s point of view, it could very well be “The Story of the Forgiving Father.” Yes, he freely forgave the younger son for his extreme disrespect, for spending all his father’s hard-earned money, and for crawling back home in such a disreputable condition. Plus, the father was loving and welcoming to his older son, the one who seemed to be permanently disgruntled and resentful, with a huge chip on his shoulder.
Praise God, we know how far our Lord Jesus went to tell us about God’s immeasurable love. He went to the cross, for our redemption. For our forgiveness. And with this parable, Jesus wants us to see how much God loves each one of us, and how willing our loving, caring, nurturing God is to welcome us home. Even going so far as to run down the road to embrace us when we return in penitence and tears, or when we stay at home doing our duty in self-righteous disgruntlement and discontent.
Yes, God forgives! And yes, we are to do the same. As the petition of the Lord’s Prayer says, “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” God offers forgiveness to both prodigal sons, all wayward children, no matter what. Remember, what a loving, caring God we have. Always loving, caring and welcoming toward each one of us. Amen!
(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!
[1] http://words.dancingwiththeword.com/2016/02/two-sons-how-will-story-end.html
[2] https://www.workingpreacher.org/dear-working-preacher/perspective-matters
[3] https://www.davidlose.net/2016/02/lent-4-c-the-prodigal-god/
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