The Fourth Sunday in Lent - March 30, 2025

Summary

Mother Suzanne explores the parable of the Prodigal Son as a story of God's unabashed love and forgiveness, emphasizing that when something lost is found, heaven rejoices. She connects the father's compassionate welcome to the Eucharistic feast, inviting congregants to "come home" to God who awaits with open arms, letting go of whatever prevents them from receiving divine forgiveness.

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                              Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

So Jesus told them this parable:

"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. 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. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 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! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' 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. 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.' 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. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

"Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 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. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 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.'" 

Artwork:  The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Rembrandt (1606–1669)

Transcript

Mother Suzanne:

But we had to celebrate and rejoice because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life. He was lost and is now found in the name of the Triune God, father, son and Holy Ghost. Amen. Please be seated. I think that this morning's parable is probably one of the most popular or famous parables of all that Jesus taught. It comes at the end of two other parables about things which have been lost. It's Luke 15 in it. A sheep was lost, a coin was lost, and a sun was the last that was lost all together in one tidy unit. Back to back to understand the prodigal son parable, it helps to read all of them together in Luke 15, although if you read it just alone like we just did, the meaning of it, the truth contained within the parable isn't hidden as often. Sometimes the parables of Jesus are the truths are hard to find or hard to understand. But this one is clear.

I would say this chapter of parables are some of the easiest to understand that Jesus uses. What's also clear in these parables is to whom they were told to tax collectors, sinners, pharisees, and scribes. For today's gospel lesson, the lectionary skips over the story of the lost sheep and coin, and the focus is on the return of the wayward sun. But it's significant that this story is amongst a triad, a trio, a trinity of stories where the same gospel point is made clear with all three parables. So this should be an alert to all people curious about the Bible. When Jesus tells the same story three different ways, it is significant.

The first parable in the trio about losing a sheep isn't just meant for shepherds. So they learn how best to keep track of their livestock. And the second parable about the lost coin, a story. It's not about being better with your money. And lastly, the parable of the prodigal son isn't in scripture to urge parents to love their errant children who have suddenly come home. No. All three of these parables collectively and individually tell the story of God, the unabashed love and forgiveness that comes when the stubborn wandering sheep is found. When the smallest of all coins is found after turning an entire house upside down, or like in our parable today, even the most self-centered and wayward children come back home and is found again. The point is when something that has been lost gets found, there is rejoicing in heaven. A party is thrown, the fattened calf is eaten, all is well, and heaven and earth unite. As Jesus says, the kingdom of God has arrived Many years ago, in my first turn at seminary in the Baptist Seminary at Baylor, one of the first books that was assigned to me was The Return of the Prodigal Son by a spiritual man by the name of Henry Nowan.

Nowan describes how a chance encounter with Rembrandt's painting of this parable took him down a path of spiritual discovery. Is anybody in this room familiar with that painting, remembrance painting The return of the Prodigal Son? If not, look it up. It's beautiful. And this painting is housed in Russia at the Hermitage Museum. So Henry now describes how he went to this museum and he sat in front of this painting for two whole days because he was so enraptured by it. He noticed how almost all of the guides describe this particular painting as one of the compassionate father. Most of them mentioned that it was one of Rembrandt's last paintings, one to which he was only able to paint after a life filled with suffering.

Now, Ann goes on to describe how for him that is what this painting, what this story, this parable is all about. It is the expression of absolute divine compassion. Instead of being called the return of the prodigal son, it could have easily have been called the welcome by the Compassionate Father. The parable is in truth, a parable of a father's love now and describes how when he painted every detail of the Father, his facial expression, posture, the color of his dress, and most of all the still gesture of his hands speaks of the divine love for humanity that existed from the beginning and forever will be.

And so when I come to this story, I too am drawn to the Father, this father who shows welcome grace and enthusiasm when posed with a situation that for most is difficult to say the least. And what he does is counterintuitive. In fact, it's very Luke, the gospel of Luke always turns things upside down. When you expect one thing to happen, something else does, and the father does just that He turns the table. He doesn't shoo his errant son away, nor does he reprimand his older son. When filled with rage and envy, the Father instead comes alongside, offers forgiveness, understanding, and graze. He spreads table of forgiveness and offers only the best. There isn't any withholding of food of love. No. It was time to celebrate the best and only the best is what would be served that day as a priest. I would have to say when meeting with folks, one of the greatest challenges that people express to me as they walk this spiritual life is the ability to receive God's forgiveness.

I think there is just something in us as humans that keeps us clinging to our sins and oftentimes prevents us from letting God erase our past and offer us a completely new beginning. I say that as I count myself as one. Sometimes it even seems as though I want to prove to God that my darkness is far too great for it to be overcome with light. But here is the question that rises to the surface for me. Do I truly want to be totally forgiven so that a completely new way of living becomes possible for me?

Do I want to break away from my deep rooted rebellion against God and surrender myself so absolutely to God's love that a new person can emerge? Here's the key and what I have discovered and found to be true about this parable. Receiving forgiveness requires a total willingness to let God be God and let him do the healing, restoring and the renewing, not me. And so as your priest this morning, what I would say is that forgiveness, reconciliation, and love are absolutely yours through Christ and the redeeming work he has done for each of us. How do we know this? Well, we celebrate a party every single week here at the altar that is before you, that you guys have the privilege of looking at, the entire time you are worshiping. That is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet that is set for you. A seat of honor is reserved just for you. That is why when you come to the Author alter, I speak your name. You are seen that seat is reserved for you.

This morning's gospel, I think is a beautiful and a wonderful lin in text or when we see and recognize that lint is also a season for rejoicing in God. Today is rejoicing Sunday. Why each confessed sin or ash smudged forehead or a prayer of repentance offered to God are all reminders that we were once lost That through Jesus we are now found. So when you come to the altar this morning to the communion rail, to partake of the feast and join the party, I'm going to ask you, are there some things that you can just leave there?

What is it that you will give away or let go of so as to make the heart of God rejoice that you have chosen to come home? My most favorite thing to say to the people of grace, welcome home. And for some in this room, what is it that you can let go of to become fully the person God wants you to be? I believe that the invitation from God is to let go so you can receive the joy that Christ calls each of us to be able to feast and know that forgiveness, love, and joy are yours, absolutely yours, for the taking offered to you by a loving father who wants nothing more than to offer that which your heart is longing for. So come home and know your father awaits with arms open wide. Amen.