Lent 4 year C Sermon 13
Prodigal Son
And the ultra-religious… the
super pious surrounding Jesus …are muttering with their noses wrinkled…
‘This rabbi…this teacher…this Jesus
welcomes sinners and eats with them…’
‘This rabbi…this teacher…this Jesus
welcomes sinners and eats with them…’
So naturally Jesus tells them a story
about an extremely righteous but resentful older son looks at the ground and sulks…oh come on Dad! ‘my younger brother has squandered half your estate… and now he comes back home, and you kill the fattened calf for him!
You sacrifice the most precious… living… thing ...
you have ………for him…
about an extremely righteous but resentful older son looks at the ground and sulks…oh come on Dad! ‘my younger brother has squandered half your estate… and now he comes back home, and you kill the fattened calf for him!
You sacrifice the most precious… living… thing ...
you have ………for him…
The boys are acting up…as boys
do…
no matter how you slice it as a parent…the behaviour of each
son in Jesus’ story…causes heartache for the father [pause]
And as he makes his final journey to Jerusalem…
Jesus tells yet another story…in which no one dies…
Jesus tells yet another story…in which no one dies…
only a prized and precious…and
unblemished calf…[pause]
For you and I… sitting here in third millennium New Zealand …it’s
tempting to see the story the way we always have…through the lens
of our own kiwi cultural assumptions …tempting
to draw the same familiar conclusions.
Ain’t it awful… how the youngest
son runs off…gets in with the wrong crowd…hits the booze
and the drugs…
and ends up on the bones of his arse…
and isn’t it wonderful how his father joyfully welcomes him home… when he’s ready to say sorry…
and ends up on the bones of his arse…
and isn’t it wonderful how his father joyfully welcomes him home… when he’s ready to say sorry…
Maybe God’s like that…pretty simple eh?
And isn’t it sad the other son… is so… caught up
in resentment and anger that he cuts himself off…
from the joy and celebration his father so longs for him to share…isn’t it a shame… he’s so blinded by resentment and unforgiveness…so self-absorbed…
with what he thinks he deserves…
the older brother actually misses out on the party
from the joy and celebration his father so longs for him to share…isn’t it a shame… he’s so blinded by resentment and unforgiveness…so self-absorbed…
with what he thinks he deserves…
the older brother actually misses out on the party
Certainly that understanding of the
story makes sense to us …in our culture…but Jesus wasn’t a 21st
century novelist …he was a first
century rabbi. And so we must beware
of our cultural conditioning…and our familiarity with this parable…lest we miss something…some treasure…
hidden deep in Jesus words…that may reveal more about God than we expect
some meaning Jesus knew his first century audience would take from the story of the prodigal son.
of our cultural conditioning…and our familiarity with this parable…lest we miss something…some treasure…
hidden deep in Jesus words…that may reveal more about God than we expect
some meaning Jesus knew his first century audience would take from the story of the prodigal son.
So what happens if we walk around
the story…about this father and his two lost sons…And view it
from a different cultural perspective…from the standpoint of a
middle-eastern crowd of tax
collectors and sinners……..
and ultra-religious pharasees…
and ultra-religious pharasees…
Well fortunately we can do this…because biblical scholars
like Ken Bailey have lived and studied in the middle-east from Morocco
to India…from Turkey to the Sudan …asking the locals…
how they understand the parable of the prodigal son.
how they understand the parable of the prodigal son.
Ken Bailey made some amazing discoveries…
and what really surprised him… was how consistently and passionately… people responded to this story at a gut level …especially to the shocking suggestion that a son would dare ask for his inheritance…while his father was still alive
and what really surprised him… was how consistently and passionately… people responded to this story at a gut level …especially to the shocking suggestion that a son would dare ask for his inheritance…while his father was still alive
In the middle-east…this isn’t seen as the impulsive act of an irresponsible young man…but as a malicious and abusive insult… to his father. Bailey could find no law… no custom …among Jews or Arabs…which entitles a son to a share of his father’s estate…
while the father is still alive.
while the father is still alive.
In fact such a request would destroy
the relationship. As though the son had shouted to his father’s face,
‘I can’t wait for you to die…’
‘I can’t wait for you to die…’
No in this parable the son’s behaviour is far more serious than running
off to Europe…with the money your parents saved for your college education…and
ending up in the gutter. Arab’s and Jews listening today to this story react just as those in the first century would
have…
hearing the sons contempt for the father they’re just waiting with baited breath…for the father to explode with rage …certain of the punishment he will rain down
on his youngest son [pause]
hearing the sons contempt for the father they’re just waiting with baited breath…for the father to explode with rage …certain of the punishment he will rain down
on his youngest son [pause]
But what actually happens?
Utterly against cultural expectations…
the father doesn’t retaliate…but instead
he agrees to his son’s request…
completely… and without conditions…
the father doesn’t retaliate…but instead
he agrees to his son’s request…
completely… and without conditions…
Such a thing is unheard of in the middle-east.
Ken Bailey found it’s almost impossible
for them to imagine a love like this Father’s love…
Ken Bailey found it’s almost impossible
for them to imagine a love like this Father’s love…
This father… in Jesus’ story…is
flying in the face of
every cultural norm…this father is overturning
all social expectations… This father’s love
is utterly different than any father they’ve experienced…
this father’s love contains… the element of grace…
every cultural norm…this father is overturning
all social expectations… This father’s love
is utterly different than any father they’ve experienced…
this father’s love contains… the element of grace…
grace that grants the son his freedom…
even to reject the father.
[pause]
And there’s another twist to the story we’d never guess without fresh insight
into the middle-eastern mind…
As well as expecting the father to strike back…
Bailey’s listeners insist… it’s the duty of the older son
to act as mediator…and as peacemaker…
to heal the broken relationship
Bailey’s listeners insist… it’s the duty of the older son
to act as mediator…and as peacemaker…
to heal the broken relationship
But in Jesus parable…the older brother does nothing of the kind…instead
he distances himself from the whole
drama … and to middle eastern ears…the
older son remains disgracefully silent…and does absolutely nothing
to protest the insult to his father…
or stop the disintegration of his family…
to protest the insult to his father…
or stop the disintegration of his family…
The behaviour of both boys… is unheard of in eastern culture…effectively they’re
destroying what every father dreams of…that his sons would live peacefully
together after his death…enjoying the abundance of their inheritance.
this Jewish custom of yashabh
yahadh
is idealized in Psalm 133
is idealized in Psalm 133
How good and pleasant it is when
brothers dwell together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard, running down
on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes. As
if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion. For there
the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. [pause]
By taking his portion of the estate…and
leaving the village …the younger brother has effectively turned his back
on his father’s dreams of blessing and family unity…
and in his refusal to act…so has his older brother. [pause]
on his father’s dreams of blessing and family unity…
and in his refusal to act…so has his older brother. [pause]
But
of course the story doesn’t end here…
the father gives what he’s asked…and the youngest son…
in his freedom… carelessly descends
into his own self-created hell…[pause]
And
when he’s as low as he can go …when he can’t slide down any further…stripped…of all
physical…emotional and spiritual support… starving and penniless…
the lost son decides to change direction…
and turn his life around…to head home…[pause]
the lost son decides to change direction…
and turn his life around…to head home…[pause]
When
we listen carefully…we can hear in the
prodigal son’s words the familiar Jewish teaching
on repentance. you must turn…you must repent…to earn God’s forgiveness. Everyone listening to Jesus story… would recognise the words the
son says to himself as he plans and rehearses the traditional
speech of repentance …
‘I’ll just go back to my father and I’ll say: Father, I’ve sinned… against heaven and against you.
I’m no longer worthy to be called your son…..
so just make me like one of your hired men.'
‘I’ll just go back to my father and I’ll say: Father, I’ve sinned… against heaven and against you.
I’m no longer worthy to be called your son…..
so just make me like one of your hired men.'
Life
has defeated him…his own judgment
has destroyed him…he’s lost everything…and now he’s coming home …
He
knows his abusive and offensive behaviour…
will have hurt… not only his father and the entire extended family…but the community he turned his back on…
will have hurt… not only his father and the entire extended family…but the community he turned his back on…
Jesus
listeners expect an angry vengeful mob…
to descend on the young man the moment he steps foot in the village. [pause]
to descend on the young man the moment he steps foot in the village. [pause]
But
you know what…his father has been watching the horizon every day…and sees him coming…
before anyone else can get to him…before his son
can open his mouth in the ritual of confession …
the father acts… quickly and decisively
And runs to meet him… as no dignified mid-eastern patriarch… ever ran…
before anyone else can get to him…before his son
can open his mouth in the ritual of confession …
the father acts… quickly and decisively
And runs to meet him… as no dignified mid-eastern patriarch… ever ran…
Before
his lost son can speak… in
front of everyone
in the community…the father throws his arms around him
in the community…the father throws his arms around him
Before
his child can even begin to repent…
his father… substitutes kisses… for words… [pause]
his father… substitutes kisses… for words… [pause]
There is to be a great feast of reconciliation.
‘This
Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them…’
and if we identify with the bitter
older brother…if we refuse to join the party…if we can’t let go…
of our anger, and resentment and our un-forgiveness…
then…surprise surprise…the father shatters our understanding of his love as well…as he leaves his place of honour at the banquet table…as he leaves the other guests …even the guest of honour…to come out to find us…
and plead with us… to join the feast…
of our anger, and resentment and our un-forgiveness…
then…surprise surprise…the father shatters our understanding of his love as well…as he leaves his place of honour at the banquet table…as he leaves the other guests …even the guest of honour…to come out to find us…
and plead with us… to join the feast…
Make no mistake, Jesus wants everyone
with ears to hear
to recognise the father’s behaviour in the story
is a promise…a revelation… of the grace of God.
In this parable…Jesus sends a message of grace…
to two groups of people. The question for us…
for me and for you is… ‘which group do we identify with’.
to recognise the father’s behaviour in the story
is a promise…a revelation… of the grace of God.
In this parable…Jesus sends a message of grace…
to two groups of people. The question for us…
for me and for you is… ‘which group do we identify with’.
Do we stand with the
cynical and bigoted religious authorities who resent sharing the table with
sinners?
Or are we among those…who were once lost like I once was … yet long to return?
Or are we among those…who were once lost like I once was … yet long to return?
To the first group Jesus says… stop projecting your need to elevate yourselves above the rest of humanity…
onto God… your pride and your obsession with honour and status…has no place in the kingdom of God.
To the second group
Jesus says…God’s grace is limitless …and God is just watching out for your
return.
To both groups Jesus says
‘No matter how up yourself you are
or how down on yourself you are…
God’s love for you is inexhaustible.
‘No matter how up yourself you are
or how down on yourself you are…
God’s love for you is inexhaustible.
[pause]
May this offering of the inexhaustible hospitality of
God be our guiding principle as the people of God. And may we put on the mind
of Christ…may we show love like no other …whatever the cost to our status or
image…
May the compassion and love of God seize our insides… as
it did the father in our story and may it move us as it did the father…to public
displays of justice and reconciliation…to offer grace before we’re asked? May
the love we offer to our community be as scandalous as the love of the Christ
we follow.
You can buy Ken Bailey's book
