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Saturday 2nd Lent
Jesus House
March 23, 2019
THE PRODIGAL SON +++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø We are familiar with today’s Gospel as the parable of the “Prodigal Son,” whose behavior takes up much of the story
Ø Demanding his inheritance early is tantamount to wishing his father’s death
Ø If we read the parables in the verses preceding this Gospel – the lost sheep for whose sake the 99 are left, and the lost coin worth searching for despite there being 9 others – we can predict the joyous outcome
Ø But the last words of this story focus at length on the stingy, jealous elder son and the generous and forgiving father
Ø This suggests that, without ignoring the younger son, we should pay attention to the elder son and the father too
Ø There is no story without them
ELDER SON AND FATHER TOO +++++++++++++++++
Ø What about that elder son who refuses to join the party?
Ø He has gone largely unnoticed, taken for granted, the quiet worker who never rocks the boat
Ø The squeaky wheel gets the grease, they say
Ø We are left stupefied at the love and self-emptying of the father who is completely unmindful of the dishonor that the younger son had paid to him
Ø At the same time, this understanding father cannot understand his older son!
WHO ARE WE? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø With which of these three do we identify?
Ø The wayward son now crawling back?
Ø The elder son always faithful, but feeling unappreciated?
Ø Or the father who is called to turn himself inside out in compassion?
Ø In turn and at the same time, we understand every character in this family
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