FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT  March 30, 2025 

Prayer of the Day 

God of compassion, you welcome the wayward, and you embrace us all with your mercy. By our baptism clothe us with garments of your grace, and feed us at the table of your love, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 1

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus.] 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 11b “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the wealth that will belong to me.’

So he divided his assets between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant region, and there he squandered his wealth in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that region, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that region, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’ 20 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. 21 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.’ 22 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. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate, 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his elder son was in the field, and as he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 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. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 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.’ ”

Reflections on the Gospel Reading

The youngest sibling has gotten more than enough press from preachers and church people—the kid would fit right in with those celebrities known for hard partying and we know tabloids and social media lap up that kind of dish.

The older sibling is cast as the “no fun police” and a bit of a stick in the mud. If we’re honest we identify more closely with the stay at home good child than we might with the wild child. He might be the only sensible person in the whole parable.

What if this story is really about the father? He’s a bit of a chump. When he consents to dividing the family assets before his death he’s messed with the rules of how things are done. He also completely chucks aside a centuries old custom of giving the first born a larger share and a larger say in what what happens in families. When Good Time Charlie stumbles home his father runs to meet him. As undignified as it might be for some of us mudges to run in public it was downright scandalous in Jesus’ day. For the hired help so see their boss running would have elicited snickers and sidelong glances and maybe even a few under the breath murmurings.

See the parallel between some characterizing Jesus as a bit of a schnook for hanging out with the ‘wrong people’ and the father who lets his younger son make off with the family silver—-and gets a hero’s welcome when he gets back?

Jesus tells three stories of people rejoicing over lost things and people. From the one who has lost and regained, the joy is sublime and maybe we just don’t get it.

The foil in the parable utters profound and poignant wisdom—-We rail against that “son of yours” and the waiting Father reframes the whole scene with the words “that brother of yours”. We who follow Jesus would do well to let those words ‘that brother of yours….that sister of yours’ lodge in our hearts—Could come in handy when we are tempted judge who exists, who is deserving, and even who is just as human as we are.