“‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.

But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’” 

(from Luke 15:1-3, 11-32)

WILL YOU COME INTO THE PARTY? 

(The Fourth Sunday of Lent)

Imagine this: a father, standing outside, in front of the main door to the home in which his children had been born and raised, asking—no, begging his son to let him love him!  The words quoted above are those of the last verse in this weekend’s Gospel passage, commonly referred to as “The Prodigal Son.” Most, if not all of you are familiar with the story.  Whether you are or not, I recommend that you perhaps take some quiet time alone to slowly re-read it.  In my mind, this is the greatest story ever written. It is, to me and for me, the most powerful of all the parables.  Given the fact that I have one brother, this story always strikes an immediate chord deep within me.  As you read it, ask yourself which of the main characters do you identify with at this point in your life: the father, the younger son, or the older son.  Depending on where we are in life and what’s going on, we may identify differently from time to time. Consider this.  One of the definitions of the word “prodigal” is “excessive.”  So, if you think about it, all 3 of the characters were “excessive” in some way. The father was excessive in his love; the younger son in his selfishness, then his repentance; and the older son in his jealousy, anger, and envy.  It is, no doubt, a powerful story.  By the way, the older son is the only character for whom we do not know how the story ends.  He and his father stand face to face outside the entrance of their home. Perhaps it was evening.  He hears music and laughter coming from within the house, and probably light pouring through the windows.  “Your brother has come home!” exclaims the father. The older son, however, did not share this sense of rejoicing. All we get from him is anger, resentment, and disappointment.  In the end, we do not know if he went into the celebration or not.  What we do know of him is what we know of ourselves also. We too experience disappointments and let-downs in life, but we too are left with a choice to make. Am I going to let it go and turn to Christ—or hold onto to it and let it weigh me down?  If we look at ourselves as the elder son, especially within the context of the Season of Lent, then the question for us is similar. Will we come to Jesus Christ, with our weakness and imperfection, with our selfishness, sin, and regret—will we come into the party, into the rejoicing heart of our Savior who always welcomes us home.