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Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."
* * *Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." ' And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.
"Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "
- Luke 15:1-2,11-32
Yesterday, we began with today's beginning verses: Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." So He spoke this parable to them, saying: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." . . . Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want." Again, we remember this is the third parable Jesus tells in response to the accusation from the Pharisees and scribes that He receives sinners and eats with them. The theme of the earlier two parables (in yesterday's reading, above) was God's love and joy at sinners who repent and return. This third parable is the famous parable of the Prodigal Son, found only in Luke's Gospel. We have been given traditional interpretations of the first two parables in yesterday's reading. Here, my study bible suggests that the son's request for his portion of goods (which in Greek reads ousia, literally meaning "essence") is by tradition understood as human beings receiving a free will and rational mind from God. It says, "As Adam did in Eden, the younger son uses these possessions to rebel against his father. The far country represents life in exile from God."
"Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything." This is real "homelessness" in terms of the time and place of Jesus. As my study bible puts it, it's "Jewish Skid Row." For a Jew to be reduced to be feeding swine means he could not sink much lower than this. Even the food of the swine is above his station!
"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father." To "come to oneself" is to come to true self; that is, to the person one is in relationship with Creator. My study bible says that a person immersed in sin is living outside his or her true self (see Romans 7:17-20). This prodigal realizes he's in a hopeless condition. My study bible suggests that the bread symbolizes Christ, who is known through both the Scriptures and the Eucharist.
"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' " In Jewish culture, it was considered unseemly for an old man to run, but this father didn't stand by passively and wait for the son to return. His impulse is quite obviously one of such tremendous love that all else is forgotten. My study bible says, "This self-humiliation for the sake of the lost indicates the way in which our Father, through Christ's sacrifice, actively seeks those who stray."
"But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet." Tradition in the Church gives us significance of these objects lavished on the son by the father in the story. The robe is considered to be righteousness granted by baptism (Isaiah 61:10), the signet ring is a true family identity (Haggai 2:23; see also Luke 8:21), and the sandals refer to walking in accordance with the gospel (Ephesians 6:15).
"And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry." The fatted calf is more truly translated "wheat-fed bull-calf" or even literally "a bull-calf formed from wheat." This is a male calf which was raised on wheat in preparation for use as a religious offering; that is, set aside for a "holy" use. My study bible says, "As the reconciliation of the prodigal son was not complete without the sacrifice of the calf, so man's reconciliation to God is not by his repentance alone, but by Christ offering Himself on the Cross. The festive dining on an animal 'formed from wheat' is a clear reference to our partaking of the eucharistic bread."
"Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him." My study bible explains that this resentful older son represents the hardheartedness of the Pharisees to whom Christ was telling the parable. It quotes Cyril of Alexandria here: "God requires His followers to rejoice when even the most blamable man is called to repentance." Our joy must be like that of the angels!
So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' " My study bible says that the failure of the older son to recognize his own sins leads to a self-righteous and merciless attitude. He can't be happy for the reunion of father and son in his brother. It contrasts this with the contribution of the younger son. Ambrose of Milan writes: "The one who seems to himself to be righteous, who does not see the beam in his own eye, becomes angry when forgiveness is granted to one who confesses his sin and begs for mercy." Although the older son has all that the father has, he's indignant and charges "you never gave me a young goat." His resentment becomes ingratitude.
It's interesting to observe that in yesterday's reading, we received the first two parables in response to the grumbling or complaints or the Pharisees and the scribes, in which God's great joy is described at the "finding again" of one sinner, the return of one who has strayed. This joy is described rather vividly by Christ, even the joy of the angels of the realm of heaven at the return of a sinner. It's a form in two stories in which we are told something about God, God's great love and joy at receiving any one of us, but particularly those who have strayed away and returned. Of course this is an analogy for sin, or amartia in the Greek, literally "missing the mark." But in this third and splendid parable which we find only in Luke, it is we who are encouraged to share the joy and love of God the Father. Told to the Pharisees and scribes who grumble that Christ dines with sinners, it's an illustration not only of God's love and joy at any one of our return, but also a story about how if we really share the message of the Kingdom, if we truly believe in the gospel message, this is what our joy is also like for one who returns. It's an encouragement to be like God, and a suggestion that any lesser sort of love becomes particularly a form of ingratitude. That is, those who always have the Kingdom present with them must also rejoice that others return and become a part of it -- this is particularly so in terms of those who by their own volition have strayed, and learned a hard lesson, and returned. What we should see here, it seems to me, is how we are called to be like God, to share these traits of love and joy of the kingdom of heaven. God and the angels rejoice over one sinner who repents and returns. We not only understand the kind of love and joy that await us constantly and always (since spiritual struggle is always a part of our lives), but we also understand the love and joy that we are called to live out as well, and of which we are capable. Thus, the whole of the story applies to us, each one, particularly those who believe and would also identify with the older brother who hasn't strayed. Let us remember our joy in helping others to receive this gospel, and also the joy and love we feel in our own relationship to God! It must be a part of the way in which we live our lives and commit to the Kingdom ourselves. The stakes really can't be more dire: what the father says here is "My son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." This is a reason to rejoice indeed.
