Let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found

 

 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 read that all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Jesus 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."  Today's reading begins  with verses 1 and 2, from yesterday's reading, above, as the parable Jesus gives in today's reading is the third one He gave in response to these complaints.  Yesterday we read the parables of the Lost Sheep, and the Lost Coin.  Today we are given the parable commonly known as the Prodigal Son.

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."  In Greek the son's request for his portion of goods uses the Greek term ousia/ουσια for "goods." which literally means "essence" or "substance."  My study Bible comments that this indicates humankind receiving free will and a rational mind from God.  As did Adam in Eden, this younger son uses his possessions given to him to rebel against his father.  The far country, it says, 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."  My study Bible says that feeding swine could rightly be called "Jewish Skid Row."  He could not sink much lower.  

"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."   We note that the text tells us that he came to himself.  Here my study Bible tells us that a person who is immersed in sin is living outside of one's true self (Romans 7:17-20).  This prodigal son realizes his hopeless condition.  The bread symbolizes Christ, known through the Scriptures and the Eucharist.  

"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.' "  Although it was considered to be unseemly in Jewish culture for an old man to run, my study Bible says, we read here that the father did not passively stand by and wait for his son to return.  He ran to him.  It notes that 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."  The significance of the robe, according to my study Bible, is righteousness granted by baptism (Isaiah 61:10), the signet ring is family identity (Haggai 2:23), and the sandals refer to walking according to 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."  My study Bible notes for us that fatted calf is more closely translated "wheat-fed bull-calf."  Even more literally, it would be translated "a bull-calf formed from wheat."  This is a male calf raised on wheat in preparation for use as a religious offering.  It says that 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.  Additionally, the festive dining on an animal offering "formed from wheat" is a clear reference to our partaking of the eucharistic bread.  (See also Matthew 22:4, in which the same term is used.)

"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 suggests that this resentful older son illustrates the hard-heartedness of the Pharisees to whom Christ was telling this parable (see verses 1 and 2 at the top of the reading).   Citing the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria, it notes that God requires God's followers to rejoice when even the most blamable person is called to repentance.

 

 "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.'"   The older son says, I never transgressed your commandment at any time:  my study Bible notes here that the failure of the older son to recognize his own sins leads to his self-righteous and merciless attitude.  Contrast this with the contrition of the younger son.  St. Ambrose of Milan comments, "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."   My study Bible adds that the older son's ingratitude is also apparent in his charge you never gave me a young goat to his father, who has given him all he has.

Once again, as in yesterday's reading and commentary, we are asked to look at this parable and understand God's great love for us.  Taking these three parables all together (those of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin in yesterday's reading, above, plus today's parable of the Prodigal Son), let us note that these three are considered together in patristic commentary.  Viewed in this way, the man with the lost sheep is considered to represent Christ, the woman with the missing coin represents the Church, and finally the father in today's parable is God the Father.  St. Ambrose of Milan comments:  "Christ carries the sinner, the Church seeks and intercedes, and the Father receives."  But, of course, the parable of the Prodigal Son stands out as one often quoted and used as an example of God's love, and the response to our repentance.  Clearly we are to understand from Jesus' words the vehement and expressive love of God the Father, as the older man, the father in the parable, runs to his son -- casting personal dignity aside to do so in favor of his joy at the return of his son.  This is a kind of joy we can understand if we have ever "lost" a friend or a loved one to a dispute or disagreement, or for whatever reason.  We can imagine our joy at their return, especially the love of a parent for a child, even -- if we may take things this specifically -- an older father for his youngest son.  Taking this image of the youngest son in mind, we might think back to the Old Testament story of Joseph and his brothers.  While it was his older brothers who betrayed and abandoned him, we just might still imagine the joy of Jacob (also called Israel) at finding his youngest son Joseph still alive (Genesis 45:24-28).  Youngest sons play quite a role in the Bible.  Perhaps, like Joseph shepherding the people of Israel through exile in Egypt, those penitents among us who come to God are shepherding the people of God through an entire world that we understand as a "strange land," for our home is with God (Exodus 2:21-22).  Perhaps today's story of the penitent younger son is meant in part to remind us all that, as Isaiah  says, God dwells among the humble and the contrite (Isaiah 57:15).  The elder son in today's parable reminds us that, even if we are "perfect," the dangers of self-righteousness are still with us.  We can but look around at those whose self-righteousness dismisses all need of repentance.  Perhaps very act of repentance teaches us something far more profound and deeply transformational than those who have no need to repent.  Indeed, if that is so, this story gives us the final teaching on a fallen world in which we find so much sin and all are touched by it.  The final chapter -- that of those redeemed and saved in Christ -- still has yet to be fully written and revealed to us.  Let us who know its value be truly thankful for our repentance, for this is where we come to ourselves.  There we find who we truly are, and where our true home is.