Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR C FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT - 21.3.04 Josh 5,9-12; 2 Cor 5,17-21; Lk 15,1-3.11-32 Got lost! & Get lost!: both lost! Prodigal
(= squandering) son
is the title we give to the greatest parable in the Gospel of St. Luke; in it
-as in all parables- is hidden for us a deep lesson a strong plea: we are the
two sons and both are pleading with us not to do what they did. The Parable is
not simply about the ‘prodigal (=squandering) son’ as its title would
suggest. It’s the story of two sons: where one says: ‘I got lost’ &
other retorts: ‘Get lost’: sadly, both remain lost for words &
understanding, conviction & direction in life. This Lent, as we watch the
powerful motion picture: ‘Passion of the Christ’, we feel compelled to see
the parable with new eyes, against the background of Christ’s horrendous
death. Truly, God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to die for us. On
Calvary, the Father’s excessive love for us is made fully manifest, just as it
is skilfully hidden in the parable of the two sons. Here, the father’s love is
unbelievably forgiving & compassionate; it’s unconditional &
welcoming, to the point of being foolish. Such is God’s love for us; and on
Calvary, his love and mercy is beyond all understanding. In the parable, we notice that all
characters seem to be strangely at fault. For a start, the Father appears easy
going & irresponsible: he quickly agrees to divide his estate between the
two sons, knowing fully well that they are immature. Still he does it: and
allows ‘Younger’ to leave home, pack up his wealth, squander it miserably
and become totally lost and degraded. But that is exactly the way God deals with
us. He knows only too well how easy it is for us to be led astray at the
slightest temptation... still he leaves us free, and forgives us time and time
again. Never
say ‘Get lost!’ to your brother. The attitude of the ‘Elder’ son is frightening: since the story is told in the cultural milieu of Jesus’ time,
‘Elder’ is privileged, in that the Jewish Law allocated to him two thirds of
the estate & one third to the ‘Younger’. Sadly, ‘Younger’ went dreadfully wrong: he squandered his share in a
life of debauchery; then he regretted the loss and returned home, knowing fully
well that he had lost all rights to the Father’s property, who had nothing
left to give. By the same token, ‘Elder’ had no reason to be outraged, angry
or jealous, since he had received twice the amount of the Father’s estate, and
should be twice as grateful, forgiving and generous. It’s as if Luke says to
us: how fortunate are we, that God is unbelievably rich in mercy. The truth
about us, is that we -human beings of all times- are strangely at fault: always
contending with conflicting drives in our life; we are easily led into reckless
squandering & degradation, or into attitudes that are: self-righteous,
critical, condemning and grumbling. And while Jesus addresses the parable, to
the Torah-teachers and Pharisees of his time, Luke addresses us Christians of
all time, and us today. We are wrong when we arrogantly play God: claiming that
God has no right to condone the wrong doing of sinners; or claiming we are the
only ones ‘at home’ in the Church; and exclude or resent or condemn others. In the parable & especially in Jesus’ horrendous suffering &
death, God displays his forgiving love for us, saints and sinners alike; and we
are left free to take it or leave it. A sobering conclusion: God’s love is a costly love: in the
parable He willingly divides ‘all his livelihood between them’ - leaves us
free to accept or reject his unbelievable love - welcomes, forgives, kisses,
embraces, throws a celebration, accepts us as ‘sons’ - pleads with
‘Elder’ saying: he is your brother & was lost; don’t tell him to get
lost, or else you are lost... But especially on Calvary God’s love is
costly & long-suffering.... to excess. ______________________________________ |
