| Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 tells the story of a father and two | | | | those of high regard by society's standards - come |
| sons. One son learns the meaning of his father's love | | | | only to judge and criticize. |
| when he walks away from it. The other son struggles | | | | The behavior of the father in Jesus' parable |
| to understand such extravagant love. | | | | undoubtedly would have created a furor among the |
| The first part of the story focuses on the son who | | | | Pharisees and teachers of the Law. The Law was |
| rebels and demands his share of the inheritance, only | | | | clear on how a rebellious son was to be treated; such |
| to learn, rather quickly, the folly of his decision. His | | | | behavior mandated death by stoning (Deuteronomy |
| return home is met by a joyous father - one who | | | | 21:18-21). Yet, the father's act was one of unconditional |
| sees him from afar and runs out to greet him and | | | | love, and he rejoiced at his son's return home. The |
| welcome him home. The son who was lost has now | | | | elder son in the parable mirrors the attitude of Jesus' |
| been found (15:32). | | | | antagonists, those who self-righteously believe they |
| In contrast, the elder son - the one who dutifully | | | | have earned their place in God's kingdom because of |
| remained at home - responds to his brother's | | | | their obedience but who, in fact, become lost. |
| homecoming with anger and resentment (15:28). In | | | | The parable provokes us to examine our own |
| choosing to avoid the celebration, he isolates himself | | | | attitudes toward a gracious God who reaches out to |
| so that he, now, becomes the one who is lost. Yet his | | | | seek the "lost" in our society. How will we treat those |
| father reminds him that he has never been separated | | | | whom God welcomes? The apostle Paul reminds us |
| from his father's love and that everything the father | | | | that we are "not to judge people by what they seem |
| has is his. According the Law of Moses, the first-born | | | | to be. ... Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new |
| son is to receive a double portion of the father's | | | | person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new" |
| property (Deuteronomy 21:17). The story ends without | | | | (2 Corinthians 5:16, 17, CEV). Through Christ, we are |
| our knowing what the elder son will decide to do. | | | | reconciled to God. In the past "we were dead |
| The story Jesus tells is the third in a series of parables | | | | because of our sins, but God loved us so much that |
| about something being lost and then found. Jesus tells | | | | he made us alive with Christ" (Ephesians 2:4, 5, CEV). |
| these stories in response to the remarks of the | | | | The season of Lent is a time when we are reminded |
| Pharisees and teachers of the Law who criticize | | | | of our need to repent and turn back to God, to "come |
| Jesus for associating with sinners - those who are | | | | home." We, too, are the lost ones whom God seeks. |
| marginalized by society and regarded as "lost" (15:2). | | | | Like the father in the story, God sees us when we are |
| Yet, it is these very lost ones - the tax collectors and | | | | afar and rejoices when we return. God prepares a |
| sinners - who have come to hear Jesus. They gather | | | | feast and says, "Welcome home! |
| around him, eager to listen (15:1). Jesus' opponents - | | | | |