Prodigal Son Homily I
In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, we find record of Jesus telling a story about a man with two sons who lives on a farm. At the outset of the story one may think that life on the farm is going just fine. But the younger of the two sons asks his father to give him his inheritance early. This is like the son saying, “Dad, I’d be better off if you were dead, because rather than have you alive and in my life, I’d like the money I’ll get when you die.”
How might you, the parent, react? This father says, “ok.” He gives his son the money and it isn’t surprising to the listener or the father or the brother when the young man leaves and heads to a distant land. There, we learn, he wastes the money. When he has no money left a famine strikes the land in which he is living. Food and water become scarce and he takes a job on a farm - because farming is what he knows. And while doing the menial task of feeding the pigs, this young man becomes jealous of the pig’s food. He is so hungry that he longs to eat what the pigs are eating.
Which makes him pause. He thinks – my father is wealthy and has his own servants on the farm and the servants eat better food than what I’m looking at…better food than what I’m jealous of. After all that I have done, I’ll never be worthy to be a son again but I could return to my fathers house and at least be a servant. And being a servant would be better than this. A servant would eat better than this.
So, the youngest son goes home. The thought echos on repeat in his mind: I’ll never be a son again but at least I could be a servant. I’ll never be a son again but at least I’ll be a servant.
The young man in our story is prepared for a transaction. He is offering his apology, his pride, his brokenness in return for being a servant. He’s probably thinking – I was tested and I failed. It’s called a transactional relationship.
When you go to the store, you give the store money and they give you a product.
You go to work, the work gives you a paycheck.
You get advice from the doctor, the doctor bills your insurance. Your insurance bills you. You give them money.
These are transactions. Transactions are simple. Two parties just have to do the expected thing. And if one party doesn’t then there are laws and consequences to keep people in line. Transactions are simple. If I know what good…what product…what action…will earn me your favor…your love…then I know what to repeat. And so our young man, our younger brother returns home. He’s ready for his transaction. He has resigned himself to being a failure, a dropout. He’ll never be a son again. I’ll never be a son again but at least I’ll be a servant.
Because all of us, like the young man, tend to think that the fathers love and reaction depends on our apology.
But it doesn’t. And that may be one of the most beautiful things about this story. Because long before the son ever got his speech out, debased himself, apologized or anything - but when he was still a long way off - the father saw him and THE FATHER RAN TO HIM! Not to condemn him or make him a servant but to embrace him, clothe him, put a ring on his finger, sandals on his feet and throw him a feast…to restore him as a son. And allow me to point out one more thing of vital importance: the father never stopped seeing his son as a son! When he restores him to sonship he does so for the sake of the son who no longer saw himself as worthy to be son. He does so for the son who had reduced is paternal relationship to a transaction rather than one of love.