When my children were quite young we lived in small 2 bedroom house which I heated with a coal stove. If you know anything about such stoves you will recognize right away that it burns much hotter than a wood stove. In fact when it was 20 below outside we often wound up cranking open a window a bit to cool things off. Of course with a toddler around there is a practical danger that they might trip and touch the stove or simply reach out and touch the darn thing ending up with a very nasty burn. In my attempts to prevent this, I would scream quite loudly at my daughter as she approached the stove. I was a screamer too for many years about that and many things but I digress. If my daughter was traumatized over the yelling she at least would not be burned and any required therapy later on would be well worth it. The point is we do not really give kids anything they want or seem to want. A live pony would not be very practical in a two bedroom flat even if we do live in a 'pony country'.
As time goes on and the kids develop a brain, common sense and can judge things on their own, we may be quite a bit more lenient and let them learn from their mistakes - so long as they aren't liable to be fatal ones. We give them what they want as best we can without spoiling them lest they think happiness comes in 'things'.
In today's passage there are two adult young men and a father. One son asks for his inheritance and the father obliges. The son promptly leaves, makes waste of the inheritance in dissolute living and eventually comes to his senses. Sort of. He still wants all the material stuff but has the coolness to see that it lies back at home with his dear old dad. The wisdom is to return and accept whatever he is judged as due for his behaviour, make amends and move on at home. The young man is smart in that way.
The big story here though is the dad. The big story here is our heavenly father. He has the wisdom, knowledge and complete unabashed love to realize the money was never an issue. Hopefully the kids ( both of them ) will learn this. The father forgives and is thrilled to have his son back home. God is the same. By making this an issue about squandering money and dissolute living we make an earthly and un-godly judgment about what is important. Even the killing of the fatted calf is misconstrued. None of the father's actions are about money, things. What is paramount is unity, love and relationship. The family is back together as one. Let us celebrate!
Years ago I borrowed my Dad's car to drive to the Army-Navy football game. On the long ride home, tired and not as attentive as I should have been, I got into an accident. A minor fender bender for sure but an accident none the less. My dad's first response was, is everyone ok? Nothing about the car. He later noted at my laments over the damage that cars can be fixed and replaced, I could not be replaced. I was the returning prodigal son and the father, my father, showed me the same love that the 'prodigal son' received.
Love and life, not things and strife are what is truly important. We need to learn that and have it etched into our being. God loves us with reckless abandon. God gives us infinitely more than we could ever imagine but even that is not important. It is the love with which it is given to us and then it is the love with which we share and pass it on. THAT is the crux of this passage.
Luke 15:1-3,11-32
Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
So he told them this parable:
Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’ ” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.
‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” ’
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