Luke 15:1-3,11-32 The Elder Son
Sometimes we can be so familiar with a particular Gospel passage that we switch off after the first few sentences. That would be a shame, especially when listening to today’s parable, which is unique to Luke, and is one of the great blockbuster parables. The parable of things lost and found emphasise the unending forgiveness of God and God’s rejoicing for those who return. Parables always have something to teach us. They enable us to engage at a deeper level with tough questions, inviting us to reflect on similar situations in our own lives. The main topic here is forgiveness, and the real challenge in the story is what happens after the lost son returns.
The Father’s welcome for the younger son would have been considered extremely foolish by those listening to this story, and their viewpoint is mirrored in the reaction of the elder brother. After all, he has ‘worked like a slave’ for years and is understandably upset at the lavish party that has been thrown for his delinquent sibling. The Father, however, reassures the disgruntled brother that his welcome for the younger brother does not change his love for him or diminish the inheritance he will receive.
This Gospel shows us that God returns those who are lost to the community, regardless of the obstacles that we might put in place. Jesus teaches a lesson here in radical hospitality. No matter how far one wanders from home, God still loves us, waits for us and is calling us back with open arms. The elder brother has a choice: he can come to the party or feel sorry for himself. It will cost him nothing to reach out to his younger brother, but his ego is in the way. What does he do? Significantly, Luke does not finish the story; rather he leaves it up to us to continue the narrative. We have nothing to lose in welcoming home the lost. © Triona Doherty & Jane Mellet, 2021. The Deep End: A Journey with the Sunday Gospels in the Year of Luke. (Dublin: Messenger Publications 2021.
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and realise that the prisoner was you.– Lewis B. Smedes.