St Luke's
Gospel, chapter 15 verses 11 - end, is traditionally
called the parable of the prodigal son. With our present
lectionary we almost never hear it read on a Sunday
Morning. The Roman Catholic Church Gospel for the Sunday
nearest to 14th September in Year C is the whole of
chapter 15. The Anglican Church’s revision felt this
was too long a reading. So for that Sunday it provides
verses 1 - 10 and has verses 11 - end, the prodigal son,
read on the 4th Sunday in Lent when not kept as Mothering
Sunday. As we keep this Sunday as Mothering Sunday we
never hear it read on a Sunday. So this year on Sunday 12th
September, I changed the gospel to read this parable.
Whenever we hear this parable someone says to me
afterwards, that they think it is very unfair to the
elder brother. So here is a possible understanding of
what happened next:
The elder son has been on the farm working. He always was.
He had stayed at home and done the chores. His father's
wishes were his commandments which he had never
transgressed. His whole thinking was in these terms. He
had never grown up into mature love. It was not fair to
have all this jollification for his brother. It was no
good telling him that the whole of his father's goods
were for him to use and enjoy. It was not fair for a man
to work all his life in the vineyard, while the people
who just hang around get the
same wage. He had no use for all this talk about
compassion and forgiveness. So he was angry and would not
go in and join the feast. His father's heart remained a
closed book to him. He thought he had earned his way into
it.
The younger son picked up the work at home again and got
on with the chores. Life was not all song and dance.
Every day it was finding out what his father wanted done
and doing it as best he could. Poor me came back into his
feelings very often. He was frustrated, cramped. What
kept him from self pity and a smug glow of knowing he was
doing the right thing was his memory of his father's arms
and kiss. Slowly gratitude grew and then that happy peace
of being at home, where he belonged. Of course, it was
'daily chores' for him. What other way could there be for
making his gratitude real.
The elder brother stamped off down the road, slamming the
garden gate. After a time his steps began to slow down
and then falter. He stopped and stood for a while. He
turned and slowly made his way back. He opened the gate
and rather sheepishly walked up the path. He knocked on
the door. It was flung open. His father's arms were
stretched out. He was in them, sobbing when he received
the kiss.
We are all human and share the same nature. We are all,
some more than others, the younger son, trying to go our
own way and please ourselves and becoming grumpy if
things do not go as we think they ought. We are all, some
more than others, like the elder brother, thinking we can
earn our passage home by doing the chores, doing the
right things.
Salvation is by faith. Faith is never quite knowing,
faith is taking a step in the dark, never quiet knowing
whether it is the right thing but trusting it is. The
younger son did not have faith, he pretended his father
didn't exist, he could manage on his own. The elder son
had no faith, he just obeyed the rules. But God has no
rules, he wants each of us to trust him wherever he is
leading us and we can do this as we continually live with
God – in Bible, Sacraments, prayer and the common
life we share. We can only trust God if we believe he is
waiting for us with open arms when we turn to him. This
is living by faith by grace which alone brings life with
God, fulfilment, life in all its fullness.
Christopher Morgan-Jones
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