4th Thursday of Lent (April 3). THE PRODIGAL FATHER

Prepare to Listen.  I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
 
Prayerfully Read Luke 15:1-2, 11-24
1Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.  2And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
 
11Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons.  12The 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.  13A 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.  14When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need.  15So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs.  16He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.  17But 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!  18I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’ ”  20So 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.  21Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”  22But 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.  23And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!”  And they began to celebrate.
 
Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect
Imagine how it felt for the returning son when his father ignored his confession and gave him an unmatched generous welcome.  How would you feel?
 
Prodigal, in the parable’s title, has both a negative meaning—reckless, wasteful extravagance—and a positive one—giving generously on a lavish scale.  We mostly focus on the negative.  The son was prodigal because of his reckless, wasteful extravagance.  His bad behavior began when he asked his father for his share of the inheritance, shamelessly implying he wished his father was dead.  The inheritance was land, not cash in the bank.  He promptly sold it and went into a far country where he wasted it all.  We know the story well.
 
The father is prodigal.  When his son approached him with his outrageous demand, he didn’t rebuke or try to change his son’s mind.  He gave him his share of the family land.  He knew he’d end up in trouble, but the father let him go anyway, and patiently waited for his return.  He knew his son would one day come home.  When he did, the father never asked to hear his story, never even listened to his confession.  He acted in his own prodigal way, welcoming his son with lavish, gracious generosity that ignored all the son had said and done.  The past was wiped away and the son was restored to full sonship, no demands made.  Instead, he was celebrated with a joyful, exuberant party.  I wonder how this made the son feel.  What do you think?
 
God has done the same for us, generously forgiven us, asking for no repayment.  How does this make you feel?  What does it make you want to do in response?
 
Prayerfully Respond
Jesus, your stories keep challenging and amazing me.  Your grace truly is all-sufficient, and I praise you.  Amen.
 
Live obediently.  Live in gratitude for God’s prodigal ways.