by Kirsten Laderach

Luke 15: 1-3, 11b – 32

 I’ve heard this story numerous times, and I bet many of you could say the exact same thing. Even those who haven’t heard this piece of scripture have probably heard this story over and over again. The Parable of a Father’s Love makes for good novels, good movies and some interesting art. This story contains many of the same truths we see in our relationships. The truth of recklessness and regret, the truth of loyalty and resentment. The truth of patience and compassion. So often when we look to understand this story we concentrate exclusively on the two sons. We instinctively align ourselves with one of the sons, usually the son who most looks like us. We think to ourselves, either quietly or aloud, about the other “evil” son… the ungrateful squanderer, or the uptight self-righteous one. And clearly this is part of the story… but today I ask, how much thought have we given to the Father in the story? What does this story look like when we concentrate on the Father? … on the Fathers words and on the Fathers actions?In this story the Father is quite active and is attentive to both of his sons. The Father runs to his returning son. The Father puts his arms around him and kisses him. The Father welcomes the son with great exuberance. The Father looks for the one that was lost so that he can be found. The Father comes outside and approaches the elder son. The Father pleads with him. The Father encourages the elder son to join in the celebration, to let go of his resentment and open up to gratitude. The Father proclaims, come, join us all, in the celebration!And of all the characters in the story, The Father seems the most pure. Both of the sons allow their character to wavier, but the Father is constant, faithful and true. The younger son though now welcomed back into the family was once reckless and full of regret. The elder son once loyal and closely aligned with his family is now bitter and resentful. But the Father reaches out to both his sons. He does not reach out looking for fault or imperfections; he instead looks out for their heart. In the story, when the younger son decides to return home to his father, he prepares a speech. A speech that included four things, a respectful address, a confession, a statement of regret, and finally, a request to be treated only as a servant in his Father’s household. He creates this speech so that he can get back in. Not back into the family circle, for he seems to understand that realistically he has blown that opportunity. Instead he has designed the speech to get back in for his very survival. He is hungry and has no money left. So the younger son simply hopes for a little mercy and a little food. Luckily for the son, things don’t always go according to plan… You see his Father has been waiting and hoping for him to return. One day the Father sees the younger son in the distance, and he begins to run to him. The Father’s compassion takes over, and it is as if he cannot bear the extra minutes or seconds that would keep him separated from his son. The Father runs to his son and embraces him. The Father reaches out, to make sure that the son makes it all the way home. Can you imagine the scene? An older, possibly elderly, man running against all proper codes of conduct to greet this son who had turned his back on him. And without hesitation, they embrace. The son then starts to deliver the speech he has prepared. He says, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” And that is as far, as he gets. His Father moves into action before the son can even try to make his lowly request. The Father has already brought him back into the family. He clothes him with a robe, a ring and sandals. And he calls for a fattened calf to be prepared so that they can eat and celebrate this great return. The Father says, “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” The Father is not interested in what the son has done wrong or wasteful, the Father only cares that his son has returned to him.The Father has another son and he reaches out to him too. Though this interaction is a little bit trickier ... You see the elder son is definitely not moving towards his Father. It also seems that he is rejecting his Fathers other son. When the elder son does not come into the party, the Father comes out to the son, and begins to plead with him. The elder son then begins to lash out with anger and spite, saying “Listen, for all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command…but when this son of yours came back…you killed the fattened calf for him!” And after hearing all this, I imagine the Father slowly taking a deep full breath. Then, not reacting to his son’s anger and aggression, the Father simply says, “Son you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours…” And if we were to listen even closer, I bet we would hear The Father say, Son, you are indeed my son. I love you completely and without reservation. The Father, even though he has always been with the son, reaches out to his son in love. The Father knows that his son’s resentment and unforgiveness block love. So all the Father can do is reach.And as the story completes we are left assuming that the younger son is enjoying his welcome home party… We are left wondering what the elder son will decide … and the Father reminds the elder son, and us, of what is most important to him.  “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.”

So we’ve established that most of us relate to one of the sons more than the other. And that at different times and in different circumstances we might even change which son we relate to most, but this is not the most important part of the story as we look at it today. For we see the younger son as the reckless one, now full of regret, and the elder son once loyal, now resentful. In the Father however, we see patience and hope. We see forgiveness and inclusion. We see out stretched arms and a compassionate heart.  We see a back door opening and care that we often reject. In the Father we see God. And in that picture of seeing the Father as God and seeing ourselves as the elder son or the younger son. How does it feel to have God running to you? To see God with outstretched arms overflowing with forgiveness and compassion? How does it feel to have God caring about your hurt feelings and desperately wanting you to be near? How does it feel to be loved this way?