Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Almost nothing is more contagious than sin. The intent to do harm, the actual harming, the abuse of power and freedom, and the insatiable desire to both obtain and maintain wealth at all costs sit atop any litany of sin. Such sins might be what the first Christians considered “notorious” in their observation of Lent (BCP p.264-265). Furthermore, the contagion of sin creeps into our hearts and minds to alter our behaviors in a myriad of ways, effectively keeping us separated from neighbor and God. In the story of the Prodigal Son, sin barricades the enormous distance between two brothers who share both a father and a homestead, impeding the generous flow of mercy and grace.
While the elder brother/son commits no such “notorious sin”, he allows himself to be held captive by sin’s capacity to render harsh judgment and withhold forgiveness. Sin does not just separate us from another and God, but it ruthlessly places some people above and others below. The elder brother/son is duped by Satan’s incessant song whose tune seeks to replace equality before a gratuitously loving God with a caste system compromising of a ridiculed and persecuted supermajority. In this uniquely Lukan parable, sin surfaces in the embittered soul of an honest, yet short-sighted character.
First of all, we see sin embodied as a fundamental lack of gratitude. God had given the brothers to each other as a gift through Holy Mystery. The safe return home of the lost, younger brother/son has the potential to restore their companionship and foster even greater depth to their relationship. Sadly, the older brother/son lacks a eucharistic response. Sin also gets revealed as a reluctance to share in the mercy and hospitality shown by the father. The elder son/brother missed the opportunity to multiply the grace that was being freely given. Lastly, we feel the weight of sin in the utter refusal by the elder brother/son to demonstrate even an ounce of joy in celebrating the unexpected (at least, from his own vantage point) homecoming of his brother and their dad’s son. God’s pilgrim people put joy forward, despite the social injustices and political catastrophes that cause such immense suffering. At Cristo Rey in Trenton, we live into the divine truth every Sunday that is eloquently expressed in the poetic words of Pablo Neruda, “You can cut down all of our flowers, but you can never keep Spring from coming.” The elder brother/son would prefer for his cold, hardened heart to remain stuck in the dead of winter.
The Prodigal Son offers us significant content for a daily Lenten reflection, and this brief essay illustrates just one particular hermeneutical angle. In what ways do we deny God’s grace that is equally given to all people? How have we failed to be conduits of divine mercy and hospitality? What makes us reluctant to joyfully celebrate hands-on compassion, especially when shown to someone whom we deem undeserving? Yes, the elder brother/son surely can reflect our own attitudes, beliefs, and comportments. He reveals to us our unhealed woundedness.
In the end, though, the biggest shortcoming of the elder brother/son might not be disclosing his feelings of resentment and bitterness. Interestingly, his most egregious error was simply being unwilling to make a humble request to his father. The Lukan text tells us that the elder brother held a desire to celebrate the goodness of life with his friends. Unfortunately, for him he never dared to ask. His most authentic hopes were never realized because he was too guarded and lacked an audacity to trust in his father’s abundance.
Dear Saints, let us not make that same mistake. As we commit to cultivating spiritual discipline yet again this Lent, may we learn to pray boldly. May we develop the freedom to expose our deepest truths before God. We can share in the confidence of the younger son: God does, indeed, trust our deepest desires. May we grow in trust this Lent for there is one thing that is more contagious than sin - God’s grace!
Meditation by the Reverend Paul Shoaf-Kozak
Priest-in-Charge, Christo Rey, Trenton
Diocese of New Jersey