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Today, Catholic Christians celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Lent.
On this day, we read the beautiful story called The Prodigal Son in the Gospel of Luke. In the story, the younger of two sons asked his father for his inheritance early. The father obliged, and the younger son went out and lived a wild lifestyle. A great famine came to the land, and the younger son was not prepared for that financially. He found himself feeding swine and going hungry. So, he decided he would go home, ask his father’s forgiveness, and beg to be allowed to be a servant in his father’s house.
When the young man was still a long way off from the house, his father saw him coming up the road. The father was filled with compassion. So, when his younger son got to him, the father was filled with joy and hugged his son. Only then did the son make his little speech. The father, however, barely heard what his son was saying, for he planning a huge celebrating to welcome back his son.
That evening, the house was filled with music and dancing and merriment to welcome back the wayward son. But as the celebration was going on, the older son came in from the field and asked what all the commotion was from. When he learned that his younger brother had returned, and his father was throwing a huge “welcome home” party, the older son became angry.
When the father learned that the older son was upset about the party for the younger son, he pointed out that his father never did something so special for him, and he was the faithful son. The father pointed out that he loved him and that everything he had was for this older son. The father explained that the party was to honor someone who had been lost, and now was found.
This parable, my favorite, can teach us many things. Here are just three.
First, God is like the father in the story. God is always willing to welcome us back. God knows our heart, and God is always willing to forgive us.
Second, like all Biblical lost-and-found parables, the “good news” part of the story is the “found” part. That is what we need to focus on.
And third, but often overlooked, this story has profound implications for parents especially, but also for bosses and those who have authority over others. Parents and bosses often forget to give praise to the faithful child, employee, or whomever. They are too busy dealing with those who are causing problems.
This week, it would be a good deal to read this story in Luke (15:11-32) and do some meditation.
