GOSPEL READING:
Luke 15:1-3,11-321 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 So he told them this parable:
11 And he said, "There was a man who had two sons; 12 and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. 15 So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, `How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants."' 20 And he arose and came to his father.
But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, `Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; 24 for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry.
25 "Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. 27 And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, `Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' 31 And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"
SCRIPTURE READING:
Micah 7:14-15,18-2014 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. 15 As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt I will show them marvelous things. 18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger for ever because he delights in steadfast love. 19 He will again have compassion upon us, he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. 20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
Meditation: How can you love someone who turns their back
on you and still forgive them from the heart? The prophets remind
us that God does not abandon us, even if we turn our backs on him
(Micah 7:18). He calls us back to himself - over and over and over
again. Jesus' story of the father and his two sons (sometimes
called the parable of the prodigal son) is the longest parable in
the Gospels.
What is the main point or focus of the story? Is it the contrast
between an obedient and a disobedient son or is it between the
warm reception given to a spendthrift son by his father and the
cold reception given by the eldest son? Jesus contrasts the
father's merciful love with the eldest son's somewhat harsh
reaction to his errant brother and to the lavish party his joyful
father throws for his repentant son. While the errant son had
wasted his father's money, his father, nonetheless, maintained
unbroken love for his son.
The son, while he was away, learned a lot about himself. And he
realized that his father had given him love which he had not
returned. He had yet to learn about the depth of his father's love
for him. His deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed
on the husks of pigs and his reflection on all he had lost, led to
his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his
father. While he hoped for reconciliation with his father, he
could not have imagined a full restoration of relationship. The
father did not need to speak words of forgiveness to his son; his
actions spoke more loudly and clearly! The beautiful robe, the
ring, and the festive banquet symbolize the new life - pure,
worthy, and joyful - of anyone who returns to God.
The prodigal could not return to the garden of innocence, but he
was welcomed and reinstated as a son. The errant son's dramatic
change from grief and guilt to forgiveness and restoration express
in picture-language the resurrection from the dead, a rebirth to
new life from spiritual death. The parable also contrasts mercy
and its opposite - unforgiveness. The father who had been wronged,
was forgiving. But the eldest son, who had not been wronged, was
unforgiving. His unforgiveness turns into contempt and pride. And
his resentment leads to his isolation and estrangement from the
community of forgiven sinners.
In this parable Jesus gives a vivid picture of God and what God
is like. God is truly kinder than us. He does not lose hope or
give up when we stray. He rejoices in finding the lost and in
welcoming them home. Do you know the joy of repentance and the
restoration of relationship as a son or daughter of your heavenly
Father?
Lord Jesus, may I never doubt your love nor take for granted the mercy you have shown to me. Fill me with your transforming love that I may be merciful as you are merciful.
Psalm 103:1-4, 8-12
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor requite us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Life through death, by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Did you make it possible for yourselves to merit God's mercy
because you turned back to him? If you hadn't been called by God,
what could you have done to turn back? Didn't the very One Who
called you when you were opposed to Him make it possible for you
to turn back? Don't claim your conversion as your own doing.
Unless He had called you when you were running away from Him, you
would not have been able to turn back." (Commentary
on Psalm 84, 8)
