Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most familiar in scripture. It moves us in ways that are mysterious and profound. We probably identify at some level with the elder brother. We see ourselves in the elder brother's indignation. Here a child has acted in ways that are completely outrageous. He has brought dishonor on the family. He has wasted hard earned resources and assets. Having behaved like a spoiled, inconsiderate ingrate, this prodigal is forgiven even before he confesses. The father interrupts his son's confession and treats it as a minor formality that can easily be dispensed with. All of this, of course, points to the father's mental incompetence.
Had this story taken place in the 21st century America, we wouldn't be surprised to see the elder son put away his father in a mental hospital, or at lease declared incompetent. If he could forgive his son so easily, fall into celebration so effortlessly, might he not also give away the rest of the estate? The father's behavior made no sense at all.
Just for fun, let's suppose there had been a competency trial. Would the father have been able to justify his actions? What would justice have required?
Our scene is the civil court presided over by the Honorable Judge Sterner (get it?.. sterner?). Father Prodigal has been accused of mental incompetence and emotional exorbitance, indulgence and excess. Not only has father behaved illogically, he has put his family at risk by his premature forgiveness and has not followed the normal protocols of confession, acknowledgement of sin and wrongdoing, followed by some attempt at atonement on the part of the offender, a period of waiting - a kind of watch and see time to establish whether the sorrow and contrition is real and can be trusted. Repentance without some demonstration of amendment of life is an empty gesture. The judge has read the charges and asks Father Prodigal: "How do you plead?"
Father Prodigal: "With all due respect your honor, I do not recognize the authority of this court to judge me."
Judge Sterner: "And why not?"
Father Prodigal: "Well, number one, in this parable I represent God and therefore I am above and beyond any court of justice no matter how well intended."
Judge Sterner: "That's quite a claim."
Father Prodigal: "I realize that, but doesn't scripture say, 'O the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?' (Romans 11, Judge, in case you aren't up on your scripture.)"
Judge Sterner: "I am not the one whose mental competency is on trial here Father Prodigal, please do not show contempt to the court. How do you justify, Father Prodigal, the carte blanche forgiveness of your younger son? He asked for his inheritance while you were still alive, which is tantamount to saying, 'I wish you were dead so that I could enjoy life.' Such behavior is outrageous and causes me to question your sanity in the first place. That is to say, how could a sane man give a "twenty something" still "wet-behind-the-ears", reckless kid such an inheritance?"
Father Prodigal: "You misunderstand your honor. This story is meant to be a metaphor, an allegory. The younger son in the story represents the wild, reckless, excessive side of all human beings, All people have dark urges that they occasionally give in to. The younger son is simply an exaggerated literacy construction. He represents that part of all of us who wants to run away, live on Maui, smoke pot or drink Chardonnay all day long and lounge on the beach partying till the cows come home. The inheritance in question is the whole smorgasbord of gifts and talents that God gives to each human being. God is lavish. We are given incredible minds, bodies and spirits and a blank page to write a life onto. God loves us so much that we are given incredible freedom to do or to be anything we want. God wants our love and gratitude but he will never coerce us. That's why, in the parable, when the younger son, prodigal #2 returns, I threw the party."
Judge Sterner: "According to eye witnesses you didn't even wait for him to humble himself and confess his excesses but in a most undignified way you ran out to meet him - like some lovesick teenager. Is that true?"
Prodigal Father: "Of course, it's true."
Judge Sterner: "Why?"
Prodigal Father: "Because I love him. When he went away, I died. All I did was worry and felt lost myself. Don't you understand? He is my flesh! He is a part of me! How can I hate or despise what I labored over and teased into existence? I watched him grow up. I taught him and disciplined him. I laughed and cried over him. I am totally invested in him. I could no more reject him than I could cut off my arm or leg. In fact, that's a good way to understand my emotion. Until I saw him come home, I couldn't dance or sing anymore. I was joyless. Do you understand? It was like my two legs had been cut off. When I saw him, I simply sprang to my feet. The act was completely spontaneous. That's why I threw the party. It was the only way I could think to express my joy and share it."
Judge Sterner: "Don't you realize that if you first forgive someone without going through the proper procedures you will create chaos? That's what you've done, you know."
Prodigal Father: "I suppose you're right. Chaos has always been a bit messy. All of us like things to be logical, ordered and to make sense. But chaos has a bright side too. Chaos created by love leads to new life, infinite possibility, resurrection."
Judge Sterner: "But you can't just create chaos! You have to have principles. I mean its okay to be loving and merciful but there has to be justice. You can't just go around randomly forgiving people. The offenders have to demonstrate good faith, sinners have to pay their debt to society."
Prodigal Father: "I appreciate your concern Judge Sterner, but from my point of view (remember, in this sermon and parable I represent God, correct?) in the end one principle has to be ultimate. Which would you rather it be, justice or mercy? Remember I will judge you by the principle you choose."
Judge Sterner: "Me? Judge me?... uh…uh…uh…. Well in that case I think I'll opt for mercy."
Prodigal Father: "The defense rests."
Judge Sterner: "Case dismissed! You're correct, Prodigal Father, we have no right to judge you. Father...knows...best.
See what I mean? God's love and mercy, always scandalizes but we are mesmerized and enchanted just the same. Who but God would endure being whipped, mocked with a thorny crown, prodded and poked in abuse while carrying a cross to a bald hill? Who but God would utter forgiveness to the very ones who cried for his blood and nailed him to a cross to be tortured and sunburned with only vinegar to relieve his thirst.
The only way to describe the love of this God is with the word prodigal which means excessive, unrestrained, with abandon. The way the true and living God loves us.
Amen
Who We Are