Cycle C 4th Sunday in Lent
(Jos 5:9-12;2 Cor 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3,11-32)
Return of the Prodigal son
St Luke gives three parables of Jesus in the 15th chapter of his Gospel. All the three deal with the message of God’s mercy.
The parable of the shepherd who lost a sheep
The parable of the woman who lost a coin
The parable of the father who lost a son
The agony that we experience when we lose something is very great. In 2004 the Earthquake in the Indian Ocean washed off the shores of India. Thousands of people were found missing. It was a common sight on the beaches, that mothers were looking for their sons, wives were waiting for the return of their husbands; and fathers were frantically searching for the life beat of their children. All waited in eager expectation that the lost ones would come back. The expectations of some were realized, and others continued indefinitely. And many miracles happened. The missing people returned after days and weeks.
The swirling waters of the tsunami swept the parents of a 20 day old baby. Her father later managed to claw his way back to the badly damaged building, where he found his daughter crying as she floated precariously on the mattress in about five feet of water. Rizal Shahputra, 20, arrived at Malaysia's Port Klang - sunburnt, dehydrated and starving. He was found clinging on to a floating tree trunk, frantically waving for help, some 100 nautical miles from his home in Banda Aceh in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The survivors’ relatives were overcome with joy on receiving them.
Jesus gives a more touching story of the “home coming” of a son, and the joy of the father on receiving the lost son.
The younger son demanded his share, and left home. When he was in a distant land, a famine struck the land and he had to take up some abominable work. In short we can say that he had given himself to the designs of the devil, and fell into sin.
Christopher Marlow’s play Doctor Faustus gives a beautiful picture of a man who has sold himself to the devil. Doctor Faustus strikes a deal with Lucifer. He is to be allotted twenty four years of life on earth, during which time he will have Memphistophilis, a devil appointed by Lucifer, as his personal servant. At the end he will give his soul over to Lucifer as his payment and spends the rest of time as one damned to hell. This deal is sealed with his own blood. He is visited by the good angel, and warned him about the danger he is in. It urges him to repent and revoke his oath to Lucifer. But he turns a deaf ear to the angel, and persists in his damnation.
The prodigal son, when he left his father’s house struck a deal with Satan; and he obeyed his commands and reached the lowest state of accepting the abominable work of feeding swine. But unlike Faustus, he realized his mistake. He decided that he must awake. Only those who are aware that they have fallen can awake. We often fail to realize that we have fallen from the grace of God. When Cain raised his hands against his brother, God called him. But he pretended that he did not know anything about his brother, and asked God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?’ It often, is the case with us too. We do not realize that we have missed the track. Only if we realize that we have fallen, we will be able to arise from there.
St Luke says when the prodigal son was aware of his state he decided to return. His first option was his father’s house where even the servants live in abundance.
A teenager who is sent to hostel for studies feels home sick. His father, mother, brothers, sisters, and the whole home make him long for it. When the prodigal son realized the state in which he was, it was almost his state of mind too. He felt an irresistible longing for his home.
Finally when he returns home the site embarrasses him. His father recognizes him from far and runs to him to welcome him back.
Jesus tells us too that we have to realize our state, and then our first thought should be about the father who is waiting to welcome us back.
In the second reading St Paul appeals to reconcile with God. And the first reading gives us the picture of Israelites in the Promised Land. And it is a reminder for us too to reconcile with God and reach our promised land.
Satish