'Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found (Lk. 15:25-32).”’
The older son was irate at what his father did and did not want to accept his “dead” brother back into the household. In his self-righteousness he said, “all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders (v. 29).” He did not want to accept the repentance of the son of his father “your son” who he no longer considered his brother. Clearly the older brother never understood his father and the love and compassion his father had for both of his sons. God’s mercy is more powerful than our human actions and the father of the lost son demonstrated how God wants us to act towards sinners and those who are lost. The younger son recognized his sin, repented and sought forgiveness. The older, self-righteous son could not see his sin and therefore did not repent and seek forgiveness. Will we, the adopted sons and daughters of God, welcome sinners and try to lead them to God, or will we be like the self-righteous son and reject those who have strayed and not embrace repentant hearts?
Almighty God, your ways are difficult to accept because they are not like our ways. They often require sacrifice and a complete change of understanding on our part. Grant us the grace, O Lord, to love as you love and to forgive as you forgive. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Expanded Edition, Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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