3rd August Trinity
Luke 15:1-32
Now many customs officials, despised by the people,
who called them sinners and expelled them from their community, sought to be
close to Jesus. They wanted to listen to him. The Pharisees and teachers of the
law however were upset by this and said, “This man accepts sinners and eats
with them!”
So he told them this parable:
I tell you, there will be more joy in the heavens
over one human being, living in denial of the spirit, who changes his mind,
than over the ninety-nine righteous who think they have no need of repentance.
Or which woman, if she has ten silver coins and
loses one, does not light a
lamp, sweep the whole house and search carefully
until she finds it? And when she has found it she calls together her friends
and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had
lost!’
In the same way, I tell you, there will be joy among
the angels in the world of spirit over one human being living in denial of the
spirit who manages to change his heart and mind. “
And he said further: “A certain man had two sons.
The younger of them said to his father, ‘Give me the share of the estate which
falls to me.’ And he divided his wealth
between them. And not many days later the younger son gathered everything
together and went on a journey to a far country and squandered his estate in
the enjoyment of loose living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine
came over the land, and he began to be in need. So he went and attached himself
to a citizen of the country who sent him out into his fields and let him herd
swine. And he longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the swine were
eating, but no one gave him anything.
Then he came to himself, and said, ‘How many of my
father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here of hunger.
I will rise up and go to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against
the higher world and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
Make me one of your hired men [workers].’
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But the father called his servant to him. ‘Quickly!
Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on
his feet, and slaughter the fattened calf. Then we shall eat and be merry. For
this my son was dead and is risen to life. He was lost and is found again.’ And
they began to celebrate.
Meanwhile the older son was in the field. When he
returned home and came near the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants to him and asked him what it meant. He gave him
the news: ‘Your brother has come home again. So in joy your father has
slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back again safe and sound.’
The son grew dark with anger and didn’t want to go
in. But his father came out and pleaded with him. He however reproached his
father saying, ‘Look! For so many years I have been with you and have never
neglected one of your commands. But you never gave me so much as a goat that I
might be merry with my friends. And now comes this son of yours who has eaten
up your wealth in scandal, and you offer him the fattened calf.’
The father however said to him ‘Child, you are
always with me and all that I have belongs to you too. But now we should be
glad and rejoice, for this your brother was dead and lives; he was lost and has
been found again.’
3rd August Trinity
Luke 15: 1-32
One of the poets famously wrote, “How do I love thee? Let me
count the ways.”[1] The three parables in today’s reading are like a love poem
from God to us. They are three different ways Christ uses to show us how much
the divine world values us.
We are each of us like a lost sheep; yet our individual
value is greater in God’s eyes than that of the rest of the safe flock; valuable
enough to be sought and rescued.
We are each like a lost coin, that golden condensate of the
value of our human labor. Our life labors, even if misguided, have value to
God.
For we are all like the lost son. We have taken what was
given to us in life and squandered it in selfishness. And yet, to God, the most
precious thing of all is the awakening of the human heart. In the pigsty the
lost son ‘comes to himself’. Luke 15:17 Indeed it was his risky behavior that led to
his heart’s awakening to love. The heart of his older brother, the safe one,
only awakens to self-righteousness and anger. But the father would have him
awaken to love. And the Father of us all pleads with us to come and rejoice
with Him.
For as the poet says:
Laughter is the polestar
Held in the sky by our Beloved,
Who eternally says,
"Yes, dear ones, come this
way,
Come this way towards Me and Love!
….O what is laughter,…?
What is this precious love and
laughter
Budding in our hearts?
It is the glorious sound
Of a soul waking up![2]
