3rd August Trinity 2016, All Shall Be Well (Redux)

3^rd August Trinity

Rembrandt, Wiki Commons

August 7, 2016

Luke 15:11-32

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].’

So he rose up and traveled along the road to his father. When he was still a long way off, his father saw him, felt his misery, ran toward him, embraced him and kissed him. And yet the son said, ‘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].’

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.’

Lacquered Box Depiction of Story of Prodigal Son

3^rd August Trinity

August 7, 2016

Luke 15:11-32

We are complex beings. Our souls are populated by many different aspects of our personality. One way to read today’s beautiful parable is to regard each character in the story as one aspect of a single human being.

We all have an inner, fun-loving son who is eager for what the world has to offer. In pursuing the

Turning Point, Frostad

world one-sidedly, he finds himself cut off from the Source, alone and starving.

We all have a loving Father within, who encourages our explorations and welcomes our return with compassion and joy. And we all have a law-abiding, jealous brother, who is keeping accounts, prone to anger. He feels himself short-changed but is missing the point.

This triad, Father, son and brother, is an image of the human will. We see the Father’s good will, the brother’s ill will, the son’s self-will.

And the most important moment in the story comes when the lost son ‘comes to himself’. In that moment, he recognizes that what keeps us alive is not merely food, but relationship. In coming to himself, he has found his own singularity, and at the same time he recognizes that he needs to re-establish a healthy relationship with his origins in the Source. In coming to himself, he comes to direct his own will.

Return of the Prodigal Son, Charlie MacKesey

Life brings us moments of coming to ourselves. Often it is illness or tragedy that brings us this opportunity. But we can also deliberately create moments of silent listening for our own, true voice, the voice that urges us to return to the Source. In such moments we receive the Father’s kiss. We receive the mantle of peace, the ring of unity, sandals of free power. We partake in the celebratory feast which keeps us truly alive. T. S. Eliot said,

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.

Through the unknown, remembered gate

…

A condition of complete simplicity

(Costing not less than everything)

And all shall be well and

All manner of thing shall be well…*

*T. S. Eliot, “Little Gidding”.

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