The Prodigal Son – Reflections

The Prodigal Son

Luke.15: 11 – 32 [Mostly RSV]

The Text:

[11] And he said, "There was a man who had two sons;

[12] and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them.

[13] Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living.

[14] And when he had spent it all, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want.

[15] So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine.

[16] And he would gladly have fed on the husks that the swine ate; but no one gave him anything.

[17] Then he came to himself and said, `How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger!

[18] I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;

[19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants."'

[20] And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet a long way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

[21] And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son...'

[22] But the father said to his servants, `Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet;

[23] and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry;

[24] for this son of mine was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry.

[25] Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

[26] And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant.

[27] And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.'

[28] But he was angry then and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,

[29] but he answered his father, `Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me so much as a kid, for me to make merry with my friends.

[30] But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!'

31] And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

[32] But it was only fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"

Comments:

[11] And he said, "There was a man who had two sons;

[12] and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them.

In that time and place, this was the gravest insult: not to wait until the father had died before claiming his share of the property.

[13] Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living.

[14] And when he had spent it all, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want.

Then he experienced it – the Sting of the World. The well-to-do youth experienced it at first hand, probably for the first time.

“Laugh and the World laughs with you: weep and you weep alone”.

“An t-é atá thuas, óltar deoch air; an t-é atá thíos, buailtear cos air”

(When you’re up they take a drink with you: when you’re down they give you a kick.)

[15] So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine.

[16] And he would gladly have fed on the husks that the swine ate; but no one gave him anything.

For the Jew, who abhorred pigs as unclean in the sight of God, this was truly the ultimate degradation.

[17] Then he came to himself and said, `How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger!

[18] I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;

[19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants."'

[20] And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet a long way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

His father, we may infer, was always watching out for him. Yet note: he did not chase him all the way to the pig farm. It was the son who had to approach the father. In the same way., when our sin is mortal, it is for us to come to the confessional as the condition of forgiveness.

[21] And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son...'

[22] But the father said to his servants, `Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet;

[23] and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry;

[24] for this son of mine was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry.

The symbolism is very clear. the robe signifies a man of substance. The sandals were the mark of the free man – the slave went barefoot. The ring was the seal of his inheritance and of authority – it was used to seal a legally-binding document.

The father does not even let him finish the little speech he had rehearsed. He made his confession, and his Act of Humility: that was enough.

[25] "Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

[26] And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant.

[27] And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.'

[28] But he was angry then and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,

Once again, the father takes the initiative. He could have sent a servant to summon the son. In that country, the father’s word was law. But he came out to plead with the son.

[29] but he answered his father, `Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me so much as a kid, so that I could make merry with my friends.

[30] But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!'

Now let’s be reasonable here: the elder son does have a fair point. The family are obviously not in poverty. Yet the Prodigal son is being treated better than the one who has remained faithful all his life. Can we blame him for feeling a little taken for granted? And is it fair? What about equality of reward? What about recognition of good service?

Notice that he does not disrespect his father even now when he is angry: but just the same there is criticism here. He does accuse his father of unfairness - favouritism. He does want to get it off his chest.

But was he right to refuse to go in at all? Self-righteous indignation is a sweet draught when we can drink it: do we not love to indulge it a little when we get the chance? And what is the motive here? Surely it is self-love: Pride. He is taking on a little of the air of superiority.

Was his love for his father unconditional? Or is he ready to set boundaries, if things are not going to his liking, or according to his own judgment?

[31] And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

[32] But it was only fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"

The father addresses him as ‘Son’. He is still the son of his father – that did not change just because the Prodigal son has returned home. And notice the disdain with which the elder says ‘this son of yours’... whereas the father says ‘this your brother’.

The elder son was happy enough with his lot until he saw somebody else having a good time. Had he a right to be jealous of somebody else’s good fortune?

And the father brings the focus back where it belongs: to the Prodigal son. “It was only right to make merry and be glad”. There is no begrudgement here, but only joy. Now Jesus very clearly intended us to think of the father in the story as God the Father. And who are the two sons? Surely they are ourselves at different times. Some have said that it is quite as much The Parable of the Elder Son as The Parable of the Prodigal Son.

And it has been truly said, that if God Himself had not given us this story, none of us mortals would have dared to make it up. That is the last moral: if God Himself forgives us, then we may forgive ourselves as well. That can be harder than it looks, yet it is very much to the point. Psychologists the world over, of any religion or none, have remarked that Catholics as a group are one of the most emotionally stable people: and they affirm that it is because of the ability to draw a line on the past and move on. God knew what He was doing when he gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation.