A Son Returns by Cheri Holdridge (with an assist by Kurt Young)

Which son are you? There are two sons in today’s story (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 from the Message paraphrase for those who are following along from afar). The Partier, usually known as the Prodigal Son, and the Perfect son, usually known as the older brother. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. 

Let’s start with the Partier. He is a free thinker. He could be the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. He does not want to hang around raising sheep and goats like his dad. He wants to move to the big city. He has big ideas. Perhaps he wanted to take that money, his share of the family inheritance, and do something with it – start up a business or invest in some creative new idea. But somehow the Partier got off track. He got to the city and was taken in by the fun. He got in with the wrong crowd and began to par-ty! He played hard. He probably got into the drug scene, which we all know can spend down the cash fast. He spent money on prostitutes and other wild living. 

There are so many other ways that we get off track, aren’t there? Nancy Rockwell gives a good list:

“Some are infamous. The fellow who just got out of jail last week, and has moved back in with his mother.

“Some just make you roll your eyes. The young woman who’s saddled her mother with a second ‘accidental’ child.

“And some the family manages to keep on the downlow – the daughter in rehab, the son who can’t keep a job. They haven’t squandered big money, but they’ve squandered their youth, and chances they had to make something of themselves. Or, the spouse who has maxed out the charge cards, who has used shopping as a stress medication. Now the couple works extra jobs on what were supposed to be days off, passing with the neighbors as hard-workers.

….

“The thing is, none of our prodigals got into their messes alone. Haven’t we all helped someone to Just have one more before you go. Or:  I’d never forgive him, never. Or: Don’t worry about what people say, go for it. Or:  That’s a big salary. I’m really proud of you, son. Or: Go ahead, treat yourself. It’s only money.” (Source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/biteintheapple/prodigalsare-we-the-older-brothers-or-the-party-friends/)

The Partier in the story takes his family inheritance before his father dies, and goes into the city. He wastes all of his money and then a famine hits the land. He takes a job feeding pigs and realizes that the pigs are eating better than he is. 

The Partier comes to his senses and decides to go home and ask his dad for a job as a hired hand. It’s really all he deserves after what he has done. He can only hope his father will give him this other chance. 

When he goes home, his father sees the Partier from a distance, and runs to him, embraces him and gives him a kiss. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’ But the father pays no attention. He immediately calls to his servants and asks for clean clothes and the family ring and calls for a feast with the best heifer on the lot. “My son was lost and now he is found.” 

The Partier has gone from being a big loser to being the most favored son. He does not deserve this. He wasted his inheritance. How can this be? What happened? 

A parent’s love is what happened. If you are a parent, you know. If you are a child who had a good parent, you know. A good parent will forgive anything because this is your child, the one whose diapers you changed, the one you taught to ride a bike. This is the child who was a moody teen-ager, you know the one. You endured that because you love your child. This is the child who broke your heart so many times when she made bad choices. And over and over again, when she came back, you forgave her. She would come crying back into your arms and of course you would forgive her. That’s what parents do. 

Jesus told this story to show how much God loves us. You can be the Partier, and run away from God. You can waste your life and do foolish things. And when you return, God will throw a big party. All is forgiven. There is no penance. You don’t have to prove yourself to God. You don’t have to wash God’s car for a month. (No, I don’t think God has a car.) 

I wonder how that Partier felt when the father took him back and threw him a party. Did he feel guilty? Did he feel unworthy and shameful? I hope he felt blessed. I hope he felt immense joy. That is what I want you to feel when you hear the good news that God loves you no matter what. I hope you shout from the rooftops: I am loved! I hope you celebrate with your friends. So this is the good news from the first part of the story with the brother who is the Partier.

Then comes the second brother, the Perfect son. Perhaps you identify more with him. Perfect son is a great kid. He always cleaned his plate when he was little; he made his bed and did his chores. Now as a grown man he helps his father run the family business of herding sheep and goats. Perfect son is responsible. He always comes home on time. He does what is expected of him. He never worries his parents. I see some of you out there.

He could not believe it when his younger brother, the Partier, asked for his inheritance before their father had died. What an insult! On second thought, he was not surprised at all. His younger brother had been a screw up all his life. The older brother, Perfect son, had always had to clean up the messes of Partier. 

So imagine how Perfect son felt the day his long lost brother came home. Perfect son came in from the fields after a hard day’s work. He heard music and asked a house servant what was going on. The servant said, “Your brother, the Partier, has returned and we have killed the fatted calf and your father has called for a celebration.” 

Now what do you suppose Perfect son did? He went off to his room to sulk, a good, old fashioned sulk.   How could this be? How could his wretched brother be getting a party? 

His father came to talk with him and Perfect son would not listen. He said, “Look how I have served you faithfully all these years. I have not given you one day of grief. When have you ever given a party for me and my friends? And my miserable brother, the Partier, comes home after wasting his money on prostitutes, and you throw him a party.”

The father said, ‘[Perfect] Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and now he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!’”

We don’t know how the Perfect son reacted after that. The story ends abruptly there. He may have lived the rest of his life resenting his younger brother. I hope not. I hope that by God’s grace his heart was softened and he came to forgive his brother and welcome him home. 

But if you identify with the Perfect son, you know it’s hard. It’s hard when you play by the rules and then someone who does not play by the rules still gets God’s love. But that’s why we call it grace. Grace is a gift. Grace is God’s love for all people. There are no exceptions. 

God loved the Perfect son AND God loved the Partier just the same, with the fullness of God’s love. That is the beauty of grace. Of course God is sad when we waste our lives away. But God still loves us. That is the message of this story. 

So how about you? Do you identify more with the Perfect son? Have you lived your life playing by the rules? Even if you try, it’s impossible to be perfect all the time. Or are you the Partier? Are you a rebel? Either way, there is a place for you in God’s family. That is the good news! Neither one is better or worse than the other. They each come to God in their own way. 

It’s hard for us to wrap our minds around this truth. Our culture values the Perfect son more. We judge the Partier. We want them to come around. But God stands ready, with arms open wide, to receive them both. God stands ready, with arms open wide, to receive each one of us. God knows you, and God loves you. No matter how much you mess up. Even if you try to be perfect. Either way. God loves you. What a blessing! Amen.