Make a sad dad glad
27/03/22 01:11
The gospel reading for today in congregations that follow the Revised Common Lectionary is a parable that is often called “The Prodigal Son.” I’ve used that title to refer to the story simply because when I do people know what story I’m talking about. I’m not going to tell the story in my journal today because I think that most of my readers are familiar with it. If you want to check out the story, it is found in Luke 15:11b-32. The Lectionary throws in these introductory sentences: Luke 15:1-3.
the reason that I am a bit uncomfortable with calling this parable “The Prodigal Son,” is that I think that undue focus on the younger brother in the story misses a great deal of its richness. there is so much more going on in the story besides the dynamics in the behavior of the younger son.
To begin with, the parable demonstrates the deep love of the father for two very different sons. One is serious and diligent. You can imagine he was often quiet. He went to work and got the job done. You have to admire his dedication and loyalty. You can see lots of reasons for the father to love this one. The other son is impulsive and doesn’t always think things through. He loves to party and is generous. Things don’t always work out for him, but his energy and enthusiasm is obvious. It is also easy to see why a father could love such a son. Sure, he often messes up, but he is creative and fun, and I suspect, often funny. He brings an easy smile to the face of the father. The point of the parable, however, is that the father loves both sons equally. Both are beloved. Both find it easy to get the father’s approval.
To the extent that the parable is a parable of God’s kingdom, we can realize that in God’s realm, people who are vastly different are equally loved. Both sons are treasured. Both have the capacity to cause the father grief. The father is not only sad when the younger son is away and his condition is unknown. He is also sad when the older son grows angry and believes that the younger son is somehow favored. The father is grieved when the two sons don’t get along with each other.
It is this aspect of the parable which I think parents can easily identify. One of the things we most want for our children is for them to love and care for each other. Parents invest a lot of energy in bringing together their children. This is one of the big aspects of being a parent of adult children. It is nearly impossible for me to express how joyful it makes me feel to see our children when they are together enjoying each other and offering support. I know that they will keep track of and care for each other as they grow older, even when I am no longer around to facilitate their meeting. It is one thing that I think of often in terms of my siblings as well. I know how much our parents loved all of us and I know how much it would please our parents for us to be mindful of each other and take care of each other.
The parable reaches its climax in the expressions of the father’s unconditional love. Even though the younger son has grieved the father with his demand for an early inheritance and his use of that inheritance to distance himself from his family of origin, the father has no restraints on his joy at the return of the son. The party he throws is complete and without limit. The robe and ring are real gifts. Even though the older son grieves the father with his refusal to come to the party, the father is quick to go out to the son and remind him that he is an important part of the family and of the family celebration. There are no conditions on the father’s love. He loves his sons regardless of their behaviors. When they mess up, he still loves them. When they grow angry and sullen, he still loves them. He never doesn’t love them. Never.
His expectation is that they will learn to love each other as much as he loves each of them.
As a parent of adult children with children of their own, I deeply understand the power of this parable. It is a topic I’ve discussed with our son in regards to his children as well. He, and we, so hope that they can grow up in such a way that they learn to love each other as much as we love them.
This story is about so much more than a prodigal son.
I confess that I always have had a bit of bias when it comes to this story because I am an older brother. My personality is not that much different than the older brother in the story even though I did not stay at home and take over the family business - an option that would have been available to me had I chosen it. I went straight to college and from college to graduate school and from graduate school to financial independence from my family of origin. I jumped through the hoops and met the expectations. I worked without stopping for my entire adult life. I never experienced even one day of unemployment in my active career. I was a good boy. My parents loved me.
My parents equally loved my siblings who chose different paths in life. They loved their children who couldn’t seem to find a career path and a sense of vocation. They loved their children who struggled to make ends meet and pay their bills. They loved their children who didn’t ear degrees. And the wanted all of us to learn to love one another.
Today, as I tell the story to the children of our church, I’m not going to refer to a prodigal son. Instead, I’m going to call it the story of “How to Make a Sad Dad Glad.
the reason that I am a bit uncomfortable with calling this parable “The Prodigal Son,” is that I think that undue focus on the younger brother in the story misses a great deal of its richness. there is so much more going on in the story besides the dynamics in the behavior of the younger son.
To begin with, the parable demonstrates the deep love of the father for two very different sons. One is serious and diligent. You can imagine he was often quiet. He went to work and got the job done. You have to admire his dedication and loyalty. You can see lots of reasons for the father to love this one. The other son is impulsive and doesn’t always think things through. He loves to party and is generous. Things don’t always work out for him, but his energy and enthusiasm is obvious. It is also easy to see why a father could love such a son. Sure, he often messes up, but he is creative and fun, and I suspect, often funny. He brings an easy smile to the face of the father. The point of the parable, however, is that the father loves both sons equally. Both are beloved. Both find it easy to get the father’s approval.
To the extent that the parable is a parable of God’s kingdom, we can realize that in God’s realm, people who are vastly different are equally loved. Both sons are treasured. Both have the capacity to cause the father grief. The father is not only sad when the younger son is away and his condition is unknown. He is also sad when the older son grows angry and believes that the younger son is somehow favored. The father is grieved when the two sons don’t get along with each other.
It is this aspect of the parable which I think parents can easily identify. One of the things we most want for our children is for them to love and care for each other. Parents invest a lot of energy in bringing together their children. This is one of the big aspects of being a parent of adult children. It is nearly impossible for me to express how joyful it makes me feel to see our children when they are together enjoying each other and offering support. I know that they will keep track of and care for each other as they grow older, even when I am no longer around to facilitate their meeting. It is one thing that I think of often in terms of my siblings as well. I know how much our parents loved all of us and I know how much it would please our parents for us to be mindful of each other and take care of each other.
The parable reaches its climax in the expressions of the father’s unconditional love. Even though the younger son has grieved the father with his demand for an early inheritance and his use of that inheritance to distance himself from his family of origin, the father has no restraints on his joy at the return of the son. The party he throws is complete and without limit. The robe and ring are real gifts. Even though the older son grieves the father with his refusal to come to the party, the father is quick to go out to the son and remind him that he is an important part of the family and of the family celebration. There are no conditions on the father’s love. He loves his sons regardless of their behaviors. When they mess up, he still loves them. When they grow angry and sullen, he still loves them. He never doesn’t love them. Never.
His expectation is that they will learn to love each other as much as he loves each of them.
As a parent of adult children with children of their own, I deeply understand the power of this parable. It is a topic I’ve discussed with our son in regards to his children as well. He, and we, so hope that they can grow up in such a way that they learn to love each other as much as we love them.
This story is about so much more than a prodigal son.
I confess that I always have had a bit of bias when it comes to this story because I am an older brother. My personality is not that much different than the older brother in the story even though I did not stay at home and take over the family business - an option that would have been available to me had I chosen it. I went straight to college and from college to graduate school and from graduate school to financial independence from my family of origin. I jumped through the hoops and met the expectations. I worked without stopping for my entire adult life. I never experienced even one day of unemployment in my active career. I was a good boy. My parents loved me.
My parents equally loved my siblings who chose different paths in life. They loved their children who couldn’t seem to find a career path and a sense of vocation. They loved their children who struggled to make ends meet and pay their bills. They loved their children who didn’t ear degrees. And the wanted all of us to learn to love one another.
Today, as I tell the story to the children of our church, I’m not going to refer to a prodigal son. Instead, I’m going to call it the story of “How to Make a Sad Dad Glad.
