Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent C 

Readings: Joshua 5: 9a, 10-12 (RM) or 9-12 (RCL); Psalm 34 RM) or Psalm 32 (RCL); 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21 (RM) 16-21 (RCL); Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32.

The story Jesus told, that we know as “The Prodigal Son,” might better be called “The Compassionate Parent.” It’s a rich tale, more complex than it appears at first glance, with a solid story arc, believable characters, and an image of divine generosity and forgiveness that cannot be missed.

Well, uh, no… it’s quite possible to miss the point. It’s possible to hate the point.

And that is how we begin in the first century, and crash-land in the 21st.

This story is thoroughly gendered – it has three male characters and no women (unless you count “prostitutes.”) Yet the quality of the father’s astonishing generosity in welcoming home the wayward younger son, and his patient dealings with the jealous elder brother, sound more like the stereotype of a mother. Particularly when you situate the story in a first-century Middle Eastern culture, and in a father/son relation in which property and inheritance play a key role.

First, what did the younger son actually ask for? At their father’s death he would have come into a much smaller portion of the family inheritance than the older brother in any case. But he takes what he’s given as liquid assets, moves far away, and squanders it all. His rich friends disappear. The climax of his fall shows him employed by a non-Jew, feeding unclean animals, and starving to the point of wanting to eat the carob pods he threw to the pigs.

His motives seem more pragmatic than ethical. He apparently never thought in terms of reforming his life, begging forgiveness, or promising to compensate for the damage and insult to his family, although he came up with a good speech. He just wanted the food.

When the father saw his son at a distance, he set off at an impulsive run, totally unseemly for an elderly Oriental gentleman. He called for his bedraggled son to be clothed in a robe, sandals on his feet (no longer barefoot like a servant), and wearing a ring to signify his restored status. Then the father ordered the fatted calf killed, to supply meat for a community-wide festive meal.

Then, in what was originally a second story, the father deals gently with the resentment of the older son, affirming this son’s honoured place. In both cases, the father shows exemplary composure, deep wisdom, and breathtaking compassion. He shows nothing less than profound empathy.