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The Fourth Sunday of Lent
– Year B
It Isn’t Fair
Growing up in
a family with five children, our parents heard often about how unfairly we
were treated. The older ones always
thought that the younger ones were favoured. The younger ones, of course, were sure that
the older siblings got away with murder.
I in the middle knew that everyone else had it better than I. “It just isn’t fair!” we would tell our
parents. As I look back on my
childhood, I realize that they went to great lengths to try to be fair. We all had jobs to do. We each got a small allowance. We were allowed two cookies, not three. Strawberries were counted into the bowls so
that everyone got exactly the same number.
My mother had a really brilliant idea about making sure that things were
divided equally. One of us would be
assigned the task of cutting up the cake for dessert. The others would get first choice at a
piece of cake. Believe me, the person
cutting made certain that the pieces were exactly right. We were also
sure that our parents favoured one or the other of
the children. Why is it that no matter
how much reassurance is offered, it is difficult to explain to a child that
there is enough love to go around? It
is human nature to think that there is only so much love to be given. It is parcelled
out somehow. Eventually it simply runs
out. We appear to
have that same sense about God’s love as well. That God has only so much love to give. That
it will run out. That God couldn’t
possibly love us. That
others who are more deserving than we will somehow take our share. That we need to earn God’s love. That we will never be good enough to
deserve it. The Pharisees
and Scribes are complaining about the company Jesus is keeping. His ministry, his presence, attracts all
sorts of unsavoury characters, tax collectors,
sinners, who clamour to be near him. Jesus tells a story about how astonishing
and inclusive God’s reconciling love is.
It is a story that we need to listen to with an open mind, reflecting
on what Jesus is really saying. We
need to reflect on what the story has to say about our relationship with
God. A man has two
sons. The younger son is impatient to
experience life. He wants to possess
now, to see now, to explore now. He asks his father for his
inheritance. He is, in effect, saying,
“I wish you were dead.” His father
divides the estate and gives him his portion.
And off he goes, with that heady sense of freedom, of being able to
express who he is. For a while
things are good. He spends his money
living the good life. But with his
lavish lifestyle he soon squanders his whole inheritance. He hits rock bottom. He sinks so low that the only job he can
get is to go into the fields to feed the pigs. Then he comes
to his senses. He heads for home. He has it all worked out, what he will do,
what he will say. When he gets home,
he doesn’t have to say a word. His
father runs to greet him. He accepts
him back with open arms. He still
gives the speech. “Father, I have
sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your
son.” But the father
has already moved on. The son gets
royal treatment, the best clothing, a fine feast, the
works. There is a great celebration. But the older will
have none of it. He won’t even come
inside the house. The whole thought of
what his father is doing for his ingrate of a brother enrages him. After all, while his brother has been off
enjoying life he has been toiling for his father, keeping the estate
going. To say that he is angry is an
understatement. He feels misjudged,
abused, filled with resentment both at his younger brother and his
father. Even though everything will
one day belong to him, he cannot bring himself to forgive. It just seems so unfair. Perhaps you are
saying, “Well! It seems unfair to me too.
Here is the older brother attending to all the affairs of the
business, toiling away day after day, and then the younger brother comes home
and gets all the attention. Whatever
happened to ‘reap what you sow’? It
just doesn’t seem fair. Shouldn’t he
be paying for his sins instead of having a party?” Is it then a
story about fairness? It might well be. There are all sorts of illustrations of
unfair treatment. Is the father’s
treatment of the older brother fair? As the father points out, everything he
has will go to his older son one day. Is
any of this fair on the father? Would
it make it any fairer for the father to turn his back on his younger son who
has come back begging for forgiveness?
What would make it fair to both?
Indeed, is God fair? But I think it
is about more than that. Jesus wants
us to reflect on the love of the father.
Think about his loving act. He
loves enough to forgive his son completely.
He loves enough to accept him back.
He loves unconditionally. He
doesn’t even wait to see if his son is repentant. He is so filled with joy at having him
back. If a human parent can love that
way, then why can’t we think about God being that way? It is a story,
not about fairness, but about grace. God
doesn’t love us because we are beautiful … or nice … or rich … or go to
church. God does not love us because
we are good. God doesn’t even love us
because we repent. God simply loves
us. God looks at creation and loves,
because God is love. God longs to call
us back into relationship. Where we
expect judgement God shows love; where we expect condemnation God shows
compassion. Without any hesitation, God can forgive the wandering
child. God is lavish in love. God is prodigal in mercy, and in grace.
What a transforming gift that is for us! God loves
unconditionally. God loves … Sometimes we are like the younger son, wanting to live life
recklessly. We drift away from the faith.
We get out of the habit of going to church. We intend to go. We sometimes yearn for the sense of
community that we once had. But at the
same time, it seems impossible to go back.
We feel unworthy. We do not
feel as if we belong. We do not see
ourselves as beloved children. And so
we stay away. That is somehow
easier. For by staying away, we don’t
risk being rejected. But if we go
back, the parable assures us, God receives us back. We may be rather like the older son, carrying resentments and
jealousies. Here we are trying to serve God.
Trying to do God's work. Then
the homeless, the addicted, the downtrodden, the hopeless sinners, get all
the attention. It seems so
unfair. How like God! God
gives us dangerous freedoms. God allows us to live our own lives.
God entrusts the world into our hands, knowing that we are capable of
destroying the wonderful work of creation. God welcomes sinners to the
table. God offers us salvation, not because we deserve it. Not because we have earned it. Simply because … At every turn God surprises us with
grace. Our loving God rushes out to meet us, bless us, reinstate us,
and call us God’s own. Thank God it isn’t fair. |
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