Scripture/Sermon of the Day. March 27, 2022

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable:

“There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up 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 like one of your hired hands.”’ 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21 Then 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 slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

Reflection/Sermon:

I. This story begins with the Pharisees and scribes “grumbling.” A Pharisee was a member of an ancient Jewish sect that was known by its strict observance of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible which were mainly concerned with God’s law. A Pharisee would keep to these laws to an extreme degree. They were so fixated on the correct observance of it — correct being the way they interpreted and practiced it — that they believed they were superior to other people. They tended to be self-righteous and intolerant of others who were not like them. Early in the gospels the Pharisees were identified as major opponents to Jesus and some of the first ones who wanted to kill him.

II. It’s ironic that the people who believed they were closest to God were the ones who, when God appeared, rejected him.

III. Jesus called the Pharisees “whited sepulchers” — beautifully carved stone coffins where dead people are laid. Lovely outside, rotten on the inside.

IV. The Pharisees saw themselves as Israel’s finest citizens, pure and holy and worthy of praise by lesser people who could not observe the laws so successfully. Many Pharisees hated Jesus because Jesus did not follow many of the laws. He didn’t do the ritual washing before meals. He ate “unclean” foods. He touched lepers and other “unclean” people. He enjoyed the company of “foreigners” and healed them, cast out their demons, and shared meals with them. He healed people on the Sabbath. He forgave people. He gave the Pharisees much to grumble about.

V. So Jesus told them a story which we call “The Prodigal Son” — though it’s more about God than the sons. In the story, the older brother is the Pharisee. He believes he’s superior to his younger loser of a brother because he is responsible, he works hard. When he hears that his father — God — is about to have a party for the younger brother — he’s angry and says, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’” The responsible son followed the law and worked hard all his life. So he thinks he should get the party — not his brother! He’s so angry he could kill.

VI. A Pharisee who’s been in the news since Russia invaded Ukraine is Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church and loyal supporter of Vladimir Putin. Kirill says that Putin is doing God’s work because he wants to bring the Prodigal Son — Ukraine — back home to Russia. Ukraine has become corrupt, embracing “Western Values,” the most sinful of which is acceptance of homosexuals. And God is using Putin to punish them for wanting to march in the Gay Parade. Patriarch Kirill sees Ukraine as the Prodigal Son who needs to repent — and come back home, to Russia.

VII. Jesus would not support that interpretation of his story. To repent does not mean to come back to Russia or stop marching in Gay parades. “HOME" in the parable is the place of compassion in the heart. That’s where God dwells.
Repentance is turning our lives more and more in the direction of love, mercy, forgiveness and thankfulness — embracing, as Jesus did, all sinners, even the ones who believe they’re better than others.
In the world of the Bible, we are dead until the spirit of compassion awakens within us.