April 8, 2007
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The Norwegian
Lutheran Memorial Church In Luke chapter 15, we find three stories from Jesus, three parables about the same subject: Something being lost, and the feeling of loss that then appears, but most of all: the joy as it is found again. First it is about the lost sheep. Next it is the lost silver coin. And the third parable is about the prodigal son. Have you thought about the growing drama and the growing percentage of loss in these stories? At first it is one out of a hundred that disappears, next it is one of ten. But in the last example, the one we read today, the percentage of loss is 50! As the father had only two sons. I agree with those who say that this is the most beautiful story in the whole Bible. The parable about the prodigal son is like a diamond: A little twist in the point of view makes a text that we know very well, play in new facets. Today I feel that I could have wished to turn the diamond many times, and look at it from different angles, in fact delivered many sermons, but I just have to choose a few points. A son gets his portion of his inheritance and makes his trip out into the world. That a son by his free will does so, is not very strange. More striking is the freedom this boy gets from his father. That has to say that the father does not want remote-controlled robots, but has raised his children to have their independent points of view. Let us not completely leave the question why the youngest decided to leave his home. Was it perhaps because of the eldest brother’s attitude? Surely we can reflect on what had happened between the two brothers. Some persons can afford to stay at home, also “home” in the church, putting plusses and minuses by others in stead of including them with warmth and care. There is something sinister about the oldest brother. Everything he says, is “correct” in some way or another. But even so it gets distorted. That he stays home, but still he is as prodigal as the younger brother. Yes, as is it any better to perish in the grumpy life at home than in the sweet life on the outside? He himself was the one that made things grumpy for himself. By demanding righteousness. By distancing himself from his father. Perhaps the distance was greater between the oldest son and the father back home than between the father and the youngest son? In foreign lands he sat, the prodigal son. Some persons are like that: They have to go very far from home to find out who they are. And what is in the baggage they brought from their childhood? In the example we heard today, he ended up among pigs in the country called “Homelessness”. The Hebrew name is “Nod”. Where Cain once had moved about. But someone else has also been there. In fact he is the third brother. He is the one who tells this parable. The witnesses who were standing around his manger, were shepherds. The witnesses about his resurrection, were women. None of these groups were allowed to testify in trials at the time of Jesus. They were on the outside. But the Bible accepts them. Ranks them by calling them God’s witnesses. And on his way, Jesus did so all the time: Going to the outsiders, and on behalf of God inviting them back home. Somewhere on Jylland in Denmark there is a little village church with an altar painting depicting a scene from today’s text . It is when the prodigal son returns back home. There is a dog there when the boy arrives. Some observers, when seeing this painting react by the size of the dog occupying too much of the canvas. But the artist has a deep meaning behind this. Since dogs were meant not to be very forgetful about old friends. Even if this is not completely true, the meaning behind it, is as follows: This dog obviously does not recognize the guy that is approaching. He is forgotten. Everybody is finished with him. Beasts and humans. Everyone except his father. He was longing, and he could not forget. But while he still was far off, we read, his father recognized him. We have an old expression in Norwegian, “to be recognized by one’s gait”. God is longing. The Norwegian prayer of the day goes like this today: “Heavenly Father, you never forget your children gone astray, but search for the prodigal ones with an unwavering love. Give us your Holy Spirit, so that we regret our sins and return to you..” This father is behaving so far away from what a venerable father of authority did at that time. The sons are not so hard to recognize. They are like so many of us sons and daughters, self-centered and envious. But this father is different from other fathers. In Semitic culture it was unheard of that a father distributed the inheritance before he died. He humbles himself by doing this. And when the son comes back after having thrown both the money and his reputation away, his father runs towards him, as if he for the whole time had been watching. And he embraces and kisses the son, as perhaps a mother would have done. But a Jewish father? The love of the father is so eager and intense, different from what egoistic and envying children can expect. He gives his sons a freedom crossing all reasonable borders. The love of the father is self upgiving. Such a love that makes a father vulnerable and weak, as the children get free and strong. It is such a parent’s love that human children need. God is like this father. The attitude of the father, and his reaction to both of his sons is the most important thing that happens here. The main point of the parable. Such a picture Jesus paints of God: The waiting, longing, forgiving and generous one. This is Jesus’ picture of God. A picture both for us staying home as well as the prodigal ones and the home coming: God is waiting. God longs for those who went astray to come home. He wants us who are at home to rejoice. There is a strong invitation to rejoice in these generous words: All that is mine, is yours. God rejoices, and he invites others into his joy. Rejoice with me, says the shepherd who found the sheep that was lost. Rejoice with me, says the woman that found her lost silver coin. We have to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life, he was lost, and has been found, the father says to his oldest son. Let us who are in the church think about how we can make God’s generosity visible, or reflect it. So that those who come in here can feel the welcoming generosity and the joy. The banquet table is set here, with lit candles and flowers, with bread and wine. My wish is that everyone here can say that “this is my dwelling,” as we now are going to sing. To the glory of the Father and the Son and The holy spirit, one true God now and forever. Amen |
The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church · 924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 · (612)874-0716 |