Going Home Lent 2019, Week 1, Luke 15.11-32

The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke:

11 Then Jesus said, "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. '"

The Gospel of Our Lord.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.  Amen

1 Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
see, on the portals he's waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me. 

Refrain:
Come home, come home;
you who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home! 

2 Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies,
mercies for you and for me? [Refrain]

3 O for the wonderful love he has promised,
promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me. [Refrain]

Standing there.

Waiting.

Longing.

Looking.

Running.

Embracing.

Such is the love of God.

Such is Jesus’ love for you, and for me.

This Son of mine who was lost has now been found.

The Waiting Father.

The plight of the wayward Son.

What happened?

Dr. Mark Allen Powell, in his video “How Lutherans Interpret the Bible” relates asking the following question of seminary students here, in Africa, and in Russia.

He got strikingly different answers.

What happened?  What is the crisis?

Those American students almost all responded with what they’d been taught since Sunday School.

The problem is that he squandered his inheritance on dissolute living.  In that there are two major sins.  First that he squandered the inheritance.  And second, the way he did it. 

When Dr. Powell asked the same question of the African students the answer was quite different.

“No one gave him anything to eat.” 

And finally, when the Russian students were asked what the problem was, they responded that “a famine to place throughout the country.”

We are quick to condemn the immorality.

The Africans were concerned about the lack of generosity.

And the Russians about the natural crisis everybody in the land faced.

All three issues are present in the story.  All three perspectives are true.

What is the issue for the father who is waiting and watching?

All the father seems to care about is that his son, whom he loves, is in a distant land, apart from his father, separated from his family.

Come home, come home, all who are weary come home.

Come home, come home;
you who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home! 

I don’t care what you’ve done,

I don’t care where you’ve been.

I just want you to come home.

When the wayward Son comes to his senses, he heads home, prepared to make his confession, and to take on the role of a slave in his father’s house.

Yet while he was still far off, his Father saw him and ran to greet him.

The father wouldn’t even wait to hear the son’s confession.

'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! '

Rejoice.

For my Son has come home.

Such is the love of Jesus.

Such is the Father’s love.

Come home.

And then there is the elder brother.

Many of us can relate to the older brother.

While the younger brother was off in a foreign land partying away his inheritance, the older brother was obediently serving his father, tending to the farm.

And he wasn’t thrilled at all that his Father was throwing a party for this wayward younger brother of his.

He should be punished, not celebrated.

I remember growing up in a small town in South Dakota.

One day my boss was grousing about one of the other members of our congregation.

How dare they come to church Sunday morning still reeking of alcohol from the night before.

It’s not that the elder son would not have in time, welcomed his younger brother home.

It’s that he wanted to see signs of true repentance.

He wanted him to make amends.

And perhaps he wanted to know that the Father wouldn’t let the younger brother squander even more of his inheritance.

And so he remained outside.  Unwilling to join in the celebration, just yet.

His father pleaded with him to come home and join in the celebration as well.

I don’t care what you’ve done,

I don’t care where you’ve been.

I just want you to come home.

Again, all the father cares about is that his son, the one he loves, is standing outside, estranged from his family, and unwilling to join in the celebration.

Come home.

Come home.

Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

Come home.

And there the story ends.

We don’t know whether the older brother ever comes home.

Going home, going home
I am going home
Quiet like, some still day
I am going home

It's not far, just close by
Through an open door
Work all done, care laid by
Never fear no more

Mother's there expecting me
Father's waiting too
Lots of faces gathered there
All the friends I knew

I'm just going home

No more fear, no more pain
No more stumbling by the way
No more longing for the day
Going to run no more

Morning star light the way
Restless dreams all gone
Shadows gone, break of day
Real life has begun

There's no break, there's no end
Just living on
Wide awake, with a smile
Going on and on, going on and on

Going home, going home
I am going home
Shadows gone, break of day
Real life has begun

I'm just going home

( Songwriters: David Downes / Antonin Dvorak)