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| THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. Image from nicenetheologian.blogspot.com |
"But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found." - Luke 15:32
Last Sunday we discussed about the Call to Repentance. The day before that, Saturday, we reflected on the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Then on Tuesday we discussed about the Lord's response to the query of the Apostle Peter whether it is enough to forgive an erring brother up to seven times and the Lord replies, "Not seven but seventy-seven times!" [Matthew 18:22]. This Sunday we encounter once again the family of the Prodigal Son.
Most, if not all, of us are now very familiar about the prodigal son. The prodigal son is an image of the sinner who sincerely repents. The father is an image of our forgiving and loving God. The elder brother represents those who cannot understand God's generosity: forgiving those who sin however grave the sins that they have committed. And because they cannot understand God's generosity, they fail to accept the sinners who repent from their sin [see Matthew 20: 1-15].
The Lord Jesus Christ said that there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than ninety-nine righteous people who need no forgiveness [see Luke 15: 7, 10]. That's how generous God is that even His angels rejoice over repentant sinners. As we have mentioned in an earlier reflection, the Lord's Prayer - the Our Father - teaches us the necessity of forgiving others as we ask God's forgiveness also. We cannot expect God to forgive us our sins unless we are ready to forgive those who sin against us. Let us also remember that Jesus teaches us to forgive seventy-seven times.
As we are all called to repentance, we are also called to rejoice over our repentant brethren. God doesn't want anyone to be lost - that should be our attitude also. "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have an everlasting life" [John 3:16]. To the righteous, the call is to sustain their righteousness. To the sinners, the call is for them to repent. And the righteous are admonished to generously and joyously welcome the repentant sinners back to the fold.
We, Christians, cannot be like the elder brother. We must be like God who is generous enough to let His sun shine upon both the good and bad and send His rain down the righteous and the sinner alike [see Matthew 5:45]. We cannot tell God that we have been good and that we remain loyal to Him, avoiding all kinds of sin and fulfilling all that He commands and demand that He reject those who have been unfaithful and sinful. Is forgiving others not part and parcel of what He wills? Therefore, how can we say we are faithful and true to Him when we have that reservation against our repentant brethren?
We are called to rejoice over our repentant brethren, not sulk over their being forgiven and re-accepted into our community. We are the Lord's friends and must manifest this by being generous toward repentant sinners like the Father for loving one another also means forgiving one another and welcoming one another back. Therefore we must even pro-actively look forward for the return of our sinful or erring brethren in the same way that the father kept watch lest the returning son decides to turn back and miss the opportunity to belong once again to his family.
We don't have to wait for the Father to go out and explain to us why we have to welcome back our brethren who were dead and has come back to life and were lost and now are found! This Season of Lent, let us pray for generosity and understanding of God's wonderful works.
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