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The Fourth Sunday in Lent Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 |
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EVERY PARENT WITH MORE THAN ONE CHILD HAS HEARD THE WAILED COMPLAINT THAT “IT’S NOT FAIR!” THIS COMPLAINT MAY BE THE RESULT OF YOUR CUTTING TWO SLICES OF CAKE THAT ARE NOT PRECISELY EQUAL DOWN TO THE MOLECULAR LEVEL, OR OVER THE QUESTION OF WHY ONE CHILD GETS TO DO SOMETHING AND THE OTHER DOES NOT. HOW THIS CONCEPT OF FAIRNESS ENTERS INTO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION, BUT WE ALL SEEM TO GRASP IT FROM OUR EARLIEST YEARS. THERE IS A COMERCIAL ON TELEVISION THAT IS A WONDERFUL DEMONSTRATION OF THIS UNIVERSAL HUMAN DESIRE FOR “FAIRNESS” IN LIFE. TWO LITTLE GIRLS ARE SITTING AT A TABLE DRAWING ON PAPER. THE MAN WATCHING THEM LOOKS AT THE WORK OF THE FIRST AND SAYS, “VERY NICE. WOULD YOU LIKE A PONY?” THE GIRL’S EYES LIGHT UP, AND SHE SAYS. “YES, PLEASE.” THE MAN GIVES HER A LITTLE TOY PONY, WHICH SHE CUDDLES IN HER HANDS. HE TURNS TO THE OTHER GIRL AND ASKS HER IF SHE WOULD LIKE A PONY ALSO. WHEN SHE SAYS “YES, PLEASE,” HE MAKES A CLICKING SOUND, AND OUT WALKS A BEAUTIFUL SHETLAND PONY. THE FIRST GIRL, HOLDING HER TOY, WAILS, “YOU DIDN’T SAY WE COULD HAVE A REAL ONE!” TO THIS, THE MAN REPLIES, “WELL, YOU DIDN’T ASK.” THE LOOK ON THE CHILD’S FACE IS A STUDY OF ALL THE DISAPPOINTMENT, DISGUST AND ANGER OF SOMEONE WHO JUST KNOWS THAT “IT’S NOT FAIR.” THIS CONCEPT OF “FAIRNESS” HAS, AS ITS ROOT, THE FEELING THAT THE OTHER PERSON MIGHT BE GETTING MORE THAN I AM GETTING, OR MORE THAN HE OR SHE DESERVES TO GET. AFTER ALL, I AM JUST AS GOOD AS HE OR SHE IS, IF NOT BETTER, AND, IF ANYONE SHOULD GET THE BIGGER SLICE OF THE CAKE OR THE LIVE PONY, IT SHOULD BE ME. WHEN WE SEE SOMEONE GET SOMETHING WHICH, TO OUR MINDS, HE OR SHE CLEARLY DOES NOT DESERVE, OUR FIRST THOUGHT IS THAT “IT’S NOT FAIR!” WHEN JESUS SAT DOWN TO EAT WITH SINNERS AND TAX COLLECTORS, THE GOOD AND RIGHTEOUS PHARISEES AND SCRIBES GRUMBLED AND COMPLAINED. EVEN THOUGH THEY DID NOT REALLY WANT TO HEAR THE MESSAGE OF JESUS AND REJECTED THE IDEA THAT HE MIGHT BE THE MESSIAH, THEY STILL COMPLAINED THAT HE SPENDT HIS TIME WITH PEOPLE WHO JUST DID NOT DESERVE HIS ATTENTION. AFTER ALL, THEY WERE THE GOOD AND RIGHTEOUS ONES, AND, IF HE WAS GOING TO TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT GOD, HE SHOULD TALK TO THEM AND NOT TO THESE SINNERS AND THE RABBLE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE. IN RESPONSE TO THEIR COMPLAINTS ABOUT “FAIRNESS,” JESUS TELLS THEM THIS LITTLE STORY WE KNOW AS THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. THE YOUNGER SON TELLS HIS FATHER THAT “IT’S NOT FAIR” THAT YOU ARE STILL BREATHING AND KEEPING ME FROM WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE, SO GIVE IT TO ME NOW, WHILE I AM YOUNG ENOUGH TO ENJOY IT. UPON HEARING THIS OUTRAGEOUS DEMAND, THE FATHER KNOWS HE HAS ALREADY LOST HIS SON, SO HE LIQUIDATES HALF OF HIS NET WORTH AND GIVES IT TO HIS SON. NEVER GIVING A THOUGHT TO WHAT IT COST HIS FATHER TO BE “FAIR” TO HIM, THE YOUNG MAN TAKES THE MONEY AND RUNS OFF TO A FAR COUNTRY. IT IS ONLY AFTER HE HAS TOSSED AWAY HIS WEALTH IN A LIFE OF DEBAUCHERY, AND ENDS UP STEALING SOME OF THE SLOP HE FEEDS TO PIGS TO SURVIVE, DOES HE COME TO HIS SENSES. HE REALIZES THAT HIS FATHER’S FAIR DEALING WITH HIS HIRED WORKERS IS INFINITELY BETTER THAN EATING PIG SLOPS, SO HE TURNS HOMEWARD TO BEG HIS FATHER’S FORGIVENESS FOR WHAT HE DID TO HIS FATHER, AND TO BEG TO BE TAKEN ON AS A HIRED HAND. YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY. WHILE HE WAS YET FAR OFF, HIS FATHER SEES HIM, AND RUNS TO HIM TO KISS AND EMBRASE HIM. WHILE THE SON IS TRYING TO CONFESS HIS SIN TO HIS FATHER, HIS FATHER COMMANDS THAT THE BEST ROBE, AND SANDALS, AND A RING BE BROUGHT FOR HIS SON; AND TO KILL THE FATTED CALF FOR A FEAST IN HONOR OF THE RETURN OF HIS SON. THIS, OF COURSE, CREATES QUITE A STIR ON THE FARM, WITH LOTS OF SHOUTING AND RUNNING AROUND. THE ELDER SON, COMING IN FROM THE FIELDS, SEES THE COMMOTION AND ASKES A SLAVE, “WHAT’S GOING ON?” WHEN HE IS TOLD THAT THEY ARE HAVING A PARTY TO CELEBRATE THE RETURN OF HIS BROTHER, HE BECOMES ANGRY AND REFUSES TO GO IN. WHEN HIS FATHER COMES OUT TO PLEAD WITH HIM TO COME IN AND CELEBRATE, THE ELDER SON TELLS HIS FATHER THAT “IT’S NOT FAIR!” HE COMPLAINS ABOUT THE UNFAIRNESS OF IT ALL, HOW HE WORKED LIKE A SLAVE AND OBEYED HIS FATHER’S EVERY COMMAND, YET NEVER GOT EVEN A GOAT TO CELEBRATE WITH HIS FRIENDS. YET, HE TELLS HIS FATHER, WHEN “THIS SON OF YOURS” (NOT HIS BROTHER) COMES BACK AFTER THROWING YOUR WEALTH AWAY ON PROSTITUTES, YOU THROW A PARTY – “IT’S NOT FAIR!” TO THIS, THE FATHER REPLIES, “SON, YOUR ARE ALWAYS WITH ME, AND ALL THAT IS MINE IS YOURS (ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS ASK). 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.” BOTH THE SONS IN THIS PARABLE ARE CONCERNED WITH “FAIRNESS,” BUT THE FATHER IS NOT. THE YOUNGER SON SAW WHAT HIS FATHER HAD AND WANTED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE SHARE HE DESERVED. THE ELDER SON SAW THE FUSS MADE OVER HIS BROTHER’S RETURN, AND THOUGHT HE DESERVED HIS FAIR SHARE, AND MORE, OF HIS FATHER’S LOVE AND JOY. HIS FATHER’S LOVE AND JOY SHOULD BE DIRECTED ONLY TOWARD HIM, AND NOT TOWARD HIS UNDESERVING BROTHER. IN THEIR SELFISH DEMAND THAT “IT’S NOT FAIR,” NEITHER SON GAVE A THOUGHT TO HOW THEIR DEMAND FOR “FAIRNESS” TORE THEIR FATHER’S HEART. THE JOY OF THE FATHER OVER THE RETURN OF HIS LOST SON IS NOW TEMPERED BY THE POSSIBLITY OF LOSING THE SON WHO HAS BEEN ALWAYS BY HIS SIDE, BECAUSE HIS BELOVED FAITHFUL SON THINKS “IT’S NOT FAIR.” OF ALL THE POSSIBLE THINGS WE COULD ASK OF GOD, THE ONE THING WE DO NOT WANT TO ASK OF HIM IS THAT HE BE “FAIR” TO US. OUR CONCEPT OF “FAIRNESS” IS ROOTED IN THE SINFUL SENSE OF OUR DESERVING MORE THAN OTHERS; IN THE SELF – CENTERED UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SELVES AS GOOD, AS BETTER, OR MORE WORTHY, THAN OTHERS. WE REALLY DO NOT WANT GOD TO BE “FAIR” WITH US AND GIVE US JUST EXACTLY WHAT WE DESERVE, BECAUSE WE WILL NOT BE AT ALL HAPPY ABOUT IT. GOD IS NOT “FAIR.” HE IS LOVING AND GIVING IN THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS AND PRODIGAL MANNER. HE IS THE PRODIGAL FATHER WHO GIVES HIS ALL FOR HIS CHILDREN, AND LOVES US IN SRITE OF HOW OUR SELFISHNESS PAINS HIS HEART. HE LOVES THE ONES WHO LABOR IN HIS FIELDS, AND OBEY HIS EVERY COMMAND, AND ALL THAT HE HAS HE WILL GIVE TO HIS FAITHFUL CHILDREN, IF ONLY THEY WOULD ASK. HE LOVES THE ONES WHO BREAK HIS HEART BY TURNING AWAY FROM HIM AND HIS CARE, IF ONLY THEY WOULD TURN BACK TO HIM AND HIS LOVE. GOD LOVES HIS CHILDREN MORE THAN HIS CHILDREN, THE SINNERS OR THE FAITHFUL, CAN EVER COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE HIS LOVE IS ABOVE AND BEYOND ALL OUR PETTY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS “FAIR.” JESUS ATE WITH SINNERS AND WITH PHARISEES, AND MADE NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN THEM, SHOWING US BY HIS ACTIONS THAT GOD MAKES NO DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN HIS CHILDREN. IN THE LIFE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS, GOD IS RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIS LOVE; CALLING THE SINNER HOME AND SHELTERING THE FAITHFUL UNDER HIS CARE. WE, WHO HAVE TURNED BACK TO HIS LOVE SHOWN TO US IN CHRIST JESUS, ARE TO HAVE THE SAME LOVING HEART OF THE FATHER WHICH HE HAS FOR ALL HIS CHILDREN, RECONCILING THEM TO GOD THROUGH THE POWER OF HIS LOVE. IN CHRIST JESUS, GOD CALLS THE SINNER AND THE FAITHFUL TO THE GREAT FEAST TO CELEBRATE WHENEVER ONE OF HIS OWN TURNS BACK TO HIM IN LOVE. HE CALLS US TO CELEBRATE WITH HIM WHEN THE DEAD HAVE COME BACK TO LIFE IN HIM, AND THE LOST HAVE BEEN FOUND AGAIN. NO, “IT’S NOT FAIR;” IT IS THE LOVE OF OUR GOD AND FATHER FOR HIS CHILDREN. THANKS BE TO GOD.
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