The Merciful Father

The Merciful Father

Todays reflection is from Pastor Joseph Nelson. Joseph is the Senior Pastor of St Luke’s and St Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Leeds. Along with this role he is Lutheran Chaplain at the Universities Chaplaincy in Leeds  and the Assistant to the Bishop of the LCiGB. Along with his church roles Joseph has completed a Masters by Research into how Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s ethics of responsibility could be used to help with a Christian approach to Artificial Intelligence and is a trustee of the Anglican-Lutheran society.

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable:

¹¹ “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

This reading is one of the most famous readings from the New Testament. The prodigal son is a favourite theme for reflections and for preaching. It is one of those readings that we can sometimes not really hear because we are so very familiar with it.

The first thing that stands out to me is that we often call this story the prodigal son… prodigal meaning wasteful… and yet in most Bibles this is not what the story is titled. Very often it is called the story of the loving Father or the merciful father. While we focus on the Son… so much of this story is actually about the love of the Father.

The story of the Prodigal Son is not just about one lost child returning home—it is about the overwhelming, undeserved grace of the Father. It is about a love so deep that it runs to meet us even when we are still far away.

The story begins with a man who has two sons. One of the sons comes to him and asks for “the share (meros) of the property (ousia) that falls (epiballon) to me”. In essence, the son is asking for his share of his inheritance before his father has died. He is declaring that he sees his father as dead to him, and wants that which is of the Father (ousia), and does not want to be a part of his family anymore. The son is impatient for the death of his father. How often in life do we seek good things from God? And yet we want nothing to do with God? How often do we pray for that which we desire while failing to give thanks, while failing to seek to know God or dwell with him.

The son goes off… he spends all of the money. In the Greek this word speaks of carelessness and excess. So when a famine came, he was left high and dry and had to get a job looking after pigs. The choice of animal here is interesting. Pigs were seen as being unclean by the Jewish people of Jesus’ time and it was forbidden for a Jew to look after pigs. As such, the son was the lowest of the low, unclean, and covered in shame. He was starving. Only then did he realise his need for his father….How often do we only know our need of God when we reach a place of brokenness? When we reach a place where we feel there is nothing else that we can do?

And so, this son turns around. He repents. He seeks to return to his father – not even as a son but as a servant and slave. He knows that he does not deserve anything from his father but trusts and prays that the father might be merciful to him.

How often do we only know our need of God when we reach a place of brokenness?

And yet when the father is still far off, he saw his son…

He saw his son. And he runs to meet him. A father, a landowner, of Jesus’ time should never run. And yet he breaks the rules, he defies convention and norm to run to his son.

So too it is with us and God. When we are far off, lost in our own selfish desires, in the passions that can consume our hearts, God does not see our mess, our filth, our shame, nor even what we have done. Even when we are far off God sees his Son and he runs to meet us: breaking every convention or norm or rule to secure your heart.

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

When we turn from our own self-centred desires, when we seek after God, he makes us new in Christ. It is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me!

When we are far off, lost in our own selfish desires, in the passions that can consume our hearts, God does not see our mess, our filth, our shame, nor even what we have done. Even when we are far off God sees his Son and he runs to meet us

And when we turn back to God our Father; he says over you and over me:

Quickly, bring out a robe – the best one – and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate,

for this son … this daughter… of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

This always reminds me of the words we say near the beginning of our service at St Luke’s and St Matthew’s after the absolution:

God our Father, we thank you that through Jesus Christ the way to you is always open, help us to live in the assurance of your forgiveness…

When we turn back to God heaven rejoices. No matter where we have been, no matter what we do, the door of our Father is open because the moment we trust in Jesus: we are made new and in us God sees his Son.

But the story isn’t over. There’s another character we cannot ignore – the older brother.

The older brother who has stayed in the house of the Father this whole time is bitter and angry at the choice of the father. He feels like he is owed for staying home the whole time.

In some senses this could be a comparison for us. As the Church do we rejoice when someone turns to Christ, or do we feel superior to them because we have been here longer? Notice that it is the prodigal son who is inside the house. The father goes outside to the older brother. How easy it is for us to be a part of the family of faith and yet to still be outside, to be bitter, and angry at God. He stands distant from his father despite never having left home.

When we turn back to God heaven rejoices. No matter where we have been, no matter what we do, the door of our Father is open because the moment we trust in Jesus: we are made new and in us God sees his Son.

This reminds us that even those of us here and now still need to turn, like the younger son in repentance so that we might be made new in Christ.

Our Gospel reading begins with the line

The Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them”.

The scribes and pharisees are the older brother. The sinners are the younger brother. The younger brother knows his need of God. The older brother does not. Friends, let us never be complacent… Do we see serving God as slaving away for him, like the older brother, or do we see it as a joyful privilege as the younger brother did? Do we rejoice in what God gives to us, as the younger brother does, or are we bitter and resentful like the older brother?

When the lost are found do we rejoice with the Father, or do we judge them for their sins which are none of our business.

The story of the Prodigal Son is not just about one lost child returning home—it is about the overwhelming, undeserved grace of the Father. It is about a love so deep that it runs to meet us even when we are still far away.

Each of us, at different times, might find ourselves in the place of the younger son – wandering, broken, and in need of grace. Other times, we may be like the older brother – resentful, proud, and forgetting that all we have is already given by God.

But the invitation is the same for both: Come home. Step into the joy of the Father. Rejoice in his mercy.

The question today is – where do you find yourself in this story? Are you the younger son, needing to turn back to God? Are you the older son, standing outside in bitterness? Are you ready to enter the celebration, rejoicing in the love of God?

Jesus tells this parable to remind us that God is not waiting with crossed arms -he is running toward us, ready to embrace, restore, and rejoice over us.

So today, no matter who you are,  whether you have wandered far from God or stayed close but distant in heart, hear the voice of your Father:

“Come inside. All that I have is yours.”

Will you step into the celebration today, or will you stand outside?

The Father is waiting and longing to run to you.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, thank you for your boundless mercy. Thank you that no matter how far we have gone, you are always ready to welcome us home. Soften our hearts to rejoice in your grace and to never withhold love from those who are lost. Help us to live as people who know we are deeply loved, and may our lives reflect your joy and mercy to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

This song always reminds me about the love of my Father and hopefully it can remind you today how much you are loved by God.

https://youtu.be/UfhRs5g5t8M