Holy Wisdom Church
Jeremiah 3:12b-15,19-22; 1 John 3:7-20; Luke 15:11-32
Preparing for the Lenten season, this parable today seems fitting when one considers the world at large. We all experience the foibles of living and the choices we have to make daily. This parable surely indicates some of our human foibles as carried out by the two sons. For the younger son, desiring to do as he self-centeredly pleased, without regard for anyone else, was a big foible. For the older son, being faithful to his responsibilities but being jealous, unforgiving, judgmental, and unloving toward his brother, was his.
Forgiveness and love are two qualities the father, symbolizing God, represents. Do these two qualities describe how we approach our everyday lives? There must be things we can learn from this parable today to help us understand how to acquire these two qualities.
From the Epistle from John we heard that all who do not do what is right are not from God, nor are those who do not love their brothers and sisters. I hear this question from some: “Who are my brothers and sisters?” It reminds me of the question put to Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?” We can have many different responses to what life with our neighbor presents to us. Our response will always, hopefully, be the response of the Good Samaritan. Being willing to help in whatever way we can. We need to think about who our neighbors are, and who our sisters and brothers are, that we need possibly to forgive but certainly to love.
Throughout the centuries, there have always been bad people doing bad things. There have been great times of despair and horrible conditions. Even now, in this time, many countries are experiencing wars, horrific starvation, and killings. The pendulum swings back and forth in the ideals and values through the ages. If there are over 8 billion people inhabiting the earth at this point, can I, can we, direct the pendulum? Yes. We can hope and pray that we are getting better at discerning truth from fiction and will ultimately help bring about the Reign of God, as we pray in the Our Father. And before we think of finding fault with sinners, do we need to admonish ourselves for what we fail to provide for those we are admonishing? Forgiveness and love are essential components of how we can be the best person we can be with the gifts we have been given. That is the key.
Each of us is blessed with many opportunities to reflect on our lives. First of all, on our relationship with our God: being conscious, or becoming conscious, of God in our lives by spending time praying or learning to pray. Giving thanks to God for both the good things and the seemingly bad things takes time that is well spent.
Then there is our neighbor, our brothers and sisters, who are all part of the mystical Body of Christ. To love is not simply to do a kind act. To love as God loves is difficult. Our true goal is to engage in the practices that will teach us how to remove sin and reveal the incomparably beautiful image of God that we already are as human beings. This endeavor is especially difficult because of the violence of this world, whether it be the violence we commit or the violence experienced at the hands of another.
We are all unique individuals, and by appealing to the Spirit in our midst, each of us will find our unique way to approach life and our choices.
Prepare this Lent by remembering God’s faithfulness to those who call on the Spirit. Ponder this: Is it love that enables us to forgive, or do we forgive before we are truly able to love?
Christ’s Spirit is in our Midst.
