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Author: Beau <cbeauhilton@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2023 00:12:51 -0600
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+# Luke 15:11-32
+
+
+## Introduction
+
+One of the nice things about being asked to give a ten minute talk on one of Jesus' parables,
+in addition to the inherent beauty and depth of the things,
+is that the parables are short.
+
+This allows a luxurious classical exegesis,
+meaning we can give some context,
+read the whole text,
+then circle back and examine details.
+
+(this written version is much more than 10 minutes, btw -
+the actual talk was just the highlights, as the Spirit grabbed me)
+
+
+## Context
+
+Luke 15 opens with Jesus hanging out with some reprobates,
+called the "publicans and sinners" in the KJV.
+
+Luke 15:2 And both the Pharisees and the scribes murmured a great
+deal, saying: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
+
+To put it simply,
+the faithful members of the God's church
+were disturbed at this upstart rabbi's lunch crew.
+
+Publicans are tax-collectors.
+In the New Testament, this refers specifically to Jewish people
+who had taken jobs with the Roman government to collect taxes,
+mostly from their fellow Jews.
+
+Everyone hates taxes.
+The situation around the year 0 was especially rough,
+not far off from what we see in the classic Robin Hood movies,
+with the Sheriff of Nottingham
+tapping the last few pennies out of the old beggar's boot.
+
+Publicans were hated even when they were just doing their job as instructed,
+and had the additional reputation of lining their own pockets.
+There was no good way to find out what the actual decreed tax law should be,
+so people had to pay whatever the publican demanded,
+and folks often guessed (sometimes rightly)
+that the publican was on a little "Cost Plus" action.
+The publicans were therefore seen as traitors,
+worldly and godless people who had sold out to The Man
+and were getting rich off the suffering of God's people.
+
+To bring us up to date and make this story real,
+we can use our heated political climate to approximate how the scribes and Pharisees felt -
+imagine the publicans are your most hated political rivals,
+the folks about which you find yourself saying,
+"Gee Marge, I don't know how so-and-so
+can be a member of political party X,
+or hold a job doing Y,
+and still consider herself a Christian."
+
+It was at least that bad, if not worse.
+
+
+## David Bentley Hart translation, Luke 15:11-32
+
+Now I'm going to read the whole parable,
+using a wonderful translation from David Bentley Hart,
+both because his translation is faithful and honest,
+and also because I think it's valuable to hear the words anew
+by making them just alien enough to wake up old ears
+that have heard the KJV version a thousand times.
+
+11 And he said, “A certain man had two sons.
+
+12 And the younger of them said to the father,
+‘Father, give me the share of the property falling to me.’
+And he divided his living between them.
+
+13 And not many days later, the younger son,
+having collected everything, departed for a far country,
+and dissipated his property by living prodigally.
+
+14 When he had spent everything
+a severe famine spread throughout that country,
+and he began to be in need.
+
+15 And he went and attached himself to one of that country’s citizens,
+and he sent him into his fields to feed the pigs;
+
+16 And he longed to fill his stomach with the carob pods that the pigs ate,
+and no one gave him anything.
+
+17 And coming to himself he said,
+‘How many of my father’s hired men are overflowing with bread,
+but I am here perishing from famine.
+
+18 I will get up and go to my father,
+and I will say to him,
+“I have sinned against heaven and before you,
+
+19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”’
+
+20 And he rose and went to his own father.
+And while he was yet far away his father saw him
+and was inwardly moved with pity,
+and ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him fervently.
+
+21 And his 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 the best robe and put it on him,
+and place a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet,
+
+23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it,
+and let us sit and have good cheer,
+
+24 Because this son of mine was dead and has come to life again,
+was lost and has been found.’
+And they began to celebrate.
+
+25 But his older son was in a field;
+and as he came and drew near the house he heard music and dancing,
+
+26 And calling one of the servants over he asked what all this might be.
+
+27 And he told him that
+‘Your brother has come,
+and your father has killed the fattened calf,
+because he has got him back in good health.’
+
+28 But in his response he was indignant
+and did not wish to go in;
+and his father came out and pleaded with him.
+
+29 But in reply he said to the father,
+‘Look, for so many years I am slaving for you,
+and I have never disobeyed a command of yours,
+and you never gave me a goat so that I could make merry with my friends,
+
+30 But when this son of yours came,
+he who has devoured your livelihood with whores,
+you killed the fattened calf for him.’
+
+31 And he said to him,
+‘Child, you are always with me,
+and all my things are yours.
+
+32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice,
+because this brother of yours
+was dead and came to life,
+and was lost, and has been found.’”
+
+
+## Some notes on the text
+
+If we go back to the beginning of the parable,
+we see a son who is impatient and bored living at home,
+who wants to see the world and party.
+He talks Dad into giving him his inheritance early
+so he can do just that.
+
+This translation uses the word "prodigally,"
+which doesn't show up in the KJV but does show up repeatedly
+in classical Christian writings on this parable.
+The KJV uses the phrase "riotous living,"
+others use the word "wild" or "reckless,"
+but "prodigal" probably is the best word we have for what he was up to -
+the Greek ἀσώτως (asótós) means, literally, "not saved,"
+which is exactly what the son did with his inheritance
+before landing the job as a pig farmer.
+
+Prodigality, in itself, is not necessarily a bad thing.
+Great generosity can also be called "prodigal."
+But we found out what the son was spending his money on -
+prostitutes (the Greek is πορνῶν - pornōn) and parties.
+
+When the son returns to repent,
+it is as a man down on his luck,
+looking to take a humble yet stable (ha) job with benefits,
+not as a prince trying to reclaim his throne.
+He states he is "no longer worthy to be called" a son of his father.
+Before he can even try to talk pops into giving him a job mucking stables
+for a bed and three square a day,
+Dad brings him in close.
+He leaps right over forgiving, straight to celebrating,
+and gets a prodigal party of his own started.
+He dresses the kid in their best clothes and new shoes
+and kicks off a barbecue, complete with a band and dance-off.
+
+The older kid is in the field working,
+hears what's happening, and is not having it.
+He's been doing all the things for all the years,
+including right now,
+and he never got a party.
+
+Dad is generous and patient,
+and doesn't scold the understandably self-righteous
+and hurt older son,
+but gently affirms that he is still his son,
+has lost nothing,
+and tries to help him see the cause for celebration.
+
+At the end, we never find out the older son's response.
+
+The older son is the primary target of the tale,
+the same kind of guy as the Pharisees and scribes,
+who kept all the rules and couldn't help getting miffed
+when the bad kids seemingly get rewarded for being bad.
+
+
+## Conclusion
+
+When I read the scriptures,
+I find it much more useful to see myself
+as the butt of the joke,
+particularly when someone is getting reamed.
+Of course it feels nice to think of myself as the
+Nephi and not the Laman or Lemuel,
+but what good does that do me?
+Jesus' parables, especially those in Luke,
+are harshest on those who cannot see
+the way they are painting the outside of their sepulchre
+with such care, fancy-ass paint,
+while the inside is rotting flesh and moldering bones.
+
+Jesus' parables are rich and faceted, endless -
+there's something here for the prodigal,
+the one who has wasted all
+and is scared to hell of coming back to ask for forgiveness:
+see how forgiveness is the thing the Father does most easily,
+and what He really wants is not just to forgive,
+but to celebrate, with his own positive prodigality.
+Also note the types of sin he was explicitly forgiving
+in this parable and its context -
+the prodigal wasting money and morality with prostitutes,
+the publicans cheating honest people -
+Jesus' Atonement doesn't just forgive nabbing a candy bar from the gas station
+and glancing at your classmate's exam sheet,
+he gets right in there with the intense stuff.
+
+There's something here for the good kids,
+the ones who have been keeping the letter of the law,
+and probably doing an ok job with the spirit of it too,
+but, *because* of how good they have been,
+can be quick to judge, and even cross over into hate,
+when they meet someone from the other side of the tracks.
+Learn to see that foul-mouthed so-and-so as God does,
+as one of His own,
+and join the party: celebrate every win,
+whether or not it looks like your own,
+and be gentle to every defeat (whether or not it looks like your own).
+
+There's something here for the parent,
+who has been hurt by the poor choices of a child
+and isn't sure how to deal with their plea for forgiveness.
+Treat the kid like the queen she is,
+fire up the grill,
+call the neighbors,
+and get her gussied up for the party.
+(and if a certain someone is pissed that the black sheep
+is now wearing the new Nikes and dancing all night,
+try to help them see that they are still every bit as valuable,
+and feel what a joy it is that she's back).
+
+
