site

luke-15-11-32.md (9803B)

---

 # 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,
 before he can say a word,
 Dad *runs* to him and brings him in close.
 He crashes through 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).