THE OTHER~ PRODIGAL

March 5, 1989"
g:30 and 11:00 a.m. Worship Services
John--M: Buchanan B
Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago

Scripture
_ Luke: 15:11-32

“But he was angry and refused to go in. “His father
came out and entreated him..." —-Luke 15:28 (RSV)

Jimmy Carter wrote ’a book last year; An Outdoor Journal, about his:

‘life-long love affair with nature and his experiences hunting and: fishing.

in an: early chapter President Carter describes how as a- “young -lad-he-.-
learned to fish with his: father. who he characterizes as tough but°fair and
generous and fun~ loving. He tells about his most memorable fishing.
experience. PIRES (ee Be : = a

"Late: ‘one’ afternoon, after’ ‘a’ good: day of fishing, Daddy called me.
over and asked me to keep his string? of fish while he went up the river to
talk to one of his friends: I tied: it ‘on with mine on the ‘downstream ‘side
of. me while J kept. fishing, © enjoying the steady pull of the current on’ our
day's: catch. It. wasn't long before I watched ny. cork begin to move slowly
and steadily. up under. a snag and knew T° had hooked a big one. After a few
minutes I--had‘a large copperhead bréam in my hands, but as I struggled with
it and wondered how I’ Was going to hold the fish while” untying the. =
stringer, a cold chill went: down my. spine. 1° realized that. the tugging < of.
the current: on: the stringers was gone, as were all our fish! My belt loop
had? broken. : : oe coe oh

OMY threwemy pole -up*on: the ‘nearest sand bar and | began to dive madly"
into the river below where I-had beén standing.

“Then: I> heard Daddy’ s°voice calling’ my nickname, 'Hot,' he said,
‘what's wrong?! : a :

"'L've lost-the fish, Daddy:'
“All of -them? ~Mine~ too?!

"Yes; sir.! I began: to cry, and the tears and water ran down my face
together each time [came up: for breath.

“Daddy was rarely patient: with foolishness or mistakes. “But after a
long silence, he: said, ‘Let them. go.'. I stumbled out on :the bank, and: he
put hisarms “around me. of eee g

“Ito seems foolish: now, but:at that time it-was a preat tragedy. for
me. We stood there for: a while, and he said, -'There.-are.a-lot: more. fish in
the river. We'll get them tomorrow.’ «1, worshipped ‘hin.'

There are few experiences in this.life that are as powerful, as

redemptive, as unexpected love, undeserved acceptance, unmerited patience.
When they happen to us: we. are. occasionally shattered. by them and frequently

. changed for the better. Religion would call them experiences of grace
although ‘they: often happen ‘outside. the perimeters. of ‘institutional
religion. . The Christian religion suggests that these. experiences of grace
are very much at the heart of the. matter. That whenever and however they
happen to us, they are illustrative of, and.:contain: something: of the
reality of, the. fundamental truth that the relationship. between human
beings-and their creator has to be, and always is, one of pure: grace.

The: subject’ came-up one time when Jesus of Nazareth had: been
associating with so many disreputable characters that it was slowly driving
the: respectable religious people crazy... "If--you-are God's. man," they. asked
him, "how can you associate. with this riftforatt,: these ne'er-do-wells,:
these bums?!" =: ee : ps : OEE

Now, ‘there were many traditional reasons for a-man. purporting: to:be
on: God's side ito keep his: distance fromthe: infectious; “unclean and
demeaning: company of people who didn't.know or much care about which side
of. God. they, were on. The religious tradition, simply -put,..was-that. .-you.get
on God's. “good side. by. doing good things, obeying» the-law,.being. religious. ;
And you. were clearly not on God's. side if you neglected. these good: deeds or
did. -bad things. You, were as sinner. You had no. standing. with God, “noe. money
in. the bank, as it were. Jesus seems to. have spent a lot of. time with the
sinners, The. good folk wondered why. and. souhe. told them.a triology of:
stories which Together may. be the. best. short. stories. ever. told.

The. first one:is. ‘about a é “shepherd who leaves: ninety-nine ‘sheep. and
goes after the one sheep who is lost. The second story is. about a: woman
who turns her household upside down and inside out looking for one lost
coin. And then an extended -story with.three of..the:most memorable and
timeless characters in all of literature. ae :

-The Prodigal: Son-is the. name:by which. we.-know:it, sbutI try :not. to
use that name because the younger: son, the prodigal of tradition,:is just
one of three characters. in the story and I conclude: no more important: and
probably’ less ‘relevant than’ the other two. J.am, in fact, a.father. and an
older -brother... My: good friend, Professor Eric Dean at: Wabash: College,
wrote: oe a

olf Iam to fit myself into this: story at,all,. it. will have.to‘be as
the older. brother. No sluggard he, no. prodigal.: .. hard-working, :
reliable... the salt of the earth... the pillar of the community:.. the
very-nearly indispensable person." [The Good News About Sin, p.. 45}
Sounds like a Presbyterian’ to: me;..a good prospect: for .a church ‘officer.

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“The younger brother gets all the press, most of the sermonic
attention and a good share of the artistic expression. That moment of
reunion.is: portrayed magnificently. in art. Listen to the New Yorker”
describe how. George Ballanchine choreographed. it and Edward Villela directs
it = as dance:

"The Father comes out of his tent and. walks. to a 1 point: downstage.
where he stops and faces his son, who hesitates, ‘then. lifts his hands, __
palms upward, pleadingly... once, twice, still no response. The. Son turns
and retreats. On the high note of the flute melody, the Father. hold 0
his hand. With: -bent back and both hands as if tied behind him, the Son
creeps forward, “straightening himself gradually until he is ‘close’ enough | to
fall full. “length at his father's feet. . Then gripping the man' Ss ankles he.
pulls himself underneath him. | All this time the. Father stands motionless,
and he remains motionless as the Son hauls himself ‘Up, Then on the last,
low horn note of the score, the. Father. gently: covers the boy with his”
cloak." [11/28/88, p.. 58]

_ That's unusually powerful drama. _The reunion between. prodigal “and.
parent. needs no words to. adorn its primal power. - But, the truth of the |
matter. is. that while the young prodigal gets all the press, has the. most.
fun, gets” ‘a parable named after him, you and 1. really ought to pay 22
attention to that elder sibling. for. whom the outcome is. very different, and

_whose behavior and style is much more like our. own.

: The most helpful resource ae ever read | ‘on this story. was written by. a
professor “at: the Near Eastern School of ‘Theology. in Beirut. Dr. Kenneth :
Bailey approaches. ‘the parable through the eyes. of the Palestinian peasants,
for. whose. edification. they. were originally told. The exercise is oe
fascinating.

-The young son does something. absolutely unheard of. when he asks for
his share of the estate. It. is presumptuous in. the extreme. Tt is. the

equivalent of saying = “Hurry up and die. I can't wait to get mine.
Furthermore, as s00n’ as I 'get ‘it 1 intend to sell it, thus: depriving you. of
your own: insurance ‘and security." What this young man does is so callous,

so terrible, we really ‘don't. identify with it. It, Was an extraordinary
insult to his family: an absalute break - also. with the community. | He is
indeed lost for even thinking like this,

“His father. does hot: respond in anger or hurt, but by. granting: the |
request, endangering. his own welfare and humiliating. himself in. the eyes of
his neighbors.

Meanwhile there isa detail here that gets lost. The father actually
gives both sons their: share of.-the estate. ~The- older. ‘brother gets. his».too-
He vis supposed | to. refuse; ‘in: fact, he-is’ ‘supposed to be a. peacemaker, to.
try to talk sense to his little brother... His silence. is pregnant.

So, the young son . goes to a far country, has. a great time, spends all
the- money, -is reduced. to:manual labor and-eating: pig: food —- and. has. a change
of. heart, which is hardly. a great. moral -break-~ ‘through. . He- simply: ‘decides
to go: home where there is at least food on the. table. “He proposes to,

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return not as. son,.but-as servant. He'll work. for his. father, pay off. the
debt, live in the, village with the other hired: hands. His salvation is.
still in his. own hands. He’ 11 put. things | right. himself.

What ‘happens! ‘next is astonishing.’ ° The people hearing the parable are
thoroughly. enjoying ‘the mounting tension... Here he comes down the road,
tail: between his legs, eating crow. He. thought he was so smart. He was
such an insufferable know- =it- all.. ; “Always was spoiled. Good. “Hope the
old-man makes him stand outside ‘for a while. ‘What these people ‘know the =
offended father will ‘do is wait, like the father ‘in the ballet, silently in
‘wounded dignity, for his flagrantly disrespectful son to make. full 2 :
confession, Then, after | an “appropriate silence, to. say. ‘something like, "y
“told. you so. 1 told you's g like this would happen. You. can come
hom but remember the | lessc you just. learned," It's delicious actually, .
so wonderfully self- -righteo IS. Is. there’ anything as. satisfying as to. be
able to Say, ny told you S02?" : :

- = §o, the hearers are astonished when =the father sees his son from-a
distance, recognizes the. shape of-hin and does something dignified men
never: da. = picks. up his robes and. runs “down. the. road. Before the startled
son has a chance to say. a word, the father throws his” arns. around hin,
embraces” hin, kisses him. And then in the midst of the joyful tears ‘the.
= son tries to: blurt out. his carefully rehearsed confession; he never. even
“pets to the part ‘about working as 4 hired hand, because his father made him
a son again. (Who needs another servant? I want my soni)... and he is’ eee,
already snapping out orders ‘for the homecoming party... A big. one, no. goat :
or lamb but a; calf, “enough for. a hundred people. The. whole village ~ in
front of whon' the father humiliated himself with this extraordinary love,
‘this foolish running to. ‘the “son who had ‘made. hin look so: ridiculous, the.
whole village is coming to the party for the “son whose father’ Ss. love’ ‘now
protects him and reunites him.

“It: is. in the middle of: this extraordinarily happy. occasion that the
father is humiliated ‘again. “Someone is missing, Everyone. can see it. “He
owas supposed to be the host, make the first ‘toast, sit at his father! s.
right hand. His: absence is: a gross public insult to his father.

So, for. the second time that day, the old man comes out-to find a
lost = “child. ‘And when he finds him the encounter is. bitter, full of
resentment. that has been burning for along time. In fact, he's been
waiting, savoring the thought. of an occasion when he-can say, "I've been
slaving away for years and you never did anything like this for me." And
he. literally spits: out his hatred. “But when this son of yours: who threw
away your: money comes home; you reward him."

“Again, “the. listeners know the father will pat this. son in his place,
respond with righteous fury at this profound ‘insult, or at the very ‘least,
tell the son. to "shut up and get inside, ‘pronto, and- we'll ‘talk about: it

later."-And again, unexpected grace — "Son, you are always with me, all
that Ihave is yours, but your brother was dead and is alive... Come. home

“now.

‘And’ then the. older brother says, “Father, I have sinned. I've been
in this far. country of bitterness for so long. ‘I've been there since he

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was born... It's no-good -here, . I'm. coming home." And .they. embrace with
tears of joy and arm. in. arm join son-and brather at. the banquet table,
That's the: way it ought to. conclude. But it doesn t. The curtain: drops on
this drama with that older brother, . or older sister still standing out. in
the field, ina far country, cut. of from his family, by his. own...
stubbornness and pride,

Can you find yourself in: there? My friend Eric Dean said he saw
himself in that elder brother, hard-working, respectable, but. Capable of
self- ~righteousness and destructive pride... Dean went on to say: that. he saw
lots of older brother behavior in our culture - in. the typical middle class
attitudes: about welfare recipients. ow We work hard, pay. our bills, pay.
taxes, it isn't fair." And: our. attitudes toward. refugees, aliens;
homeless people, .who seem to be perennial recipients of government.
generosity for which we. pay.

Dean, who is himself. an immigrant, taught always that each of us is
here. by grace, that none of us earns it. all alone, or deserves what. we
have. . Even if. you pay full price, for your private. Jiberal. arts education:
at Wabash, he used to say, someone: else is footing. a significant part. of.
the bill and you are receiving something you. did hot earn.. 2S

Ann James, writing in. ‘the. Christian Century, observes that. “The
older son speaks. for all responsible, loyal, religious. “people. who. don't.
cause trouble and who live prudently, who are so often asked ‘to sacrifice.
for someone else's sin... The older. son 's anger. is reasonable and: ‘righteous.
And wrong" {see “Prodigiously. Lost and Found," in the Christian Century, |
3/1/89] ‘ :

Wrong because that angry, self- “righteousness is a product. of. the same
sin that. prompted the younger. brother to leave home. Wrong because. to. 8
wallow in bitterness: toward parents, brothers, sisters, friends, God - is
to live -in:self= -imposed ‘exile... Local psychologist, Alan. Richardson, has
written a brief essay. in which. the father ‘says to. his. first. child, Myson,
you have gone off into this. far country and don! teven ‘now. it. : Come. home.
Yours is the most difficult journey. --But I-pray that you will make it.

The younger ‘son's confession is easy. compared. to. this” one. Tt is far
more difficult to see and confess the. stubborn: pride that keeps | us apart,
that breaks our most precious relationships, than it is to acknowledge
flagrant misbehavior; far more difficult: to see and acknowledge thatomy
ego, my self-centerdness,. is. the reason we aren't: getting. along... That's
why Jesus leaves. this son out inthe field. Because. the Wwery people he's:
talking to. don' t see it in themselves. “They. are so caught. up<in their. -own
selves, and the fact that Jesus is spending time with. their social

inferiors,> that. they. can't even see that this attitude -is keeping. them ‘away

from the banguet table. of. God. They can't see that. the father. running. down
the road. and trudging:. out. ta, the: field is really a picture of God; that
voluntary shouldering .of the responsibility; that. acceptance. of: the pain, -
is exactly what Jesus himself is doing.and will. do with uaspeakable
eloquence when he walks down .the :road.to Jerusalem and. dies..

It's tough because the very. pride that makes us what. 4 we are prevents
us from letting go and simply throwing ourselves: into the open-arms of. the

an

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one’ who comes “after: us. "Tough because ‘our ‘sin isnot: flagrant. Tough
because’ we are achievers. We ‘are proud of our ability to earn it on our
on, | whatever it is. We are experts atvhard work, -at- making ourselves
indispensable. : We are very ‘good ‘at feeling adequate and self: ‘sufficient,
And sometimes the incredible grace simply doesn't make much sense. Even ~
our confessions are driven. Even our humility has a competitive edge to
it.

In this: shattering | story. the repentance which* allows healing and
“hodecon ing to.occur: is. not driven at-all. Tt. is not°a dong: list of
“misdeeds, “In fact, it is” quite ‘the: opposite. “It is-a letting go, a.

letting go. ‘of. that. prima] pride that assures me: that Iam sufficient, that
T-can ‘take care of it; ‘even my ‘salvation. “That is so-alien to me, to you;

that I need to hear it again. Repentance is not a recital ‘of sinful ‘deeds;
it is a letting go of pride and a turning over to God the job of saving “me
and redeeming: me, of making” me a member of God's family, God's child again.

You can: be religious all your life without hearing the Good News.

- You can be obsessively devout with the result. that: you move further and

further away from the banquet. table of the Lord into the far country of
bitterness and. self- “righteousness. :

There isa ‘sense “in which words run out “because we are now talking
about: that. most intimate and’ ‘profound encounter between ° our God and-
ourselves, In) the” ‘story. ‘there ‘are no words. spoken. The prodigal .
tries” to" make his? speech and- stops. “Tt isn It enough. - Instead. he allows
himself to be. pulled ‘into the welcoming. embrace’ of the father ~- the mother =
it. doesn't matter.

‘When words. are no longer adequate, I have always turned to music, to
the great music. Of the faith. Two hymns - “convey this shattering grace..

"1 greet ‘thee, who my sure Redeemer art" from a hymnal ‘John Calvin
edited... Calvin, that ‘consummate - ‘intellect, ‘that. thorough, ‘brittle,
cheerless scholastic.. _ pumming the: music Of grace!

"Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness,
=< no. harshness - hast - thou’ and ‘no’ bitterness:
0 grant to us the. grace we find in. thee,”
that | we may dwell in: perfect unity.” ;

Buk partloularly?: ‘J love: "Lord’ of all hopefulness." ° I: discovered
this hymn’ in what is called’a Welcoming Worship Service at the ‘Abbey on the
Island of Iona, off ‘the ‘coast of Scotland.’ It was after a difficult ‘and
demanding week of physical and mental work at a Peace. Community’in Northern
Treland, knowing every day that we are not always adequate tothe tasks of
‘life; that’ pray and work: ‘and try as we might, there are things which simply
exceed our! ability, our time, our energy. And that in order to ‘Keep ™
trying, keep caring: about ‘something as remote and difficult as peace, we
have to-Vet-go of it, have.to acknowledge our own sree wiiee In the final
analysis that's true about each of us and our own salvation... We-aren't aa
going to’ get it done on. our-own. :

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Naa

“Lord of all-kindliness, Lord of -all .grace,

your: hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,.

be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,

your love in our hearts, Lord, -at- the eve of the day."

There are no words adequate or necessary when you and I decide to
return from the far country. -It's more: a letting go than anything else:
more an allowing ourselves to be embraced by the one who comes: down: the
road or out into the field to find us and to welcome us home.

Praise and all glory to that’ one,* our. Lord and our: God.
Amen.

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