Prodigal

Luke 15. 1 - 3, 11b - 32

But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

Everytime this extraordinary parable comes around in the Lectionary, I am reminded of Rembrandt's equally extraordinary depiction of it with the main characters: Father, youngest son and older son, and also others who are not mentioned in the story but who might possibly have been onlookers...a mother? a servant? a friend of the older son's?

What stuns me the most about this parable, however, is the prodigal nature of the father's love. We usually think of the youngest son as being the prodigal..."spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant" as the Oxford dictionary defines the word. We miss the greatest point of all if we do not notice the lavishly extravagant (what the older brother might call wasteful) love of the father, which is certainly Jesus's way of depicting the Love of God. This parable ushers in an age of forgiveness which flips an economy of justice and abundance to one of love and grace...somewhat of a scandal as felt by the older brother who is so deeply offended by its extravagance.

Rembrandt takes the story a step further by depicting the father with both a masculine and feminine hand laid on the back of the younger son, reminding us of the fullness of God, the oneness, both the feminine and masculine face of the loving master of this Divine economy, the scandal of grace.

How can we share in the warmth of this Divine embrace, grow in gratitude for this embrace and be moved to live into that love and freedom? For more reflection on living and growing in gratitude, listen to this wonderful TED talk by Brother David Steindl-Rast on how to be happy!

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_steindl_rast_want_to_be_happy_be_grateful?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare