Letters from a Loving Father
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The text for today is our Gospel
lesson, Luke 15:11-32, which has already been read.
Grace and peace to you from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The traditional title for this
parable, “The Prodigal Son,” is found in 16th-century English Bibles
and goes back to the Latin Vulgate. The ESV translation calls it “The Parable
of the Prodigal Son.” Yet the central figure in this parable is not the son but
the father. It is the father who reaches out with love to both of his wayward
sons, just as Christ reaches out to each of us and calls us to repentance and
faith. So today, we will hear this story from the father’s viewpoint under the
theme “Letters from a Loving Father.”
The first letter goes like this:
My dear son,
I pray that you will return to me
soon so that I may share these words with you in person. But if I should pass
on before your return, there are a few things I must be sure you know, so I am
writing you this letter. I want you to know more than anything that I love you.
Nothing can change that love. Because of that love, I worry about you. You are
always in my heart and my thoughts and prayers. I wonder if you’re well. In my
darkest moments, I fear that you may no longer be alive. More than anything I
worry about your soul. It seems you’ve not only left me, but you’ve left your
Lord and Savior, too.
Let me make this very clear, this is
not about the money. I would give up every cent I have just to have you here
with me. What hurts me is that you have rejected my love and seem to care for
nothing and no one but yourself. Though you’ve hurt me greatly, the greater sin
is against God. All forms of rebellion against authority—in fact, all sins—are
sins against our heavenly Father.
When you left, it felt as though you
tore my heart in two. One part of me wanted to kick you in the pants and say
“Good riddance! I’ve had enough of your selfish ungratefulness.” The other part
of me wanted to grab hold of you and never let go. I knew that there would be
many troubled days ahead. Those who indulge themselves in gratifying their flesh,
ultimately reap what they have sown.
In the end, I knew I had to let you
go. I had to let you make your own choices. That is the way of love. It cannot
be forced or compelled. Love must be given and received freely. Therefore, love
always runs the risk of rejection. So, I did what you requested. I’m sure you
didn’t realize it at the time, but when you demanded your share of the
inheritance, it was the equivalent of saying to me: “Why don’t you just drop
dead!” At the very least, it showed that you valued material possessions, good
times, and friends more than your relationship with me.
The community saw your behavior as the
most shocking disrespect! They expected me to put you in your place. But I love
you and I knew I had to let you go. I was willing to quietly suffer the shame
of your sinful actions and rejection. I wanted you to know that the door was
always open for your return. I realized there was a good chance that you would
waste everything I have given to you, but I prayed that when you did, you might
finally come to your senses. Sometimes you don’t know how good you’ve got it
until it’s all gone. In reality, all that you have been looking for in the
world is already here in your father’s house.
Please know that I love you; I
always have and I always will. I’ve looked down that road in the direction you
left every single day, praying that I might see your familiar profile on the
horizon. If you were to return home right now, I would run to you and throw my
arms around your neck. From the time you were a teenager, you’ve always
resisted any show of affection, but I don’t care. I’d smother you with kisses. I
know some would think it highly undignified for a man of my age and social
status to act in such a way, but let the neighbors talk.
If you are reading this letter, my
prayers have been answered. My son who was lost has come home! My son, whom I
feared dead is still alive!
When you left, you took your whole
inheritance, but I still have more for you. I have left instructions with my
steward to see you get these remaining items. Upon your return, you will
receive a robe of the finest quality, a signet ring, and a pair of sandals. Each
of these gifts is to be a sign to you and the whole community that you have
been accepted back into the household as my son and heir, with all the benefits
and responsibilities of that position. There will also be a feast for the whole
community, complete with a fattened calf to celebrate your return.
I pray that God will grant me the
opportunity to be a part of this special feast, but even if I am no longer
here, please know that I welcome you back with open arms.
Love,
Dad
The second letter is addressed to
the son who stayed home:
Dear son,
I pray that this letter gets through
to you. I know you have been upset and angry. You stayed and worked very hard
while your brother went away. You’ve said some very harsh things about your
brother, things we don’t even know to be true. You seem to have forgotten that
the 8th Commandment calls us to put the best construction on the
words and behavior of others. Rather than expend all your energy in bitterness
and putting your brother down, it would be far better for you to pray for his
safe return, repentance, and restoration.
I don’t think you realize it, but
those things you’ve said against your brother are also an attack on me. You’ve
called my love into question. You make it sound as if I only love you because
you’ve stayed and done your duty. In many ways, it seems like I have lost you,
too!
Though you’ve stayed here, you seem
even more alienated from me than your brother. You act as though I’ve treated
you unfairly. Have you forgotten that when your brother asked for his
inheritance, you received yours as well? I have not withheld anything from you.
My love for your brother does not in any way detract from my love for you! I
have more than enough love for both of you!
But none of that matters now. If you
are reading this, it means that I have passed on from this world and your
brother has returned. I urge you to welcome him back with open arms. Please
celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive
again. He was lost and is found!
Love,
Dad
And then, there is this third letter
addressed to you and me:
My dear son (or daughter),
Today, in this worship service
you’ve heard “The Parable of the Loving Father.” It is a story of My love for
you, a love that goes to great lengths to reach out to draw you to Me. I want
you to understand how My gifts of repentance and faith bring great joy. An
honest examination of your life in the mirror of My holy Law will show you,
that you’ve been like both brothers in the parable. You’ve often taken My great
gifts for granted. You’ve often run away from me. You’ve thought you can
somehow earn My love. And you’ve often been unloving and unforgiving—at times
even resentful—toward your brothers and sisters.
You may have wrongly believed that
if you feel sorry enough, and maybe if you can do a few “nice things,” I will
accept you back. You may mistakenly think that I have given you guidelines in
the Bible for you to follow so you can earn My love, and once again be written
into My eternal inheritance. But My Word states otherwise. All of your
righteous deeds are like a filthy garment” (Isaiah 64:6), worse than the filthy
clothing the son wore on his return home from the pig farm.
Instead of relying on your own
righteous thoughts, words, and deeds, follow the example of St. Paul, who
writes: “Count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing
Jesus Christ [your] Lord” (Philippians 3:8). Yes, I will take you back, but
only on My terms.
These are My terms! I lived the
perfect life that you would not, that you could not, live. Perfectly fulfilling
My Father’s will, I freely gave My life on the cross to redeem you and all the
world from sin. I rose from the dead, demonstrating My victory over the devil,
the world, and your own sinful flesh. And now I sit at the Father’s right hand,
interceding on your behalf. There, I wait for the great day when I will bring
you and all believers home for the eternal heavenly feast.
Through your Baptism, “your life is
hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3)! I no longer see your sins because
“[I have] clothed [you] with garments of salvation, [I have] wrapped [you] with
a robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). In spite of all your sins and
failures, I put on you the robe of My righteousness. Even though you may
stumble in the future, even though your heart and mind are not always filled
with good thoughts, I have forgiven you and reconciled you to Myself (2
Corinthians 5:19).
Still, at times, you are also like
the older brother. You’ve also taken My love for granted. From time to time,
you’ve fallen into the Pharisees’ trap of thinking or acting like you’ve
somehow earned My love. You’ve forgotten that you are here because of My grace
and mercy, not because of your duty and devotion. Instead of forgiving others
and welcoming them into the fold as I did, you have permitted the devil to
harden your heart. In fact, you may feel unwilling to forgive even when those
who sin against you beg for forgiveness.
Perhaps you sincerely desire to
forgive, but your weakness prevents it. You feel much like Martin Luther did
when he called upon Me in prayer: “Dear Lord, I cannot do it… and because I
cannot, I beg of You the power to do it.”
If you find yourself unable to
forgive someone, take heart! The Good News is that you need not attempt to
manufacture or create the forgiveness you need to forgive others. I will give
it to you! By being connected to Me through the miraculous gift of Baptism, I
provide you with “everything [you] need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3),
including the liberating power to forgive others just as I have also forgiven
you (Ephesians 4:32). “I AM the Vine, you are the branches. He who remains in
Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John
15:5). When through Baptism, you are connected to Me, the “True Vine” (John
15:1), My powerful forgiveness flows, not only to you, but through
you! By this connection, I forgive you. And through this same miraculous
connection, I enable you to forgive others.
So, when you hear My command to
“forgive and you will be forgiven,” remember also My words, “Apart from Me you
can do nothing.” Forgiveness is not
something you generate from within. Rather, in Christ, you are enabled to
forgive. Forgiveness flows from [Me] to you, like life-giving sap, empowering
you to forgive just as I also have forgiven you. In fact, when you pray The
Lord’s Prayer, I am praying right with you for that very thing. “Forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The “us” is not just you and other believers,
but it includes Me as well. In the Lord’s Prayer, I pray for you and with you.
Do not let the devil convince you
that you cannot forgive others. Instead, meditate on My life-giving Word which
has the miraculous power to change your hardened heart and enable you to
forgive even your worst enemies. As you struggle to forgive others, do not
“lose heart in doing good.” Rather,
trust that by the power of My death and resurrection, you also can forgive just
as I have forgiven you. By My almighty Word, I have already begun this good
work in you and will perfect it until the day I return.
Today I call out to all My lost
sons—both runaways and stay-at-homes. Whether you have been wasting your life
away in a far country or, in your own mind at least, you have been slaving away
here in My house—either way, today receive My love. Repent and believe! Join in
the celebration! Rejoice with Me and the angels in heaven. This is a new day
for you. You were lost and are now found! You were dead and are now alive!
In the water of Holy Baptism, you
have been adopted and made an heir of My eternal kingdom. Come to the banquet
and share My forgiveness with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Eat of the
Bread of heaven and drink the cup of your salvation! Put on the robe of My perfect
righteousness, washed pure and white in My blood through daily contrition and
repentance. Confess your sins and receive My absolution. For in these gifts of
My love, you have forgiveness, life, and salvation. Indeed, you are forgiven for
all your sins.
In the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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