Return to the Homepage Home
 Worship Schedules, Education, Fellowship, Outreach Worship & Service
 Sermon Archive Sermons
 A copy of the Sunday Prayers of Intercession Prayers
 Pastor Lynne's monthly newsletter Pastor's Page
 Articles and tidbits from the monthly newsletter Newsletter
 This month's events as well as the monthly calendar Current Events
 Read the Sunday School News Letter! Sunday School News
 Events for grades 7 to 12 Youth
 Other websites of interest Links
  
 Login to Administer this site Admin Login

St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
2903 McPhillips Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA R2P 0H3
http://www.stlukeszion.ca

Phone: (204) 339-0412
Fax: (204) 339-0412
E-mail: stlukeszionchurch@gmail.com
site design by clayton rumley

 

Fourth Sunday in Lent
Sunday, March 18th, 2007

click here for past entries

Loving God, you wait for us with love and compassion, hoping that we will turn around and come back to you. Teach us to find joy in the knowledge of your grace and to respond in love to your love for us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The parable that Jesus tells in today's gospel is known by many as the story of the Prodigal Son. I would propose that it should be known by a different title: The Parable of the Amazing Father. Perhaps you might understand what I mean if you attempt to put yourself in the father's place for a few moments.

Imagine that you are a parent, and one of your children comes to you and says, "I can't wait until you die to get my inheritance. Please give it to me now." Would you really be likely to say "yeah, okay, here it is"?!? Well, that's pretty much what happens in this parable. So, imagine that you are still the parent, and your child takes the property that you have given and sells it off, and then leaves home with the cash. You don't know where he has gone, and you don't hear from him the whole time that he is away. Then, one day, you see your child in the distance, apparently coming home again. As a parent, how would you respond?

I don't know about you, but a lot of parents that I know would be standing there with arms crossed, an angry look on their face, and getting ready for a full force lecture. "You insult me. You take my property and get rid of it and run off with the cash, and now you expect me to take you in again??" Can't you just hear it? But that's why the father in this story is so amazing. There's no lecture. There is no anger, but only compassion. He doesn't even allow his son to finish his confession, but lavishes gifts on him like an honoured guest. He even throws a party, and invites many other people to come - perhaps even the whole village - in order to celebrate the return of his son. It is indeed a story of amazing grace. This man's son has done nothing that deserves such a lavish celebration. He has simply come home.

To me, the father is the amazing character in this story. The behaviour of the elder son seems understandable. The behaviour of the younger son, while exceedingly disrespectful, also seems quite possible. However, the father acts in a most unusual fashion. First of all, he is exceedingly generous in giving his youngest son an early inheritance. No self-respecting father in those days (or even today, I suspect) would be likely to do this. Secondly, the father runs out to meet his son. In Middle Eastern culture, it is considered very unbecoming and undignified for a grown man to run. Thirdly, the father feels only compassion for his son who has acted in a very hurtful and disrespectful way. And finally, the father celebrates his son's return, not just with a quiet little dinner, but with the best of everything. It is the type of celebration that would be undertaken if a very distinguished and honoured guest had come to visit.

The father is, indeed, an amazing character, who communicates to us the incredible grace of God. It is a story of amazing grace, which is showered on an undeserving child. One of the things which is often overlooked in this story is that both sons are treated with the same love, generosity and compassion. When the younger son requests his inheritance, the inheritance is given to the elder son at the same time (Lk. 15:12). The father is generous to both. As well, the father goes out to meet both sons - the youngest when he arrives home (v.20) and the eldest when he refuses to come in (v.28). The father has the same love and compassion for both of his sons, but they respond in totally different ways.

The question for us today is really how we are going to respond to that same love and compassion that God has for each of us. Really, God has treated us in the same way in which the sons were treated in the parable. God has been generous to each of us in giving us an undeserved inheritance of eternal life. We are also given an inheritance to be used in this life - our bodies, our souls, our talents, our possessions - all that we have and all that we are. God has shown his love and compassion for each one of us through the person of Jesus Christ and his sacrificial life, death and resurrection. And, when we come to seek God, God is always there waiting and comes out to meet us.

Meanwhile, apparently there are parties in heaven. This celebration of the younger son's homecoming was not just a one-time thing. According to the gospels, there is great rejoicing in heaven every time a sinner repents (Lk. 15:7,10). You see, God desires that all of God's children would come home. The question remains, how do we respond, knowing that God is like this?

We could be like the younger son and waste the gifts that God has given us and basically ignore God until it comes to a time when we're in need. We could be like the elder son and work for God as if we're slaves, waiting for God to reward us when really, he already has. We could rejoice in the gifts that we have been given, and rejoice with the angels when others repent and turn towards God. We could respond in love to the love that has first been given to us.

When you really think about it, it is not the fact that his brother has returned that upsets the elder son. He is upset because of the party. If his brother wants to return, that's just fine, but it should be with sackcloth and ashes and tears and self-flagellation, not with music and dancing! (cf. Craddock, p.188) One commentator asks the question as to what would happen if people knew that our church is a church that throws a party whenever the lost are found (Jensen, p. 170). Then he answers his own question, indicating that many church members and community people would be there participating in the party, while others would criticize and stay away.

Perhaps a similar question could be asked regarding our attitudes toward Holy Communion. For years, the emphasis was placed on being very somber and sorrowful and downcast in order to show one's repentance. It is only more recently that we have begun to recover the joy of the Eucharistic feast. When you really think about it, we are receiving a visible sign of God's grace. We are restored, forgiven, loved, saved through Jesus Christ. Shouldn't that be an occasion for celebration? Yet, how many people would be offended if we danced up the aisle to receive Holy Communion?

Once again today, we are called to repentance, and called to come on in and join the party. We are called to marvel and rejoice at the amazing grace of God. We are called to acknowledge the generosity, love and compassion with which we have been treated, and to respond with the same. I'd like to close today by sharing a prayer with you that captures the paradoxical freedom that is to be found when we willingly love and serve God. It is written by George Matheson (For All the Saints, Vol. I, p.879).

Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free;

Force me to render up my sword, and I shall conq'ror be.

I sink in life's alarms when by myself I stand,

Imprison me within your arms, and strong shall be my hand.

My heart is weak and poor until it master find:

It has no spring of action sure, it varies with the wind;

It cannot freely move till you have wrought its chain;

Enslave it with your matchless love, and deathless it shall reign.

My power is faint and low till I have learned to serve:

It wants the needed fire to glow, it wants the breeze to nerve;

It cannot drive the world until itself be driven;

Its flag can only be unfurled when you shall breathe from heaven.

Amen.

Lent 4(C) Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

March 18, 2007

St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore

? 2007 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved


Previous Sermons
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
January 2003
March 0201