Worship service with communionDievkalpojums ar dievgaldu

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

” ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” (Luke 15:11-32 )

This parable might be one of the best known in the Bible—certainly one of the most dramatic. Which is why painters throughout the centuries have love it—and writers—Latvia’s great poet Rainis has a play based on themes from this story which, in Latvian, is called “The Lost Son”—not prodigal, but lost. Which actually might be closer to what Jesus is trying to say. About both brothers. Because, there are two brothers in the story. This is, as Jesus says in the beginning, a story of a man with two sons.

We tend to forget the other brother—the older son. His story hasn’t caught the interest of writers and painters to the same degree as that of his younger brother. But—he is very much the key to the whole parable—which Jesus tells to some Pharisees and scribes who were grumbling (such a descriptive word, don’t you think? Grumbling.) that Jesus welcomed sinners—and ate with them.

In those days—eating meals with someone meant that you accepted them—as equals—accepted them, as they were. Sinners—as the Pharisees and scribes saw it anyway—were people that Jesus should have shunned—kept away from. But not only did he not shun them—he actually ate with them.

The Pharisees just couldn’t understand Jesus. But—at least some of them try. The gospel of Luke presents us with several instances, where Pharisees invite Jesus to dinner—which is more than a bit ironical in the context of our story today. And Jesus—went.

What I’m trying to say, is that the Pharisees don’t entirely deserve the bad reputation that they have gained over the years. They were, in fact, the good religious people of the first century. It’s just that—as a group—they had rather strong—you could say, rigid views about who was right with God—and who was not. Jesus somehow just wouldn’t fit into any of their religious categories—so they were confused.

And they grumbled. So, Jesus said to them—let me tell you a story.

Read the rest of this entry »