Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”
Gospel Trivia:
The following gospel trivia will reveal the truly profound meaning of this familiar gospel passage:
- The audience of Jesus when he told this parable were two opposing kind of audiences: the sinner and tax collectors (who were considered the worst kind of sinners), and the Pharisees and scribes (who were generally considered the pure, the clean, and the saved because they followed the laws to the letter).
- The criticism of the Pharisees was that Jesus “eats” with sinners. Eating with someone is a serious expression of one’s fellowship with that person, and violates the rabbinical rule of not associating with the wicked.
- Note that the younger son, upon running out of money, decides to finally return to his father. But did you notice that he had a spiel ready which goes: “Father I have sinned against heaven and against you, I no longer deserve to be called your son, treat me as you would treat one of your hired servants.”
While this could mean a sign of humility, in the Jewish context, it also meant that this was a face saving plan of the son -- being a hired servant, he could earn a decent living, remain independent and be able to secure a future without asking favors of anybody. (By doing so, the son's approach was totally legalistic, and the Pharisees knew that Jesus was trying to hint at their legalistic approach to salvation).
Note that when the son was ready with his spiel, the Father butts in and does not allow him to say the latter part of his sentence which asks that he be treated as a hired servant. For the father, the son’s intention to return, regardless of his motivations, was sufficient.
- Finally, Jesus implies that the elder son was like the Pharisees who were more concerned about the legal obligations of the son to the father. The Pharisees believe that the way to the Father is through following a set of laws.
Making up for your sins is not a requirement before the Father embraces you. Just come back. This is not to disparage good works, for indeed they are pleasing to God and completes our transformation; so long as one does not treat them as God’s prerequisites and conditions.
References:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, Parables for Today (Makati: St. Paul Publications, 1987), p. 238-240.
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