Date : Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 14, 2010

Text : Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Title : Sinners welcome

"The Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’"

So, the Lord Jesus was famous for receiving sinners and eating with them, huh? Well, whom else would He receive? If the Lord never ate with sinners, He would always be eating by Himself.

What was the big deal about Jews eating with those, whom they called "unclean"? The Jewish Pharisees were hyper-concerned about one’s cleanliness. They didn’t think that cleanliness was next to godliness; they thought that cleanliness was godliness.

So, they kept their little rules to the letter—to every jot and tittle. But, in the process, they grew cold of heart. They equated rule-keeping with love, but completely lost the godly attributes of compassion, forgiveness, and mercy.

The Lord Jesus set them straight. He told them a parable, which long has been known as The Parable of the Prodigal Son, because of the prodigal ways of the son—prodigal meaning wasteful in the extreme—but, it should be known as The Parable of the Compassionate, Forgiving, Merciful Father, because that’s the best part of the story.

Just how good is this dad? One of his two sons cares about his dad so little, he essentially tells Pops that he wishes he were dead, when he asked for his share of the family inheritance. How would you fathers react to that question from your son? I don’t think that you would be favorable, and I don’t think that you would go down to the bank and convert assets to cash, and send him on his way.

But, that’s what this father did—no questions asked. No bitterness that his son wanted to leave. No resentment at his apparently wishing his dad were dead.

How do we know these things? Because of how he acted during his son’s absence.

Perhaps, this father didn’t have a clue that his son went off and lost his fortune, that he lost it through reckless living, and that he got so destitute that he broke one of the Jews’ greatest codes of cleanliness and took a job feeding pigs.

Perhaps, this father didn’t have a clue. I suspect that he did. He knew this son’s character. He was on the paying end of his outrageous request for his inheritance. What kind of a son insults his father like that? This son was totally lacking in honor and wisdom.

Then, there’s the loyal son. This son might have had loyalty on his side, but it seems as though he could have stood a dose of modesty.

When his brother returned, all he was concerned about was his station in Daddy’s eyes. When he refused to go in and eat the feast with his newly-returned brother, Pops went out to him, and it was all about him—how he was so loyal, how he was so obedient, how he was so frugal. He sounded just like the Pharisees—holy, holy, holy to the letter of the law, but completely lacking in compassion, forgiveness, and mercy.

One son resembles the Pharisees. The other son lived like a Gentile. With whom shall the Father eat?

He could stand on his principles. He could say, "I’ve had it with the both of you," and kick them both out of the family. He could let his servants provide everything that he needed and eat, every night, to the entertainment of the television. He could mutter about the lousy lot of sons he wound up with, despite how well he had reared them. He could complain to his friends. And, in all of this, he would be right. He would be justified. He would be holy.

And, he would be lonely. So, what would he rather be—right, or lonely? Which foot is better to stand on—winning the argument, or forgiving the sinner? Which way do you turn? Do you like to be right, and win? Or, do you like to be reunited, and forgive?

God looked at the world and all He saw were Gentiles and Pharisees—all He saw were His sons and daughters wasting their money, recklessly living with free sex and too much food and alcohol, putting stuff into their bodies like tobacco smoke and harmful chemicals, lying and cheating and hurting each other, and none of it was how He reared them.

On the other side were the holier than thou children—among them, all He saw were the ones who would never forgive because they were right and the other guy was wrong, the ones who were convinced that they were better than everyone else, the ones who were snooty, the ones who thought that their greater material wealth made them better than the poor people, the ones who would never count their blessings and share any of it with those in need, the ones who thought that God must love them so much because their pig manure didn’t stink.

What was God going to do? Was He going to eat alone, for all eternity? Which foot would it be better for God to stand on—to win the argument, or to forgive His sinful children?

In the parable, what was the father doing, while the prodigal son was off being his prodigal self? The father was waiting, and watching, and wishing for his son’s return. Though his son had given up on his father, the father did not give up on his son.

And, regarding the other son, who was only concerned about his spoiled, selfish little self? When the father was told of his son’s attitude, he went out to his son. Though this son was hard-hearted, the father remained soft-hearted.

So, the Lord Jesus was famous for receiving sinners and eating with them, huh? Well, whom else would He receive? If the Lord never ate with sinners, He would always be eating by Himself.

The father killed the fattened calf. He made a feast of victory for both the pig-feeding and the pigheaded son. He would rather eat with the children to whom he gave life than stand on the principle of being right . . . and alone. He would rather show compassion, forgiveness, and mercy. He would continue to develop in his sons these attributes of love.

God the Father could have stood on the principle of being right, and He could have sent His children away to the damnation of hell, which every last one of you and I deserve. But, He would rather show compassion, forgiveness, and mercy, and continue to develop in you and me these attributes of love.

So, God the Father killed the fattened calf so that He could celebrate a feast of victory. He sacrificed His Son into death so that his prodigal and pigheaded sons and daughters could gather around His compassion, forgiveness, and mercy.

You were dead and lost, but your heavenly Father kept watch for you. He sent His perfect Son to bring you back into the family fold, to give you the life you lost in wasteful living.

In the parable, the Father placed the best robe upon his sinful son to show that he was part of the family. In your life, the Father placed the robe of Jesus Christ upon you, through the washing of Holy Baptism, to show that you are part of His family.

In the parable, the Father fixed a meal of the finest meat, to celebrate that his son was part of the family. In your life, the Father fixed a meal of His Son’s body and blood, who gives it to you in Holy Communion, so that you can celebrate being part of His family.

In the parable, the Father pronounced his dead and lost son to be alive and found. In your life, the Father pronounces you, who were formerly dead and lost, to be alive and found, through the Gospel proclamation—the Good News about Jesus Christ.

It’s the Good News that Jesus is famous for receiving sinners and eating with them. That’s you, dear children of the heavenly Father. Welcome back into the family, in the name of Jesus. Amen.