Sunday of the Prodigal Son 2023

Postfestive Day of the Meeting of the Holy Martyr Agatha

Ambon Prayer 8

Title

Sin is Enslaving

Outline

We live by grace; all things are lawful for me

That is the motto of many Protestants

“Free from the law, O happy condition” to which I add, “Now I can go a live like perdition.”

The fact is that we are actually not free from the law but in-lawed to Christ and so under his law, his interpretation of Torah.

Nor is there a way of freedom without being under some rule.

Paul points out that “not all things are helpful” - helpful in what? Helpful in growing in likeness to and oneness with Jesus, which was his goal.

He also says, “I will not be enslaved by anything,” and that is a real danger. Dabbling becomes a habit that becomes an obsession that can even become demonization. I have seen enslavement with pornography and other sexual sins, with anger, and with other compulsive issues - even something innocent like some computer games can get compulsive.

And we pass on our slavery to our children

That is why there is confession, spiritual direction, askesis, and, at the extreme, exorcism.

God wants us free to serve him in love

Now our gospel is the Prodigal son

Note how the younger son is seeking freedom to be “himself,” to be his own master, but soon ends up not just poor, but essentially a wage slave for poor wages indeed and humbled among the pigs.

Of course, he repents, heads home (and makes it still hungry), and finds forgiveness and restoration to an honored place, not as a hired slave, but as a son, who works, but works as a free son of the father.

The saddest part of the story is not the permanent losses of the younger son (all that the father has now belongs to the older son), but that the older son is enslaved in the midst of freedom. He is working out of duty, he is serving as if he were a slave, and he has no relationship with the father, even though he is the heir of it all.

The repentant son ends up inside, for he knows he was enslaved in evil, and the unrepentant older son remains outside, for he does not realize that he is enslaved to his negative attitudes.

Brothers and sisters, watch how you live

Judge all you do as to whether it helps you become more like Jesus, become more one with him. Get rid of all else.

Become honest about anything enslaving you, including your attitudes. One can be iun the midst of the church but spiritually be in a far country.

If you spot enslavement repent and do penance; if that does not work, get help.

May we live as free sons and daughters of the father, serving indeed, following the household rules indeed, but doing so because we realize that they are there to preserve our freedom, keep us out of danger, and help us get to a deeper union with Christ.

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 2-12-2023: Sunday of the Prodigal Son

EPISTLE

1 Corinthians 6:12–20

12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16  Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two shall become one.” 17  But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; 20  you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 2-12-2023: Sunday of the Prodigal Son

GOSPEL

Luke 15:11–32

11  And he said, “There was a man who had two sons; 12  and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. 15 So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22  But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; 24  for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry.

25 “Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (2-5-2023: Sunday of the Prodigal Son)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2023 | TRIODION AND GREAT LENT

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 2-12-2023: Sunday of the Prodigal Son

SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON

Matins Gospel Mark 16:1–8 (35th Sunday)

Epistle 1 Corinthians 6:12–20

Gospel Luke 15:11–32