Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Our Venerable Father Matinian (d. 415); St Zoe and St Photina, Venerable Women

Ambon Prayer 8

Title

We Belong to the Lord

Outline

The Prodigal Sons is about Belonging

When one was a son in an ANE household one was under the authority of the pater familias until he died

Your status and authority in society and in the household came from him - you did not earn them, you grew into them

At the same time he trained you in your work, directed your work in the family occupation, and at some time found a wife for you or at least approved and facilitated your choice

You had security (as much as was possible) and meaning and community, but your independence was limited

The younger son leaves the family to make his own way

This is sometimes expected in our society, but was strange in most societies. This leaving is often religious in which one makes one’s own religion up eclectically, perhaps while still remaining part of a formal religious community.

But this did not work out well, for there was no community to fall back on when the vicissitudes of life struck nor father to advise one along the way and to guide the community with his experience of past famines.

The young man found himself without status, dependent upon a man who did not care for him, sitting among pigs that were better cared for than he. That is the way of the world.

He returns to his father repentantly and without expecting his former status - hired servant, not part of the family, was enough, for it was physically better than what he had fallen to.

He is surprised, even shocked, when his father restores him to full status as a son. He may have squandered his inheritance, but he has the protection and guidance of the father and the restoration to a community. And that whole community joins in the celebration.

The older son stays home but is still outside the family

He has benefitted from the family in terms of food and clothes

But he sees himself as something of a hired servant - “these many years I have served you.” Each command has been obeyed.

He has apparently not ventured to ask for “a kid” to celebrate with with his friends. In other words, he has not lived out his status as son and firstborn son at that.

Thus he naturally is incensed at his father’s restoration of his brother, for he himself is in his mind living the life of the hired laborer, the status the younger son asked for.

We never find out if the older son repents, if he ever grasps the heart of the father, if he ever enters the community. It is symbolic that the younger son is now inside, while the older is standing outside.

Brothers and sisters, this parable is for us

First, it is for us to show us that our heavenly father welcomes the outcasts of society into his family, so we should be like him in facilitating this welcome

Second, it shows us that all we have - status, supply, meaning, community is a gift of the father, and that this should determine our whole life, physically and emotionally and spiritually. That is why Paul says that we are sons of God in Christ and that that should determine our bodily behavior.

Third, it shows that it is possible to be formally part of the family and emotionally far from the family, have a formal status in the community and emotionally be a slave, be in a far country. Such need to return to the Father.

Fourth, when viewed against our society, it shows how countercultural Jesus’ view of the church as family is. It is indeed trying to draw us into the far country of individualism, the results of which will be just as disastrous as they were for the younger son.

Brothers and sisters, meditate on this. Where are you in this story? What do you need to do to enjoy that status of sons and daughters, which is your formal status? And how can you be like Jesus and be an agent of welcoming younger and elder brothers into the warmth of the father’s house?

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 2-20-2022: 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) 2-20-2022: 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) (2-13-2022: Sunday of the Prodigal Son)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2022 | TRIODION AND GREAT LENT

SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON

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

Epistle 1 Corinthians 6:12–20

Gospel Luke 15:11–32