Fourth Sunday in Lent, cycle C

LUKE 15:1-3, 11-32
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE TELEVISION PROGRAM, THE SIMPSONS? I'M SURE NO ONE HERE ACTUALLY WATCHES IT, BUT I REMEMBER AN EPISODE THAT I THINK HAS SOME BEARING ON TODAY'S GOSPEL. THE SIMPSONS BELONG TO A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH. MARGE, THE WIFE AND MOTHER, IS MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN RELIGION THAN HER FAMILY. THE DAUGHTER, LISA, CONSIDERS HERSELF A BUDDHIST, AND HOMER, THE FATHER, IS GIVEN TO MAKING UP QUOTES FROM THE BIBLE WHEN HE THINKS IT MIGHT GET HIM SOMEWHERE.
IN THE EPISODE I'M THINKING OF, HOMER AND HIS SON BART RESCUE A PRIEST, AND ARE QUICKLY CONVINCED TO CONVERT. THE PRIEST TELLS THEM THAT CATHOLICS CAN DANCE, DRINK BEER, AND GENERALLY CAN DO ABOUT ANYTHING, BECAUSE THEY CAN ALWAYS GO TO CONFESSION AND START ALL OVER. THIS SEEMS LIKE A GOOD DEAL TO HOMER AND BART. EVENTUALLY MARGE HAS A DREAM. SHE IS IN PROTESTANT HEAVEN, HAS A SMALL HARP, IS GIVEN A CUP OF TEA AND A ROCKING CHAIR. SHE SEES OVER ON THE NEXT CLOUD THE CATHOLIC HEAVEN, WHERE HOMER AND BART AND JESUS HIMSELF ARE ALL HAVING A WILD PARTY. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER HOMER AND BART EVER CONVERTED; THE SIMPSONS PROGRAM IS NOT BIG ON CONTINUITY.
AS I WAS READING THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON LAST WEEK, I REALIZED THAT I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE LIKED THE YOUNGER SON. HE BLEW HIS INHERITANCE BECAUSE HE WAS INTERESTED IN NOW, IN HOW MUCH FUN HE COULD HAVE. HE WASN'T WORRIED ABOUT TOMORROW. AND WHEN THINGS GET DESPERATE, HE KNEW WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO SAY, WHAT TO DO. HE'LL NEVER BE RICH, BUT YOU CAN BET HE WILL HAVE FUN, HE WILL ENJOY LIFE. AND IN THE END OF THIS STORY, HE IS HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME AT THE PARTY THE FATHER HAS THROWN FOR HIM, STILL NOT THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW, JUST ENJOYING HIS GOOD FORTUNE.
AND I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE LIKED THE OLDER BROTHER. HE ACCUSES HIS FATHER OF NOT EVEN GIVING HIM A GOAT TO CELEBRATE WITH HIS FRIENDS, BUT I SUSPECT HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS, OR IF HE DID, HE WOULD NOT HAVE WASTED A GOAT ON THEM. HE REFERS TO HIS BROTHER AS “THIS SON OF YOURS” BECAUSE HE CAN'T STAND THE TASTE OF THE WORDS, “MY BROTHER.” HE PROBABLY KNEW TO THE PENNY HOW MUCH HIS FATHER'S PROPERTY WAS WORTH, AND WAS JUST WAITING TO TAKE OVER. THE FATHER REJOICED THAT THE YOUNGER SON HAD RETURNED; THAT WAS A REACTION OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. BUT THE FATHER'S REACTION TO THE OLDER SON'S COMPLAINT IS ONE OF DUTY -- “ALL THAT I HAVE IS YOURS”. THAT STATEMENT DOES NOT HAVE THE RING OF LOVE IN IT, DOES IT?
THE TWO SONS HAVE VASTLY DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES, AND MAYBE NOTHING COULD CHANGE EITHER OF THEM VERY MUCH. BUT I WOULD SUBMIT THAT ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM IS FIXABLE; THE YOUNGER SON IS FORGIVEN, THE OLDER SON IS NOT. JESUS TALKED ABOUT THIS IN OTHER PLACES AS WELL, WHEN HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT COME FOR THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT FOR SINNERS; AND HE POINTED OUT THE TAX COLLECTOR SITTING IN THE BACK OF THE TEMPLE, AND SAID THAT HE WOULD BE FAVORED OVER THE PHARISEE. AND JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED IN PART, BECAUSE HE CHALLENGED THE GOOD PEOPLE OF HIS TIME, WHO WERE GOOD, WHO WORKED VERY HARD TO WORSHIP GOD PERFECTLY AND LIVE ACCORDING TO GOD'S LAW. THE PEOPLE JESUS CRITICIZED FASTED, GAVE ALMS, PRAYED, AND WERE VERY SINCERE. BUT THEY DID NOT SEE THAT THEY NEEDED FORGIVENESS.
LOOK HOW THE PRODIGAL SON ACCEPTS FORGIVENESS. HE COMES TO HIS FATHER WITH NOTHING, AND HE EXPECTS NOTHING. HE IS JUST HOPING THAT HE COULD BE A SERVANT IN THE HOUSE, A PERSON WHO WAS ALLOWED TO HAVE A ROOF OVER HIS HEAD AND A COUPLE OF MEALS EVERY DAY. AND HE THROWS HIMSELF ON THE MERCY OF HIS FATHER, KNOWING THAT HE HAS NO CLAIM ON HIM FOR ANYTHING. AND HE IS FORGIVEN, AND HE ACCEPTS FORGIVENESS, AND HE ENTERS IN TO THE FATHER'S BANQUET.
THE OLDER SON HAS DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT, AND BELIEVES THAT BECAUSE OF THIS, HE IS ENTITLED. HE DOESN'T NEED FORGIVENESS. BUT THAT IS JESUS' POINT. EVERYONE NEEDS FORGIVENESS, NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU THINK YOU ARE. AND IF THE OLDER SON FELL ON HIS KNEES IN FRONT OF THE FATHER AND ADMITTED THAT HE TOO NEEDED FORGIVENESS, HE WOULD RECEIVE FORGIVENESS AS WELL, AND HE WOULD BE CHANGED AND HE WOULD JOYFULLY GO IN AND ENJOY THE BANQUET. THE YOUNGER SON IS WILLING TO TELL HIS FATHER WHAT HE HAS DONE WRONG; THE OLDER SON DOESN'T BELIEVE HE HAS DONE ANYTHING WRONG.
BUT HERE'S THE THING. EVERYONE NEEDS FORGIVENESS. THE VERY FACT THAT YOU ARE A FEW POUNDS OVERWEIGHT, SLEEP IN A WARM BED, HAVE A CAR AND A GOOD JOB -- YOU NEED FORGIVENESS FOR THAT – BECAUSE THERE ARE A SOME OF YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS OUT THERE WHO ARE SLEEPING UNDER BRIDGES, TRUDGE FROM PLACE TO PLACE IN WORN OUT SHOES OR EVEN IN BARE FEET; HAVE NOTHING, AND SOMETIMES GO TWO OR THREE DAYS WITHOUT ANYTHING TO EAT. AND THAT SHOULDN'T BE, AND THAT IS PARTLY YOUR FAULT. IF YOU HAVE NOT LOVED GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL, MIND, AND STRENGTH, AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF, AND WHO HAS, YOU AND I NEED FORGIVENESS.
OUR LOVING FATHER WAITS FOR US, HOPES THAT WE WILL COME HOME; HE HOLDS OUT HIS FORGIVENESS UNCONDITIONALLY. BUT FORGIVENESS IS A KIND OF LOVE, IT CANNOT BE A ONE-WAY THING. IT REQUIRES SOMEONE TO OFFER FORGIVENESS, AND SOMEONE TO ACCEPT IT. AND IF I AM TO ACCEPT IT, I HAVE TO HAVE A CLEAR IDEA AS TO WHY I NEED FORGIVENESS. AND THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF OUR SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION. IT'S TRUE THAT GOD IS ALWAYS WILLING TO FORGIVE US; BUT IF WE DON'T GO OVER OUR MOTIVES AND OUR BEHAVIOR, AND CLEARLY IDENTIFY WHY WE NEED FORGIVENESS, AND HAVE THE INTENTION OF TRYING TO IMPROVE OUR LIVES, THE INTERACTION CANNOT TAKE PLACE. GOD WILL STILL GIVE US EVERYTHING WE NEED, HE WILL STILL HOLD OUT HIS OFFER; BUT WE CAN'T ENTER IN TO THE BANQUET UNTIL WE HAVE ACCEPTED THE FORGIVENESS THAT WE NEED. SO GO TO THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND GET IN THE HABIT OF BEING FORGIVEN; AND THEN WHEN YOU AND I ACCEPT THAT WE ARE SINNERS, WE WILL BE FORGIVEN SINNERS, WE WILL ENTER INTO A FORETASTE OF HEAVEN HERE ON EARTH.