“Loving the Lost” – Luke 15:11-32 – March 14, 2010
Recently Joe D’Ambrosio was released from prison. He is 48 years old and has been in prison for 21 years. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Joan Synenberg ordered him released without conditions. “Mr. D’Ambrosio, you are free,” she stated. It is unlikely that he would have been convicted since prosecutors withheld evidence that could have exonerated him. He was released from prison after being wrongly accused of a crime. D’Ambrosio denied killing tony Klann in September of 1988.
Most everyone who hears a story like this one would be skeptical. How could a possible murderer be set free? On the other hand, some might wonder how an innocent man could spend 21 years in prison for a crime he never committed.
Nevertheless, D’Ambrosio was forgiven. He is free to live his life without further penalty or judgment. In a similar way the prodigal son was forgiven by his father for squandering his inheritance and living a reckless life. His story too is one that many people are skeptical about. Forgiving someone for behavior that crosses the line of upright living is not easy for us to do.
In our society we place a high value on how hard we work and the things we have been able to accumulate as a result of our efforts. We admire responsibility, especially those who don’t waste or spend money carelessly. Consequently many folks have trouble with the story of the prodigal son since he went off to a far country, squandered his inheritance and ended up with nothing. Since he ended up feeding pigs many would say he got what he deserved. But, when he returned home he was welcomed by his father, much to the chagrin of many who read this story.
The prodigal was lost because he thought he could do whatever he wanted without a care in the world. But, the older brother, who was righteous and good, was lost too. He had everything he wanted, but couldn’t see it. He was so consumed with fairness that he had no appreciation for his lost brother who had returned home.
Most of us resonate with the older brother. We see this as an act of unfairness. The prodigal son broke the rules. The prodigal son wasted his inheritance. Meanwhile the older brother did everything right. He even argued, "All these years I have never disobeyed you and you never once gave me a party." The older brother was angry and jealous. Life, for him, was not fair. His younger brother did not deserve to be forgiven.
God however is concerned about those who are lost. Prior to the story of the prodigal son, Jesus told two other parables about the importance of finding the lost. He reminded the disciples of the joyful experience of finding the one lost sheep and finding the one lost coin. To recover that which is lost is exceedingly joyous. "Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (vs. 15:10)
After hearing the courts decision, D’Ambrosio hugged supporters and then shook the guard’s hand who removed the monitoring bracelet from his ankle. Imagine his joy and relief of being free.
Joy is a critical dynamic in the story of the prodigal son. When someone has been found who was lost, he or she is worthy of a celebration. Can you celebrate the freedom of Joe D’Ambrosio? Can you celebrate the return of the prodigal son? Can you celebrate the fact that someone you know wasted part of their life, but eventually came home? Can you truly forgive another human being for wrongful behavior? Forgiveness is about being gracious and loving. On the other hand, when we forgive we experience joy.
Jesus told the story of the prodigal son in response to the criticism of the Pharisees and scribes. They didn’t like the company Jesus kept. They said, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” But, Jesus was committed to forgiveness, unconditional love and grace. Jesus "partied" with the people on the other side of the tracks. He didn’t limit his friendship with any one group, fraternal, ethnic, or otherwise. The "lost sheep" of his world deserved special attention.
We want to celebrate when people have done something good or important. We love to acknowledge personal accomplishments, significant milestones and reward those who excel. It never occurs to us to throw a party for someone who has returned from being lost, especially when they have behaved badly. To throw a party for someone who has come home after messing up their life requires us to “judge not, less we be judged.”
The older brother had to get over his attitude of self-righteousness, that somehow he was better because he never did anything wrong. Many side with the older brother who had worked hard and never lived recklessly. But, those who can’t forgive or experience the joy of celebrating a life that is found will never realize God’s amazing grace.
Our pride can get in the way of experiencing the grace of God. We also miss out on God’s grace when we fail to be part of the celebration. All of us, whether we see ourselves as the prodigal or the older brother, live in the grace of God. Jesus is teaching us that instead of following rules we need to be building relationships through forgiveness and grace.
I heard a story a long time ago that really helped me to understand the lesson of the prodigal son. A woman told me that her husband never did the dishes with her. After dinner he would take a walk, while his wife did the dishes. When he returned he would always, without exception, present her with a flower. She never questioned where they came from. But, the husband told her how much he loved her and gave her the flower as a symbol of his love and appreciation. One evening the husband returned with a green leaf. Apparently he was unable to find a flower. The woman did not hesitate to say "thank you" and received the leaf with joy. Momentarily, she thought she had been slighted but decided to accept the leaf graciously. Forgiveness was such a part of who she was that criticism and guilt could not find their place in her words or actions. That very night her husband died in his sleep.
What if she had raised her voice for not receiving a flower like she did every time before? What if she had been angry at him or felt in her heart that she had somehow slipped to a lower place in her husband’s heart? But, she did none of those things. She accepted the flower graciously. She lived the rest of her life free of guilt and sorrow for loving her husband in spite of a simple imperfection.
Is forgiveness possible? In this case the woman was able to keep her feelings under control and show her admiration for her spouse although she was disappointed. Her forgiveness of her husband went beyond normal behavior. A simple act of forgiveness can change lives and last a life time.
When Fulton Sheen was a youth he was an alter boy. One time while assisting a bishop during a worship service he fumbled the wine and created a mess. He nervously looked up at the bishop expecting to be criticized. Instead the kindly bishop leaned down and whispered in his ear. He said, “It’s ok, someday you too, will be a priest.” Fulton Sheen later became an archbishop. Grace, rather than judgment can go a long way.
The magnitude of God’s grace in this story is beyond our grasp. Not only did the father welcome his son home, he ran ahead to meet him when he saw him coming down the road. He then put his arms around him and kissed him. God’s grace is further magnified by the fact that the father didn’t even give him a chance to finish his confession. He immediately started making preparations for his return party. As far as the father was concerned, his son was a free man and an honored guest. First he was lost but then he was found.
You can see that this story reaches beyond anything we describe as normal or "right." God is concerned with a much bigger picture. We are lost when we cannot acknowledge God as the source of our being. We are lost when we do not trust that God is with us. We are lost when we do not give God the benefit of the doubt when it comes to being fair. We are lost when we cannot rejoice and embrace God’s grace.
Dr. Keith Wagner