4th Sunday Lent C - Homily 1

Homily 1 - 2007

We're all familiar with today's Gospel reading – perhaps too familiar! I find it interesting to note the elder brother's summary of life at home: All these years I've slaved for you; You've never rewarded me. I suppose that he and his father got on OK. They would have been civil to each other - well-mannered. He would have treated him with respect; but beneath the civility and respect, it seems there lay a deep resentment.

How were things between him and his young brother? Distant coldness: he wouldn't even call him his brother. He accused him – with no way of knowing – of wasting his money on prostitutes.. Where did that come from? Was it a projection of his own repressed desires - that resulted in intense envy? Whatever was seething inside flashed out as anger when he heard what his father was doing for his young brother. He refused to go in. He would not celebrate. So much for life down on the farm!

Jesus told today's story to his audience of Pharisees who were grumbling and complaining about the way he associated with people whom they judged as sinners. Perhaps he hoped to crack their defences to help them  see themselves and to change, and to let a bit of celebration into their lives.

Of course, in telling the story in his Gospel Luke was not interested in Pharisees – They would have been the last to read what he was writing. Luke was writing for disciples - For you and me. Scratch beneath our surface a bit, and there we may see something of the same agenda that troubled the Pharisees.

If God is ready to forgive people who do not toe the line – if there are no special perks for us – why bother trying hard to be good? All these years I have slaved for you and never disobeyed your orders. You never once offered me a kid to celebrate with my friends...

But, then, it will be different later on - in the end.

Will it? Would we really enjoy being forever in a heaven with a God who punishes the wicked and rewards the good? In heaven, the conditions might be good - plenty of perks.

But it's not much of a relationship.

The young man in the story had apparently been wicked. It looks like self-pity that drove him back to his father. He had his speech all worked out – most disarming. He started the first few words – and then he stopped. Did he stop because his father cut him short with his words to the servants? Or was it that the father’s obvious love broke into his consciousness – and he knew that what he was going to say had suddenly become irrelevant and just didn’t make sense any more. For the first time in his life, he recognised love... and he let himself be loved!

In today's Second Reading, Paul talked about God, calling everyone to a deep relationship – God reconciling the world to himself, not holding their faults against them. Reconciling: That talks of closeness, mutual love, intimacy - trust, mutual surrender. You get the sense from Paul that he was not getting far in interesting people in that. Perhaps people were more at home with rewards. God offers love.

Love is not a question of getting more - of anything - acquiring, storing up - but of letting go, of surrendering the ego, of dying to self- - as Jesus said, to trust the other totally, of letting go of the drive to be in control, even the last little bit.

St John of the Cross used the image of fire – Not just getting close enough to feel warm and cosy - but so close as to get burnt, to catch fire, every skerrick of ego, every skerrick of control, burnt away.. To become the fire, to be one with God, to be love like God.

In the meantime ... Perhaps we can practice taking little steps - like God, forgetting about judging others, rejoicing in each other, being comfortable with difference.