Who among us has never been lost?

Who among us has never been lost?

4th Sunday of Lent

There may be one time in your life where you decided to explore a strange place, such as a forest, and after the Sun went down you and a companion thought you both could find your way back.  Cooks Forest in Pennsylvania is no different than many other wooded locations.  In daylight everything looks awesome and very friendly.  At night the environment can become fearful and unless you have a map with symbols you’ll recognize the way back will become worse than a novel filled with noises and smells that you never expected.  A friend and I found that exact situation.  His older brother already called the police to assist in finding us.  Fortunately  we were located by a passing car and the driver had heard we were lost.

The scenario is no different with the young son in our parable today.  Getting lost is nothing foreign to young people with a desire to make it alone or with at least one friend.  The thought of many young students or grown children acquiring an attitude of breaking the hold of a parent’s rules on your right to speak for yourself.  The Prodigal Son’s behavior is no different than most of us that decide to escape the pressure of what is correct by obeying God’s commands.  Usually we don’t see just slipping casually around occasions of white lies or a small gesture towards a person in a sexual manner that may mean very little.  After all, doesn't everyone do the same?  

Here is where the Lord could’ve just said, “let him go and perhaps he’ll come back as a punishment for his awkward choice of ignoring me.”  But a father isn’t  likely to pass his son off without a tear filled eye and waits for his change of heart.  Perhaps this son, like all of us, will realize when the chips are down, our Father in heaven will accept me back.   What type of welcome would your father have if you had done the same?

There is no parable in the bible that shows the tenderness of God other than this humbling acceptance of this Prodigal where the father shows what real love he has for his wayward son.  A complete show of real tenderness that only a father has for a son who turns his back on the family and decides he knows what is best for himself.  Like getting lost in a forest with no map to guide us back, it is when we fall into sin and realize there is only one solution and it begins with, “Father I have sinned.  Forgive me.”

This is the story of Easter and Lent prepares us for the real reason we call Christ’s Passion the necessary sacrifice which is God’s total manner of forgiving us when we become lost.  

Ralph B. Hathaway