The Fourth Sunday in Lent

A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, “Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, “How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.’”

We don’t normally get our inheritances until after someone dies, but here the younger son demands the share that should come to him after his father’s death. By doing so, the younger son is essentially treating his father as if he is already dead. He breaks off all ties and sets off to do whatever he wants, squandering his inheritance on a life of decadence. When we choose sin over God we do the same thing, we treat God as if He is dead and go off on our own path. And in the end, like the younger son, we lose everything and find ourselves in dire straits. Our souls starve on the empty pleasures of the world and we hire ourselves out to uncaring masters. However, God is always willing to take us back. All we need to do is come to our senses, admit our sins, and be willing to do good works for our Heavenly Father in reparation for our transgressions. If we do these things, then God will welcome us back with open arms and celebrate our return with an everlasting feast.

In what ways are we like the younger son? Are we willing to admit our sins and return to God? How can we imitate the forgiveness of the Heavenly Father in regards to those who trespass against us?

O Lord, we have sinned against you. Forgive us and welcome us back into your heavenly kingdom with open arms.

Amen.