Readings: Joshua 5:9-12, Ps. 34:2-7, 2 Cor. 5:17-21, Luke 15:1-3,11-32
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.” (Luke 15:18-19)
- Last Sunday, Jesus illustrated the gravity of sin by citing the case of the Galileans whose blood Pilate mixed with sacrifices and the eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell. “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” We must repent because hell exists. We also experience hell on earth due to our sinfulness. The prodigal son wanted freedom from his father’s rules and regulations, without realising that this implied freedom from his father’s protection.
- On this fourth Sunday of Lent, we are called to return home. This call is echoed in the voice of the prodigal son who, upon coming to his senses, said to himself: “I will arise and go to my father.” (Luke 15:18). The prodigal son’s hunger reflects that deep longing which no earthly food can satisfy. St. Augustine writes: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.” Nothing in this world can equal what we enjoy from obeying God.
- In today’s First Reading, the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua finally settled in Gilgal. For the first time after four hundred years, they ate the fruit of the Land flowing with milk and honey. When we return home, we no longer feed on pig food but directly from God’s banquet. Our Psalmist says: “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” In other words, “Give God a try; repent from sin.” Our Second Reading today says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” This represents another call to return home, especially for us churchgoers who claim to have been baptised but remain stuck in our sinful ways. Let us now itemise some lessons contained in today’s readings:
1. We are Pilgrims on Earth
Being heavenly-bound, we are on a journey through a desert. Think of all the world's problems today, listen to the news, and you cannot help but realise we are in a desert. All the world has to offer us is manna at its very best, and this is why Satan’s offer of earthly kingdoms did not carry away Jesus. Like the prodigal son, we desire the material pleasures of the world, but they don’t last. Money loses value, beauty fades, things break, fame diminishes, love soon turns to hate, and so on. St. John writes: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world, the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches, comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)
2. Every Sin is a Prodigal Act
Every time we prioritise the things of this world above God, we act like the prodigal son. Sin always looks attractive and beneficial initially, but we realise our foolishness as soon as we fall. That which promised lasting enjoyment soon turns into starvation and misery. The grass looks greener in your neighbour’s compound. We believe that there is something to be gained from sin, but what we get is death. (Romans 6:23)
3. Sin Reduces Us to the Level of Slaves
Sin not only destroys the life of God inside us, but it also takes away our dignity by making us think less of ourselves. Like the prodigal son who forgot who he was and hired himself out as a farmhand, sin gives us a distorted view of ourselves. The more we sin, the less we think we can overcome temptations. St. Paul says: “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).
4. It is Never Too Late to Repent
No matter how deep we may have engrossed ourselves in sin, we still can return home. However, this can only happen when we preach to ourselves. No sermon is as powerful as self-talk. “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’” (Luke 15:17-19). You will only benefit from this message if you examine your conscience and preach to yourself.
5. When We Repent, God Resets Us; Forgives Our Past and Restores Our Dignity
The prodigal son, now suffering from an inferiority complex due to sinfulness, wanted to be employed as a hired hand in his father’s house. He never imagined he could be forgiven. However, the father did something humans would rarely do; he forgave the son and restored his former dignity. The father saw him as one who had returned from the dead. This is how God treats us when we repent. Hence, St. Paul says: “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has passed away; the new has come” (2nd Corinthians 5:17)
6. By Condemning Others, We Put Ourselves Out of God’s Banquet
Many of us are like the elder brother; our obedience to God is transactional. “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” (Luke 15:29-30). The elder brother was unaware of the suffering the prodigal son had experienced, which led him to return. Instead of seeing him as one who returned from the dead, he judged him as one who went out to enjoy.
- I saw a video of a young lady who told her pastor that she had been a church girl for years, and no one had asked her hand in marriage. However, all the girls who are into “hook-up” are happily married. Stop judging and condemning others. You don’t know what they have been through. Don’t be like the Pharisee who condemned the tax collector (cf. Luke 18:9-14). Many of those you look down on today will enter heaven before you. Instead of pointing fingers, look inwards, work on yourself. There must be something that is making men run away from you; being a churchgoer is not the same thing as being marriage material. What makes you believe that all girls are into “hook-up”? How do you accuse someone of doing something if you are not doing it?
7. God Eagerly Awaits Our Return
Just as the Father gave a great banquet for the prodigal son, so is God waiting to provide us with a sumptuous banquet when we return to Him. There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than ninety-nine who do not need repentance. Jesus says: “But while he (the prodigal son) was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20). The worst sin is despair. It is the belief that your sins are unpardonable. No matter what your past has been, you can begin anew.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, grant us the grace of true repentance. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (4th Sunday of Lent. Liturgical Colour: Rose or Violet. Bible Study: Joshua 5:9-12, Ps. 34:2-7, 2 Cor. 5:17-21, Luke 15:1-3,11-32).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu
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