LET’S TALK ABOUT
THE OLDER BROTHER
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Let’s Talk About The Older Brother.”
TODAY’S GOSPEL
Today’s gospel – Luke 15: 1-32 – is a central gospel text for our spiritual life as Christians. It’s long as you noticed. We’re allowed to read the long or short version. For me, no contest. No other choice. I read the long version. How about you? Do you need all three parables?
My take is that the whole chapter has to be heard as one. It needs to be heard, discovered, dug into, mined, remembered and practiced. How do you learn to forgive and be forgiven? Practice! Practice! Practice!
At times for a penance when someone comes to confession, I say, “Read the 15th chapter of the Gospel of Luke.”
I say that because it contains a rich theology of grace. The Catholic theology on Grace is right here. Grace is about cooperation. It’s not one sided. It’s not a free ride. I have things to do and God has things to do.
In the first two stories God does the searching, but the third story is just the opposite. God waits.
Looking at our life, how have we been when it comes to forgiveness? Do we reach out – make the phone calls – or do we wait?
Looking at our life, what has been our experience with God? Has God been searching for us or has God been waiting for us? Or is it both. Or is it: haven’t really thought about this is this way – till today – I hope?
So I have to have the hope that God is looking for me and wants me home with him – in grace with him, in communion with him, but I also have to get off my butt – we all have lots of but’s – up out my messes and come home!
So all 3 parables - all 3 stories are necessary. In the first 2 stories God comes searching for me; in the third story God waits for me to come home to Him.
Today’s gospel has 3 key characters: God, others, me. Spiritual teachers, when asked about how to read the Bible, sometimes say: “Start with the stories or the parables and ask yourself, ‘Which of the characters in this story is me?’”
# 1: looking at today’s gospel, am I the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin or Lost Son?
# 2: looking at today’s gospel, am I the Searching or Waiting God? Am I the Forgiving God? Am I able to have the God within me, forgive me within me? Can this me – become Godlike – and forgive myself – for all that piggy, piggy, pig stuff hidden in the bottom drawer or basement or pig pen in my soul? Everybody has a closet.
# 3: looking at today’s gospel, am I the Pharisee, the Scribe or the Unforgiving Older Brother?
In this homily I’m focusing on this third person: the Pharisee, the Scribe, the Unforgiving Older Brother.
THE PHARISEES AND THE SCRIBES
The gospel begins, “Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”
The gospel ends with the older brother unwilling to welcome home his lost younger brother – unwilling to come inside and start to eat – start to feast on the fatted lamb with him and his father. Jesus says, “My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”
The gospel ends without us knowing if the older brother says to his father: “You know, you’re right. I’m wrong. I’m glad you came out here looking for me. I’m going in and sit down and eat with my brother.”
We do know that many of the Pharisees and the scribes did not accept Jesus’ message – of mingling and eating with tax collectors and sinners.
We do know from today’s second reading that Paul – a Pharisee –changed and came home – came into the Christian family. That second reading is very autobiographical. In his case God reached out for him on the road to Damascus – as in today’s first two parables.
THE OLD JOKE
Remember the old joke? We’ve all heard it at least a dozen times. It gets kind of boring in heaven, so St. Peter calls everyone together on a field in this big enormous stadium and says, “Okay, all the women go up into the stands on my right. Next all the men who were not married, go up into the stands on my left. Now all you married men on the field, if you were nagged by your wife go that end of the stadium and if you were never nagged by your wife, go to this end of the stadium. Every man but one goes to that end of the stadium. St. Peter then says to the one guy at this end of the stadium, ‘What are you doing here?’ And he says rather sheepishly, ‘My wife up there pointed to me to come down here.’”
Well if I said, “Everyone stand up. If you’re a Pharisee or a Scribe or like the older brother, meaning, you see yourself as not doing anything wrong, you never sin, you’re educated, you’re trying to do everything right, you stand over there. Now if you see yourself as a disaster – or a sinner, a prostitute, poor, dirty, lazy, a tax collector, meaning, you tax others, you wear them out, your life is a mess, you stand over there.” Where would you stand?
It’s like the old story of the guy who checked out ten different churches. Each church had criteria for belonging. The one he picked was the one where the pastor said, “The only criteria for coming here is that you sin and make mistakes. Then you’ll feel at home.”
Isn’t that the well known secret and the success for A.A., Alcoholic Anonymous, meetings? Should every Mass begin by each of us standing up and saying, “Hello. My name is Andrew. And I’m a sinner.” Isn’t that why every Mass begins with the tip of our fingers taking a dip into the water – and then making the sign of the cross – to remind us of the washing waters of our baptism and then a confession of sin and guilt and a prayer for mercy. “Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.”
MAJOR, MAJOR MESSAGE
The major, major, major, major message in today’s gospel is Jesus’ message about what God our Father is like.
For some people God the Father is like their own father – or some image some Father So and So preached 50 years ago.
God our Father is like the Good Shepherd in today’s gospel who leaves the 99 sheep in the desert and goes looking for the one lost sheep till he finds it. Then notice he comes home with that lost sheep on his shoulders and calls out to friends and neighbors and says, “Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.”
Imagine all the other sheep saying, “Baa, baa, baa, bad idea. What about us? I’ve been a loyal sheep all my life – and this turkey gets all the celebration and attention. Not fair. Not fair. Not fair.”
Wait till we get to heaven and find out who’s there. Surprise. Surprise. Surprise!
God is like this woman who had ten coins. They think it might be her wedding coins – that women sewed into their head or hat pieces – reminding everyone who sees her: “Look at all the coins I got at my wedding!” – and one coin gets lost and she searches and searches till she finds it – and then throws a party – yelling out, “Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I have lost.”
Then Jesus ends this second story with the same message, “I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Wait till we hear the clapping and screaming and rejoicing when we walk into heaven. “He’s here. She’s here. Wow! Great!”
God is like the Father of two sons. The younger pigs out – ends up in the mud – a homeless starving mess – but comes home – not out of great motive – but to feed his face – and he experiences the love of a wonderful father – who’s hugging and kissing him – with no worry about getting dry pig do do on him. The dancing father is celebrating and yells, “Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fatted calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”
CONCLUSION: THE QUESTION – THE BIG, BIG QUESTION
The question, the big, big question is this: is this my perception, my image, my understanding of who and how God is?
I can say the Creed right after this homily a thousand times – with ease – but can I say the creed that comes out of this 15th Chapter of Luke. “This is my God. This is my Father.” And feel God hugging me and holding me and inviting me to this banquet – this Mass – this Meal – this church filled with us sinners – where we eat the slaughtered lamb – the Body of Christ – the Bread and Wine together in communion with each other at this banquet.
If not then I’m still outside. I’m still off to side – a Pharisee, a Scribe, the Older brother.
Relax. The Good News is: God doesn’t give up. That’s what Luke 15 is saying. Sometimes God waits for me and sometimes he comes looking for me.
P.S. Suggestion: Hope for the looking and searching God as opposed to the waiting God.
Painting on top: Rembrandt - find the Older Brother
