Fathers and Sons

Luke 15:11-20 (NRSV)

“There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself withb the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘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.” ’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

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Carry on, you will always remember
Carry on, nothing equals the splendor
Now your life's no longer empty
Surely heaven waits for you

Carry on my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry (don't you cry no more)

"Carry On Wayward Son" written by Kerry Livgren recorded by Kansas on "Leftoverture" (1976)

The story of the Prodigal is one of the most beloved in scripture. But often we forget what "prodigal" means. Prodigal means generous. We talk about the prodigal son when we talk more about the wayward son and his progigal father.

The younger son wants what is due him, he wants his share of the family estate. The father is under no obligation to give it to him, yet he does. This most likely left the family cash strapped since the father had to liquidate one-third of his holdings, the traditional division for a younger man with two sons.

The younger son leaves the family home, and takes up with fast women and hard living. It's the makings of every trust-fund baby sob story you've ever known. The young man finally is forced to feed pigs-the opposite of kosher. He isn't even allowed to eat the pods he's using to feed them.

He sucks up his pride and goes home where he will say to his father "I have sinned against heaven and before you." He's just hoping to get a job from the old man.

But his father sees him from far away and meets the son along the way. His father runs to him and hugs him. Then the young man says his piece, "I have sinned against heaven and before you."

Here's the amazing thing-the moment the young man was forgiven was when his father ran to him and hugged him. The father moving to the son was the moment the father bestowed his forgiveness. The apology and remorse had nothing to do with the Father's forgiveness! The son was forgiven before he even opened his mouth.

God offers us, the wayward children of creation, forgiveness before we even know to ask for it. Nothing equals the splendor, life is no longer empty, heaven waits. Heaven waits not for the day we leave the earth, heaven waits on the hill waiting for the son. Heaven waits and runs to us when we turn toward the Father in faith.

Like the Queen You Are

Esther 7:1-3

So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. On the second day, as they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have won your favor, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me--that is my petition--and the lives of my people--that is my request.

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Well I'm gonna treat you like the queen you are.
Bring you sweet things from my candy jar.
You've got tricks you ain't never used.
Give it, Give it to me, it won't be abused.

"Wrap It Up" recorded by The Fabulous Thunderbirds from "Tuff Enuf" written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter

One of the ways to understand the story of Esther is that is shows how the Lord protects his own people, even without God's name being uttered. It's true, in the entire book of Esther God's name is never uttered, but all of the Jews in the story know that what happens is by the will of God. Folks who read it thousands of years later are to understand that nothing happens except by the hand of God too.

This makes Esther one of the most unique books in the canon of scripture.

The Jews are in danger, Haman wants to kill the Jews because Esther's guardian, her cousin Mordecai, insulted him. To kill the Jews Haman must convince the king to allow him to execute a horrendous plan. In an earlier thrilling turn of events, Esther becomes Queen. Mordecai convinces Esther to save her people, but that's not so easy either. Seeking an audience with the king can be dangerous, even for the queen.

As the old saying goes, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach," so Esther takes that route. Her work is met with success and the king asks "What is her petition." She asks the king to save her people from Haman's wrath.

The king grants Esther an audience because she did what she needed to do to get that audience. He grants her wish because her request was just and because she treated her king with honor. Because she treated him with honor, he did the same. He treated her like the queen she is. Because she treated him with honor, her honor was not abused, it was returned in kind.

She and her people were saved.

Showing honor to the honorable brings honor. Giving God the honor brings honor too.

Not One, Not Two, But Three

Matthew 3:16-17

And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

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One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
Two can be as bad as one
It's the loneliest number since the number one

"One" by Harry Nilsson recorded by Three Dog Night from their self titled first album

This reading is usually read on Baptism of the Lord Sunday, but today it has a message for Trinity Sunday. This is the first time in scripture that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are found together in scripture.

In this moment, when Jesus joins in our plight through the waters of human earthly baptism, in this moment the Spirit descends like a dove and the voice from heaven proclaim "this is my son." In this moment, literally all is right in the world. In our world it won't stay that way for long, but in this moment all is right.

Even in the place where God lives, one is the loneliest number. Even in the place where God lives two can be as bad as one, it's the loneliest number since the number one. But when the three-in-one come together, something special happens. God is lonely when God is one, it takes the eternal Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit, to make God complete. Yet, even in Godly perfection, God wants more. God's overflowing love longs for a recipient. That's where we come in.

God has a plan for us. That plan begins in the creation story. God is so filled with love that the only way to make love complete is to share it. This is where creation comes in, God created everything so that love could be shared. God created humanity to share that love, to dance eternally with the three-in-one God. God created us to share the love.

God cannot exist alone and neither can we. One is truly the loneliest number. We need one another in community as the Lord needs the three persons of God. All of us together, we all need one another. That's the glory of the Trinity, and the glory of our place in God's creation.