Coming To Ourselves

Luke 15: 1-3 & 11-31
Roger Lynn
November 15, 2015
Stewardship Emphasis
(click here for the audio for this sermon)

The Parable of the Prodigal is such a wonderful story. It has everything – drama, suspense, tragedy, comedy, conflict, passion, dysfunctional family dynamics, sibling rivalry, exotic locations, you name it. It’s no wonder that it is one of the all-time favorites among Jesus’ parables. And believe it or not, it is also a stewardship story. Or at least it provides the foundation upon which to build a theology of stewardship.

The first order of business when it comes to stewardship is perspective. Before we can even begin talking about giving, or the responsible use of resources, or any of the other big picture themes connected with stewardship, it is absolutely essential that we come to terms with who we are, where we fit in the grand scheme of things, and what we have to offer. Without this sense of perspective regarding the pieces of the puzzle, we have no frame of reference from which to even consider what it might look like when we start putting the pieces together.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the parable of the prodigal. It is, above all else, a story about freedom. The parent’s love provides the foundation upon which it is possible to experience life – to explore the limits and discover where meaning is found. Some of that exploration is painful because it involves discovering where meaning is not found. And even this takes place within the larger context of a parent’s love which knows no limits. 

The turning point of the story comes in that dark moment in a far off country when the younger son’s perspective finally begins to shift. I love how the NRSV puts it. “But when he came to himself...” (Luke 15:17) He thought he was being true to himself when he set off to see the world. He thought he would find fulfillment. What he discovered instead, there at the end of that very long and challenging road, was the same thing Dorothy finally discovers at the end of her journey through Oz. Everything necessary for a rich and meaningful life has been there all along. “When he came to himself...” 

It is important to note that this moment of repentance (literally turning around and choosing a different path) is only the beginning of the journey. In many ways he still doesn’t “get it.” He still thinks his father’s love is dependent on what he does or does not do. He still thinks he has to earn it. There is a great deal left to learn, but it is enough to get him started down the path towards home. Even in the moment when his father, throwing all pretense at dignity and self-respect to the winds, races down the road to embrace him, he still doesn’t “get it.” He pulls out the battered scrap of paper on which he scribbled his well-rehearsed speech of contrition. Even when the father tells him to put away the speech and go inside and get cleaned up for the party, he still doesn’t “get it.” I suspect that even when he is standing in the living room, with a glass of wine in his hand, the taste of veal still lingering on his tongue, surrounded by the laughter of family and friends who have gathered to welcome him home, even then he doesn’t “get it.” But he’s getting closer all the time. Slowly, ever so slowly, it is sinking in that he is loved and accepted just as he is, no questions asked. 

And then, of course, we must also spend a bit of time considering the poster-child of “not getting it” - the older brother. He had never wandered off into distant lands. He had never “squandered” his father’s money. He had never once in his whole life put so much as a toe out of line. And yet, for all of that, or perhaps because of all of that, he still doesn’t “get it.” He still doesn’t even begin to grasp how wealthy he is – surrounded by an abundance of love and support and resources beyond anything he could ever imagine. I love the bit where he complains that his father never gave him so much as a goat to party with his friends. The father’s reply says it all. “All that is mine is yours.” (Luke 15:31) “You’ve had it all along. You could have had a party whenever you wanted. What, exactly, have you been waiting for?” He was blind to who he really was. He was blind to what he had. He was blind to how he could contribute. All he was being asked to do in that moment was come in to the party. Just be a part of the family. But, unlike his younger brother, he was still lost. He had not yet “come to himself.” Instead he was left standing out in the yard while the party was going on inside.

In any given moment in our lives we might be any one of the characters in this story. Perhaps you have been wandering far from home, seeking meaning and purpose and fulfillment in a variety of unlikely places. Perhaps you have always been a “nose-to-the-grindstone” sort – spending so much time and energy “earning a living” that you never really got around to actually living. Perhaps you are in a position to be the parent – offering love and acceptance which provide others the freedom to discover who they really are. I invite you to use this story as a lens through which to pay attention to your life. Begin asking the important questions – who am I, where do I fit in the grand scheme of things, and what do I have to offer? Remember that stewardship is about everything we do with everything we have, which includes who we are. And it all takes place within the all-encompassing context of God’s love for us. Above all else, I invite you to “come to yourself.” Once you do that, the rest will begin to flow naturally from there.