Joshua 5:9-12 / 2 Cor 5:17-21 / Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
There is a traditional saying that goes like this: Like father, like son. And with that, the other saying is “Good fathers make good sons”.
Those are familiar sayings and they may just be in theory or they may be in reality.
Nonetheless, it can be said that a father wants his son to be like him, to follow in his footsteps and to carry on his legacy.
But in life things don’t usually work out that way.
Maybe this amusing “A Letter to Dad” will tell us why.
A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was packed up. Then he saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to 'Dad.'
With the worst premonition he opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter.
Dear Dad:
It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you.
I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice. But I knew you would not approve of her because of her piercing, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am. But it's not only the passion ... Dad … she's pregnant.
Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer and has enough food till the baby comes. We share a dream of having many more children.
In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so that Stacy can get better. She deserves it.
Don't worry Dad. I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself.
Someday I'm sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren.
Love, your son John
PS. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house. I just wanted to remind you there are worse things in life than the Report Card in my desk drawer. I love you. Call me when it's safe to come home ok.
So much for like father like son, and good fathers make good sons.
In the gospel, Jesus told a parable about a father and two sons.
In that parable, it seems that for all that the father is, the two sons don’t seem to be.
The younger son wanted and got his future inheritance and then squandered it away. The elder son was certainly not as forgiving as the father.
Although the parable is often called the parable of the ‘Prodigal son’, the parable is more like the parable of the ‘Sacrificial father’.
Most fathers may one day realize that his children, whether son or daughter, will follow his example instead of his advice.
It was the father’s kindness and generosity that made the younger son come to his senses and realize that his father’s paid servants had more food than they wanted and there he was dying of hunger.
On the other hand, whether the elder son came to realize his father’s kindness and generosity and forgiveness is left open-ended.
And that’s where we come into the parable. What have we realized in this parable?
Maybe this story might help us to come to some realization.
An 80 year old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45 year old highly educated son.
Suddenly a crow perched on their window. The father asked his son, “What is this? The son replied “It is a crow”.
After a few minutes, the father asked his son the second time, “What is this?” The son said “Father, I have just now told you “It’s a crow”.
After a little while, the old father again asked his son the third time, “What is this?”
At this time, some expression of irritation was felt in the son’s tone when he said to his father with a rebuff. “It’s a crow, a crow, a crow”.
A little after, the father again asked his son the fourth time, “What is this?”
This time the son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times ‘IT IS A CROW’. Are you not able to understand this?”
A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old tattered diary, which he had maintained since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. When the son read it, the following words were written in the diary:-
“Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow was sitting on the window. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times.
I did not at all feel irritated. I rather felt affection for my innocent child”.
As a little child, his son asked him 23 times “What is this”, and the father had felt no irritation in replying to the same question all 23 times.
But now when the father asked his son the same question just 4 times, the son felt irritated and annoyed and even shouted at his father.
But still, the story left it open-ended. There was no conclusion to say whether the son came to any realization.
But it is not about the son in the story or the two sons in the gospel parable.
It’s about us. Did we realize anything? And what is it that we have realized?
Jesus came to show us who God the Father is. Jesus is more than just like the Father. He is one with the Father.
May we be one with Him, so that we too can be merciful like God the Father is merciful.