Coming back from death – the joy of being found: a reflection for Day 31 of Lent

 

“…we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’” (Luke 15.32)

     Jesus and the disciples continue to journey towards Jerusalem.  The number of people thronging around Jesus is increasing (Lk. 11.14, 29; 12.1; 13.22; 14.25), and so is the tension between Jesus and the obstinate members of “his generation”.  The tenor of Jesus’ teaching is often severe.  Jesus’ “gospel” is bad news for the self-sufficient, smug and vengeful and good news for the poor, desperate and trusting.

     As was the case in the preceding chapter, Luke 15 opens with some Pharisees grumbling about Jesus’ kingdom-activity (15.1-2; cf. 14.1-6).  There is another link with chapter 14 – in both chapters, Jesus is participating in a communal meal.  However, there is also a sharp contrast between the two meals – while Jesus dined in the home of a Pharisee in chapter 14, chapter 15 finds him dining with tax collectors and sinners.  Not only that, but Jesus’ “banquets for sinners” were by all appearances very festive and joyful occasions (cf. Lk. 15.6, 9, 23-24, 32).  Readers of Luke’s narrative have seen all this before – in Lk. 5.27 – 6.11, we find a cycle of controversies between Jesus and the Pharisees about eating with sinners, (not) fasting, as well as both picking grain and performing healings on the Sabbath (cf. Lk. 13.10-17; 14.1-6; 15.1-2).  In Lk. 5.33-35, Jesus describes his kingdom-activity as a wedding banquet (cf. 14.7-14), a time for feasting and rejoicing.  Also, Jesus shares his table with both the “righteous” and the “sinners” among God’s people (cf. Lk. 7.29-35).

     It is striking that while Jesus is fully cognizant of the destiny that awaits him in Jerusalem, as he journeys resolutely towards the capital, he indulges in so much feasting and demonstrates such compassion to those who were despised by the “well and the good” of his society.  Though Jesus is approaching Jerusalem as a doomed prophet of doom, he nevertheless takes time to laugh, rejoice and celebrate the repentance of the tax collectors (i.e. traitors and sell-outs) and sinners among the people of God.  Not only is Jesus the last messenger of Yahweh, he is also the “bridegroom”, celebrating the wedding banquet of the kingdom of God with all and sundry (cf. Lk. 5.33-35; 13.22-30; 14.7-14; 15.1-2).  However, whether Jesus announces judgment or celebrates repentance, there are those who refuse to either repent or rejoice (cf. Lk. 7.31-35).  Judgment and salvation, once again, go hand-in-hand.

     Luke 15 is comprised of three parables about lost “items”, followed by the joy of the items being found by their “owner” – the lost sheep (15.3-7), the lost coin (15.8-10) and the lost son/brother (aka “prodigal son”: 15.11-32; cf. Lk. 19.10).  It seems clear that Jesus means the elder brother in the third parable to represent the Pharisees, who object at Jesus’ eating with sinners.  In the parable, the father throws a banquet to celebrate the return of his younger son from his sojourn in “a distant region”, where he had squandered his father’s wealth (his inheritance) in “dissolute living”.  The elder son, furious to learn about all this, refuses to participate in the celebrations.

     Another theme being developed by Luke and that is echoed in this parable is that of the return from exile (in Babylon; occurred during the 6th century B.C., though the “return” was not considered as having been completed…).  Luke first alerted us to this theme by quoting Isaiah 40.3-5 in Lk. 3.4-6.  Though this passage had originally referred to Yahweh returning (from Babylon) to Jerusalem, Luke applies it to John the Baptist’s “preparing of the way” for Jesus.  The prophet Ezekiel had imagined the return from Babylon as the “resurrection” of the nation of Israel from the dead (cf. Ez. 37.1-14).  The father’s words – “this brother of yours was dead and has come to life” – resonate with Ezekiel’s prophecy of Israel being restored to its land (inheritance).  As Jesus feasts with sinners, he is celebrating the “resurrection” of these members of God’s people who were so often “left for dead” (cf. Lk. 10.30) by those who considered themselves to be “righteous” and having no need of “repentance”.  Those who refuse forgiveness (i.e. to return from exile: Is. 40.1-2) also refuse to join the celebration of the arrival of the kingdom.  The kingdom of God is a party to which all are invited – won’t you join in?

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