Fourth Sunday of Lent
But who is the prodigal son? Who is he for us?
At first sight he represents the sinner, the sinners, all of us, men and women who have sinned and who sin. We are unhappy with our sins and we want to repent according to what we have heard about repentance and according to what our communities invite us to do. Like the prodigal son we feel the burden of our sins and we want to return to God our Father. But the way of repentance is long, hard and doubtful. Can we avoid sinning again on the way? Can we be strong enough to walk until the end? Can the end be reached? Is God not out of reach? Is not God a severe father that judges and condemns? The parable gives us a positive answer and one that Jesus confirms in this same chapter, “I say to you that such will be the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, more than over ninety and nine righteous who need no repentance” (15.7).
A Jewish homily gives as the same teaching: His father (the father of a son that had sinned) sent word, saying to him: “Come back as far as you can according to your strength, and I will go the rest of the way to meet you” (Pesiqta Rabbati, Pisqa 44 & 9).
This is exactly the teaching of the prophet Isaiah that is read on the morning of Yom Kippur “Peace, peace to him that was far and to him that is near, says the Lord, and I will heal them” (Isaiah 57,19). Rabbi Abbahu, a great spiritual master, interpreted these words as: “In the place where penitents stand even the wholly righteous cannot stand, as it says: ‘Peace, peace to him that was far and to him who is near’- to him that was far first and then to him that is near’ (Babylonian Talmud Berakot 34b).
At this level of reflection we can already experience ‘the joy of the Torah’ which the Jews know so well. It is the joy that comes to us when we perceive the coherence, the oneness of the Word of God speaking to us through Scripture and Tradition (Jewish and Christian).
Can we go further in our reflection on this parable?
Cannot we think that Jesus identifies with the prodigal son? I suggest that we can. First, Jesus is the Son of the Father. Second, as Paul writes to the Corinthians, God has made Jesus one with our sinfulness. If Jesus is to be contemplated as the prodigal son, is he not sharing our limits, weaknesses, doubts, despairs and hopes? We know that he felt terribly abandoned by God and cried: “My God (Eli), my God, why have you forsaken me?”(Matthew 27, 46). But he kept hoping for the mercy of the Father: “Father, unto your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23, 46).
Reflection and Discussion: Who is the prodigal son? Who is he for you? In the opening of today's gospel it says that Jesus "welcomes sinners and eats with them." What are the consequences of such an identification?
Bibliography: Ehraim E. Urbach, The Sages, Their Concepts and Beliefs, (Jerusalem, 1975), Chapter XV, p. 448-471). Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, “Hilkot Teshubah” (Jerusalem, 1990)
Pierre Lenhardt, N.D.S., B.A. (Talmud), M.A. (Phil/Theol), Licence d'enseignement du Talmud (Heb. U., 1976), Prof. ICP (Paris; Lyon) and Bat Kol Institute, Jerusalem.
pmylenhardt@yahoo.fr
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Bat Kol Institute, Jerusalem~~1983-2010~~
“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”
