The Sermon Text —Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’....

‘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 with 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. Then the son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his slaves, "Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!" And they began to celebrate.

‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound." Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, "Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!" Then the father* said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But 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." ’

As two pastors sat talking over coffee the older one, Knute Lee, spoke. "One of the reasons I believe the Bible is true is that I keep seeing the stories happen over and over again," he said.

"Do you have a specific story in mind?" David Zwanziger asked, dipping his chocolate chip cookie in his cup.

"I do," Knute replied. "I have just heard the latest chapter in the Chet Vangen family saga and believe me, it sounds like a modern version of the Prodigal Son."

"You’re going to have to help me with this one," David replied. "His daughter Lou came to youth group a few times, but I’ve only a passing acquaintance with Chet and his wife…"

"Lucy."

"The Vangens belong to a Bible Church out in the country, if memory serves me right."

"They do," Knute said. "Let me start from the beginning. Chet, as you know, was a no-nonsense kind of guy and a very successful printer. He made a small fortune specializing in printing the glossy pages, the kind that feature skinny models, for fashion magazines. At his peak he had seven semis pulling out of the plant six days a week."

"His wife worked with him," David remembered.

"She did. Actually, a lot of the Vangen family was employed at the plant. His brother Phil and his cousin Sid were both printers. Lucy kept the books. His son Roger was kind of the plant manager. Chet was totally in charge, but Roger made most of the day-to-day decisions."

"And then there is his daughter…"

"Lou, the pride of his life. He sent Roger to Technical School to pick up a few skills, but he believed that Lou, who is very smart and very pretty, had the best business sense. Chet wanted her to go to Madison, get her degree in some area of business, and come back and take "V Printing" to a new level."

"But it didn’t happen?" David asked.

"Lou was too much like her father. Stubborn. Unwilling to have anyone tell her what to do. She insisted on going to a girl’s school out East. She finally had her way. While she was out East she got pregnant. Chet was furious. He ordered her to come home. She refused. He flew out there and was planning to drag her back. The details are sketchy, but she wouldn’t introduce her father to the father of her baby. When Chet insisted she called the cops. They threatened to arrest him if he didn’t leave immediately. Chet came home humiliated, hurt and angry. He had lost his daughter."

"Where was his wife in all this?" David asked.

"Lucy was torn between her husband and her daughter," Knute said somberly. "Chet refused to let her go visit Lou. ‘She is no longer our daughter,’ he announced. That broke Lucy’s heart."

"There were no attempts at reconciliation?" David asked.

"Oh yes," Knute said. "Lou came home with the baby about six months after the birth. She met with her mother, but her father wouldn’t even see her. Nor would her brother Roger."

"So this isn’t exactly the story of the Prodigal Son," David observed.

"Not in Act One," the old pastor replied. "Act Two is when things change. Shortly after Lou’s attempts at reconciliation were rejected she moved back to Wisconsin. No husband, just a beautiful baby boy bearing his grandfather’s name, Thomas Chester. She got a job in Madison, eighty miles away."

"I thought I heard she is now living in town," David commented.

"You are getting ahead of the story. Two months ago her father died while watching a high school basketball game. They hadn’t talked since his trip east."

"I heard he died," David remembered. "How quickly did Lucy connect with her daughter?"

"Immediately. She asked Lou to sit with her at the funeral. She and Thomas were there. Her brother barely acknowledged her. Lucy talked privately to Roger. Nobody knows exactly what was said, but it was clear that Lucy, who had lost a husband, didn’t want to lose either of her children. She tried to hold them both close. She was also ecstatic to spend time with her grandson. Evidently she had been in touch by phone, and had even arranged for several secret get-togethers."

"And Roger?" David asked.

"It was a tough period for Roger," Knute responded. He assumed that he would take over V Printing. Lucy didn’t want to run the business, but she knew if Roger was the president Lou would have been out. So, Lucy assumed the leadership and invited her daughter to move home and work in the office."

David shook his head, "That must have burned Roger’s toast."

Knute nodded. "Big time! Which nearly brings us up-to-date. My friends who work for the company told me there was a major confrontation that took place last week. Evidently one of their private arguments went public, taking place in front of other employees. Lucy tried to steer her son to her office so they could talk quietly, but Roger wanted the world to know that he felt cheated. ‘I’m the one who has stayed home and taken care of the business. I worked overtime here while that daughter of yours whored around at some fancy school in the East. Now she is back and probably making as much as I am.’"

Lucy tried to reassure him by saying, "Roger, don’t you know how important you are to me? I love you with all my heart. All that your Dad and I have worked for will one day belong to you and Lou. We have all been brought up to believe that everyone needs a second chance in life. That’s God’s way. I intend to make it my way. Lou is your sister, a sister who needs a second chance.’

"That didn’t fly?"

"It sunk faster than a rock in water. According to those who were there Roger said something like, "Forget God. Forget this second chance stuff. This is about being fair. Lou hasn’t put in a day’s work in this company since she left town. I’ve worked day and night learning the business from the bottom up. It isn’t fair for Lou to walk back into this company without paying her dues. If she’s in, I’m out."

The two men studied their coffee before David spoke. "People frequently think the story of the Prodigal Son is primarily about the younger child. Most people stop with the return of the run-away brother. That certainly is an important part of the story – God welcomes home those who stray. God is the God of second chances. But the major focus of the story is on the older brother."

Knute agreed. "For a long time I have believed the story goes by the wrong name. The chief character in the parable is the Father, who we all know is God. He loves both of his children, with the love of a mother, like Lucy. The older child wants the father to choose, but he won’t. He loves both the run-away irresponsible child as much as he loves the stay-at-home responsible child."

David nodded. "The older brother thinks the issue is fairness, but we all know that both of the children are getting more than they deserve. A lot of people work at the printing shop as hard as Roger and they don’t end up owning the business. Roger thinks he has earned everything, but we know he has received a gift."

Knute continued, "Many people see this story as a cheerful tale of reunion, but it has a rather sad ending. The father in the parable is so pleased to have his run-away son home that he throws a party. The parable ends with two pictures. The first is taken inside, where there is music and dancing. Inside the wild, crazy disobedient child is celebrating her return, while the dependable older stay-at-home child is outside, all alone, by his own choice. He will not participate in the father’s joy. I think the parable ends with the question: can you celebrate with God? Can you welcome those who don’t appear to have ‘earned’ the right to be at the party?" In every church, in every home the characters change. Some of those being welcomed are the immigrants. Other times it may be street people. Or it could be people of different colors or sexual expression.

The Bible tells us that God wants everyone to come to the party, and hopes that his children feel the same way. Like I said, one of the reasons I know the Bible to be true is that I keep seeing the stories happen over and over again. This story is open-ended. We don’t know if the older son ever joined the party. We don’t know if he ever joined in his father’s celebration."

David finished the conversation, "And we don’t know if the rest of his children – Roger, you, me and everyone who calls themselves by his name-- will welcome our younger siblings home after they have wandered."

© 2007