A Clean Slate
Forgiveness, given and received, from Luke 15:11-32
One of the hardest truths to accept in our messy, modern lives is that each of us is worthy of God's love.
Not because we are kind to our friends. Not because we are good at our jobs. Not because we are generous with our money.
We are simply worthy-
Period.
This seems obvious when we are born, and are just a clean slate - gooey and crying out for someone to hold us.
But eventually, we stop thinking of God's love as given, and begin to attach conditions to it. We search ourselves and others for evidence of good or bad deeds, and make judgements about who is truly worthy.
In this week's Gospel, from Luke 15:11-32, Jesus tells us the story of the prodigal son, who does everything wrong and yet is welcomed back into his father's home with a loving embrace.
As the story goes, the prodigal son demands his inheritance and blows it on drinking and prostitutes, while his older brother stays home to tend the farm. Starving and penniless, the prodigal son returns home, expecting to be punished - instead, his father forgives him and celebrates his return with a feast.
Angry to see his irresponsible brother received with open arms, the older brother refuses to join in the celebration, and questions why his father has treated his brother better than him:
“Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.”
Sound familiar? That's not fair!
But the father, hoping to bring the family back together, pleads with his son to join in welcoming home his younger brother:
“My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.”
“He was lost and has been found.”
The message in this week's Gospel is both a comfort and a challenge.
On the one hand, the Gospel reminds us that God loves each of us unconditionally, regardless of what we have done in the past. No matter how lost we may be, we can be found - whether that means rediscovering our faith in God or simply discarding our selfish ways.
At the same time, the Gospel warns us not to keep score. No matter how "good" we think we may be, the real question is this: Can we extend the same grace to others that we ask for from God?
Because at its core, this is a story about grace - not performance. Grace is an unearned hug, rejoicing when we come home. It doesn’t tally up failures or demand explanations.
If this all feels too abstract - if you don't feel the presence of God's love in your life - consider how it touches us in practical ways each day.
If we accept that God loves us unconditionally, we can:
Love ourselves - Forgive our mistakes, quiet our inner critic, and accept the parts of ourselves we often hide.
Believe others will love us - Let go of perfectionism, be honest about our flaws, and trust that vulnerability won’t scare people away.
Love others - Assume good intentions, offer second chances, and resist the urge to keep score.
Most importantly, we can treat today as a clean slate.
We are never too far gone to come back to God - or to each other - and ask for forgiveness.
And we are never so righteous that we get to deny someone else their chance at grace.
See you next week.
Emmett
Gospel
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable:
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.'"
I love that what you say is what the sermon was about in church. Keep up the good work!