Who Is the Real Prodigal?

If you’re like me, you’ve heard some sermons on the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). This is one of my favorite parables, but not for the reasons you may suspect. In many discussions of the parable, the focus is on the younger son and his redemption, but there is much more going on in the parable. For starters, there is the peculiar behavior of the father, who surrenders a third of his estate to the younger son just for the asking. If the meaning of “prodigal” is “extremely generous,” who is the real prodigal in the story? Another aspect of the parable that is often overlooked is the reaction of the older brother, who withdraws from his father after he receives his younger son back with open arms.

Both sons seem to be less concerned with loving their father than their personal desires. The older son ends up grieving his father as much and the younger son. Yet the father doesn’t give up on either of his children. For folks like me who are already in the Father’s house, it is important to consider what Christ is saying to the older brother. His character represents a lot of us who are already in churches, who may think we’re more deserving of God’s love because we’ve been obeying God all along. But are we?

During October, we’re going to explore this fascinating parable in worship and some special small groups, using some materials from Timothy Keller, a pastor in New York City. I invite you to participate. We’ll host some small groups you can join to consider and discuss this parable in greater depth. And you won’t want to miss our sermon series! If you’d like a preview, I invite you an introductory meeting on Monday, September 21 at 6 p.m. here at BUMC. I’ll show you an intriguing DVD message from Tim Keller.

Please share your insights on the parable, and let me know if you are interested in leading or participating in a small group. Thanks so much!

-- Pastor Thomas

The Four Meanings of Perfection

Hey, friends! I'm going to share some thoughts and ideas with you on a regular basis. I hope you'll find these blogs to be interesting and encouraging. Feel free to share your comments and responses. We're glad to be getting our BUMC blog going at long last! So here goes:

Matthew 5:43-48 is one of the most familiar teachings of Jesus. It ends with the command to "be ye perfect," which definitely qualifies as one of Christ’s "hard sayings." What Jesus says is both hard to understand and hard to apply. Yet his message can also be liberating.

To be perfect as God is perfect sounds like a tall order. But the question is this: What does Jesus mean by "perfect"? Commonly, when we think about being perfect, one of three meanings comes to mind. For people in the medical field, perfection means absolute accuracy and precision. In medicine, mistakes can be deadly, so there is no room for error. In law enforcement, perfection means following the rules, the laws of the land. It also means being tough and objective enough to enforce those laws. For many of us in the church, perfection means moral holiness, obeying God’s laws and living by a moral standard that reflects God’s own goodness.

These are all valid meanings, borne out of time-tested experience. Yet they are not the meaning Jesus intends in this chapter. Gary Wills explains that the Greek word that is translated "perfect" in verse 48 is teleios, which means "complete" or "inclusive." For example, a perfect set is a complete set, one that has all the parts included. In the context of the passage, it becomes clear what Jesus is saying. Jesus says that God does not play favorites, so go ahead and love your enemies, just as the Father does.

In verse 48, then, Jesus is telling us to be inclusive (in accepting others), just as our Father in heaven is inclusive of all people. We don’t have to live mistake-free lives to be complete in God’s eyes. All Jesus asks of us is receive and accept others as Yahweh does. So as you prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, relieve yourself of the burden of perfectionism. God is not a demanding parent who thinks you are never good enough. Rather, God is the parent who loves all his children, and wants us to love each other. God sent his Son to earth to include us in loving relationship. My desire is to love and include others as God has done for me. Help me, Lord! God bless you all! Peace!