I Will Arise and Go

Luke 15:11-40

 This past Sunday, January 31, 2010, we came to
the third Sunday of Pre-Lent---the season for working toward an understanding
of repentance.

 You will
recall: First Sunday—Zacchaeus-repentance is founded in desire

  Second
Sunday—Publican and Pharisee-repentance is framed in humility

 On this third Sunday—Prodigal Son-repentance is formed in return from
exile

The 15^th chapter of Luke contains three(3)
parables-

Lost Sheep In
each case something was lost

Lost Coin And,
when, found, the response was joy.

Lost Son

 Indeed, it
may be said that the journey of the Christian leads to joy—joy is our
destination—not a shallow, temporary joy, but joy that fills our soul to the
depths of our being. Being with God—“In Thy presence there is fullness of
joy”-(Ps. 16:11) Jesus said, “Well
done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Mt. 25:21)

 But we are
also reminded that, before the joy, we experience the sorrow and suffering of
being lost—separated from God. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes
in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5)

 Fr.
Schmemann speaks of this in “Great Lent”: “Anyone who has never had that
experience, be it only briefly, who has never felt that he is exiled from God
and real life, will never understand what Christianity is about.” We must come
to the realization that we are lost and need to be found—to return to our true
home.

 This
parable is such a powerful expression of the depth of “lostness” and the height
of joy. (Here I told the story- you may want to read it again.) What happened
to the son?

1) He loosed himself—Tore himself from his father,
home, way of life…rejected it, broke the bonds, and turned his back. Wanting to
be free, he became a slave to himself, then to his things and then to others.

2) He lost himself—Went into a “far country”-away
from all the good he had known. Here is a concise example of the human
condition—one we must reconcile and resolve:

- “I am far away…” and with that separation our minds become
dull, our eyes dim, and our judgment unstable.

- He took the inheritance and wasted it
(“diaskorpidzo”-scattered abroad)—he scattered it foolishly and selfishly.

- He was alone-feeding the swine-he was more like the
animals than like the other men. Sin turns men more to the animal (flesh) than
to the father (Spirit).

3) He looked at himself—For the first time looked
within rather than at others. “I have taken the gifts of my Father…taken them
far away and wasted them…not in my Father’s house nor in his honor.” Deep
within he became homesick and realized (by the mercy of God) his own
foolishness. He sawhis failure and his heart was broken.

 A song from
a few years back—“Why Me, Lord?”

“Lord help me, Jesus,
I’ve wasted it so

Help me Jesus, I know
what I am.

Now that I now that
I’ve needed you so,

Help me Jesus, my
soul’s in your hand.”

4) He lifted himself—“I will arise and go to my
father…” Everything in this parable-and indeed in our life’s journey-revolves
around these words. Here is the heart of repentance- the determination
to return to God—to His embrace, the warmth of His love, the healing of His
forgiveness, the joy of His presence. No one could do this for him, nor for
us…he loosed himself, he lost himself, he looked at
himself. Now he must lift himself.

 This will
be our calling during Great Lent…through self-examination, fasting, prayer,
repentance, confession-we lift ourselves (by the mercy of God) into the
waiting arms of the risen Lord.

“Help me Jesus, my
soul’s in your hands.”