06/19/2026
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Jesus tells them this parable, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to[b] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise 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 as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And 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 servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. Luke 15
This section of Luke's Gospel is St Luke the Evangelist version of the Gospel in nutshell. A Father has two sons. The younger son totally disrespected him by asking for his share of the inheritance ahead of his death. In that culture the young should have been beaten. Instead, the Father grants to the younger son this audacious and outrageous request. Culturally speaking the younger son is considered dead to the father and to the family and to the community. Jesus tells this parable to instruct the people about God the Father's love for humanity and the willingness for the Father to forgive. While this is a great comfort for this kind of forgiveness and restoration available to all people, a price was paid to make this forgiveness available, the passion and death and resurrection of Christ. While access this reconciliation to God is a free gift, we cannot ignore that we owe God love and obedience. We do not sin all the more so grace can abound. Let us rejoice in the divine mercy of God, and may we live as faithful children of God.
