SOCL, Lent4C

Sunday March 30, 2025

The Prodigal's Paradox

See

We build walls of success and correctness, thinking they protect us from uncertainty, only to end up trapped by them. The older brother’s perfect obedience became his prison—standing outside the celebration, right but alone. Meanwhile, the younger son's big failure opened a door to real connection in a way perfection never could. This is our shared mistake: believing we can earn what can only be given freely.

The father in this old story turns our idea of fairness upside down. He runs—undignified, without hesitation—not because his son deserves it, but because he doesn’t. Love doesn’t follow our calculations. We keep track; grace tears up the records. The younger son prepared a perfect apology, but it didn’t matter. The embrace came before any proof of change.

What if our biggest failures aren’t barriers but bridges? The younger son’s return home required the humility only failure can teach. The older brother’s perfect record left no room for that wisdom. Both needed to see the same truth: belonging was never about performance. The table was always set. The invitation always open. The only question was whether they would take their seats.

Listen

Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 34 (33); 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3,11-32

Reflect

(Luke 15:1-3, 11-32)

Consider when you've held yourself outside life's celebrations because you felt others didn't deserve what they received—what relationships remain unrestored because of your sense of fairness?

This story challenges our belief that we must earn acceptance—how might releasing your performance-based identity create space for authentic connections you've been missing?

What would change if you approached both your achievements and failures not as determining your worth but as different pathways leading to the same realization of being unconditionally loved?

Pray

Lord, your love defies our calculations. Help us recognize when we're standing outside the celebration. Give us courage to return when we've wandered far from home. Transform our ledger-keeping hearts into vessels of grace that extend to others the same unearned acceptance you lavish upon us. Amen.

References