Is the Prodigal Son Sincere in his Repentance?

Seems like an easy question, but here’s why I ask. The story of the Prodigal Son – which, along with that of the Good Samaritan – is probably the most famous of  Jesus’ parables. And it’s the reading this Sunday in those churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary, which means that a lot of preachers will be asking just this question.

Before answering it, it may help to set the parable in context: Jesus has been preaching, teaching, healing and more to the delight of some and to the consternation of others. Luke captures the general goings-on of this part of Jesus’ ministry in the verses that set the stage for the telling of the story about the prodigal and the two parables that immediately precede it:

Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Now before we get too down on the Pharisees, lets remind ourselves that these are the volunteers who show up to do most of the work at the synagogue. So essentially, these good folks are akin to our Church Council or Board of Elders members, the Sunday School and VBS teachers, and the youth group leaders. And they’re upset because Jesus is hanging out with some pretty shady characters. “Sinners” in Luke’s gospel doesn’t denote people who have sinned in general, the way we might use the word; rather, “sinners” is reserved for the really bad, the one’s that have no place in polite society – the thieves and prostitutes and more. And, just to be clear, the tax collectors of Jesus’ day have nothing in common with the folks who work for the IRS. Tax collectors made their money – often a lot of it – by working for the Romans – that is, the foreign army occupying Israel! – to collect money from their neighbors. The Romans set a quota, and everything over that quota the tax collectors could keep. So the more they squeezed their neighbors, the richer they got.

So no wonder the Sunday School teachers and Church Council members are upset with Jesus for spending his free time socializing with prostitutes, bandits, and traitors.

In response, he doesn’t get mad or defensive, instead he tells a story. Three, actually. In the first, a shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness (a dangerous prospect at best) to search for one that got lost. In the second, a woman who loses a coin – one tenth of her wealth – searches all night until she finds it…and then throws a party that probably cost as much or more as the coin she sought. After each story Jesus says that there is “joy in heaven” when any “sinner repents,” or turns back. Then he tells this story:

There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up 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 like one of your hired hands.’ ” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then 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 slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.

 

Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” ’

So what do you think: Is the younger son sincere? I always assumed he was until I came across some art work a few years ago that depicted him with a rather sly look on his face. Which got me to thinking…and then reading. I mean, when you look carefully at the text, you realize that when it says he “came to himself” it’s not that he realizes he’s been a big fat jerk but only that his father’s servants have it way better than he does. So is the next line sincere, as in “Oh my goodness, I better tell my dad that ‘I have sinned against you and heaven…’”? Or is it, “I know what I’ll do. I’ll go back all contrite and everything and tell the old man that I know I’ve sinned and he’ll be sure to take me back”?

What do you think?

Another question. Does it matter?

On the one hand, I think it matters in that it affects the way we read and interpret this parable. If he’s sincere, then this parable is probably about repentance, that God is always willing to take back those who repent. If he’s not, then it’s really a whole lot more about God’s joy at our return. After all, the father in the story doesn’t even let the son get out his (possibly bogus) confession; he cuts him off midway and reinstates him then and there back into the family.

Perhaps the parable is vague on purpose. Perhaps some people repent first and then come to faith. Perhaps others come to faith, or even to church, for all kinds of various and sundry reasons, all kinds of mixed motives (are there really any other kind of motives?), yet after being received by God they come to repent of their former lives.

Or maybe we’ve got repentance mixed up to begin with. Perhaps repentance isn’t about a moral change of heart or heartfelt regret or any of the usual stuff, maybe it’s literally “turning around” and God just doesn’t care what makes us turn around, as long as we come home.

So what do you think – about the prodigal, his confession, his father, his brother, and the whole deal? I’d be very interested in hearing from you…as would a whole lot of preachers I know! 🙂