Luke 15:8-19: a reflection

8“Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it? 9When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost!’ 10Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.” 11He said, “A certain man had two sons. 12The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them. 13Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. 14When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 17But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! 18I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

Jesus tells of a woman who loses one of her ten coins and lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches diligently until she finds it, then rejoices with her friends. Even so, Jesus says, there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. Then he tells of a son who demands his inheritance, leaves for a far country, and wastes it all in reckless living. Destitute and starving, feeding pigs, he finally comes to himself and resolves: I will get up and go to my father, and say, Father, I have sinned; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

Notice the turning point in the prodigal son's story: he came to himself. In the depths of his ruin, feeding pigs and starving, something changed; he came to his senses, saw his true condition, remembered his father's house, and resolved to return, humbly, confessing his sin. This coming to himself, this turning back toward the father, is the picture of repentance: seeing where we truly are, and deciding to go home to God. And the lost coin tells us how heaven responds: with joy over the one who repents.

That is good news for anyone who has wandered far. However far you have gone, however much you have wasted, however unworthy you feel, you can, like the prodigal, come to yourself and go home to the Father. The turning point of repentance is not achieving worthiness, but coming to ourselves, seeing our true condition, and resolving to return to God, who waits to receive us. And when we turn back, heaven rejoices; there is joy in God's presence over one sinner who repents. Do not think you have wandered too far to return, or that you must make yourself worthy first. Come to yourself, and go home to the Father, who receives the returning with joy. The way home is open; get up and go, as the prodigal resolved to do, and know that heaven rejoices over your return.

Lord Jesus, you told of the woman who searched until she found her lost coin and rejoiced, and said there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents; and of the prodigal son who, destitute and starving, came to himself and resolved to return to his father, confessing his sin. Thank you that this is good news for anyone who has wandered far. However far I have gone, however much I have wasted, however unworthy I feel, I can, like the prodigal, come to myself and go home to you. The turning point of repentance is not achieving worthiness, but coming to myself, seeing my true condition, and resolving to return to you, who wait to receive me. And when I turn back, heaven rejoices. Keep me from thinking I have wandered too far to return, or that I must make myself worthy first. Help me come to myself, and go home to you, my Father, who receive the returning with joy. The way home is open; help me get up and go, as the prodigal resolved to do, and thank you that heaven rejoices over my return.