Breaking the Word

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them he addressed this parable. "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' …

 In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Then he said, "A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them…

 But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.'"  (Lk 15:1-32)

There are three parables in today’s reading. All the three speak about the lost: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Again all the three of them have the same ending: there is rejoicing and celebration. There is a sad beginning in the story but with the happy ending at the conclusion. The three stories have the same message: there is rejoicing in the heaven at the conversion of a sinner.

Lost sheep: It looks foolish on the part of the shepherd to leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness to look for the lost sheep. Could it not end up losing the ninety-nine? Why should he go after the lost one? Here in this story the sheep represents the ignorant and innocent.  The sheep got lost unknowingly (also unnoticed by the shepherd – partly it is the mistake of the shepherd) It is an animal and has five senses yet because it does not have the sixth sense it is not able to discern. Hence it needs searching and assistance.

Lost coin: It is a material thing which has no senses at all. It was lost because of the carelessness of the owner. It was misplaces and it has to be searched out. Its value is only for the owner. The owner has to go after it.

Lost son: The boy loses himself knowingly and willingly. He asked the father to divide the property and he wanted to break the relationship and go away. So he has to come back. He has to decide and return. But the greatness of the father is that he waits for the return. Nothing is lost forever.

"A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed."  (Lk 6:43-49)

Tree on its own has no relevance and meaning and appreciation (in this parable). Its meaning is seen only through the fruit it produces. Fruit is the indicator of the tree and its goodness. Similarly the man also has his appreciation and relevance only in his actions. Jesus here in this parable challenges the hearer to change his way of life to enter into the kingdom.

The next parable is much more challenging than the one gone before. Listening to true wisdom and not putting it into practice is like building without foundation. Jesus preaching about the kingdom and his message about the Father or from the Father are the foundations on which the listeners are asked to build their own life.

As the kingdom is preached the danger of destruction and the presence of the evil or the chaos (river burst) is at hand. Anyone who is not based on the wisdom of the kingdom of God or the wisdom of Jesus is bound to be challenged by the negative forces. Here the choice is between the wisdom of Jesus or the destruction.