By Father Paul Nord, O.S.B.
Sunday Scripture
First Reading: Joshua 5:9a, 10-12; Response: Psalm 34:2-7; Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
The events of the Book of Joshua immediately follow Moses’ death (recorded in Deuteronomy 34:5). When Joshua succeeds Moses as leader of the Israelites, God commands Joshua to prepare the Israelites to enter into the Promised Land (Joshua 1:1-2) — thus concluding 40 years in the wilderness. In today’s reading (Joshua 5:9-12), the Israelites have entered the Promised Land. In Joshua 5:2-8, all the Israelite men born during the 40 wilderness years receive circumcision. This renews the Israelites’ commitment to their covenantal relationship with the Lord. In response, the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”
When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, they “encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho.” Here they celebrated the Passover feast, which commemorates how God redeemed them from slavery in Egypt. “On the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce of the land (and) the manna ceased” (5:11-12). This marks a new era of the Israelites’ relationship with the Lord God. The Lord had fed them with manna from heaven for 40 years in the wilderness. But now that they had finally entered the Promised Land, the manna ceased. So “the day after the Passover” they eat the produce of the land given to them by God.The second reading (2 Corinthians 5) begins with a conditional statement: “If anyone is in Christ, then he is a new creation.” The meaning of this phrase “in Christ” is explained in the preceding verse 15: “(Christ) indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” Thus for a person to be “in Christ” indicates that person’s participation (now) in Christ’s life and death. This begins with baptism and continues with daily participation in Christ’s suffering and death.
Such a person is a “new creation.” He is being transformed into Christ’s image and receives new life in Christ. Paul’s phrase “new creation” (5:17) is probably inspired by Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22 — in which God promises to create “new heavens and a new earth.” In Galatians 6:15, Paul likewise says, “For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation.” That is, we must become a new creation through baptism in Christ, as opposed to entering into the Israelite covenant of circumcision.
Next Paul explains God’s purpose in sending his son to share our human condition (the Incarnation). That is: God “has reconciled us to himself through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:18). This continues Paul’s description of Jesus’ mission in 5:15: “He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
Paul asserts that God has “given us the ministry of reconciliation.” The Greek word for “ministry” is “diakonia.” Paul uses the same word in 3:8-9 to describe his ministry as “the ministry of the Spirit” and “the ministry of righteousness.” In 3:6, Paul similarly says that God has “qualified us as ministers (diakonoi) of a new covenant — of spirit — the Spirit gives life.”
Thus Paul sees himself as a minister of the reconciliation that Christ has accomplished between God and humanity. The Gospel of Christ that Paul proclaims is “the message of reconciliation” which God has entrusted to Paul and his fellow apostles.
Paul also says, “we are ambassadors for Christ” (5:20). An ambassador has received a commission from a king/ruler to act and speak on his behalf. Therefore Paul is acting on behalf of God when he exhorts the Corinthians: “Be reconciled to God!” If we are reconciled to God, we “become the righteousness of God” by means of Christ’s death and resurrection.
Today’s Gospel is Jesus’ famous parable of “the Prodigal Son.” The events of this parable have been depicted by many artists, such as Rembrandt. The parable contrasts the actions of the older son versus the actions of the younger son. The older son is loyal to his father, but the younger son demands his inheritance and leaves. The older son claims to have worked hard in obedience to his father. By contrast, the younger son “squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation … (and) freely spent everything.”
But the main message of Jesus’ parable is about the father’s rejoicing at his younger son’s return. This is made clear by noting that the preceding verses contain two related parables — the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:4-7) and the Parable of the Lost Coin (15:8-10). Thus the “Prodigal Son” parable could instead be called “the Parable of the Lost Son” (15:11-32).
The Parable of the Lost Sheep portrays a shepherd acting in a strange way — abandoning 99 sheep while he goes searching for one lost sheep. But Jesus’ main point is how the shepherd rejoices when he finds the lost sheep. “He calls together his friends and his neighbors” to rejoice with him. Likewise with the Parable of the Lost Coin. When the woman finds her lost coin, she “calls together her friends and neighbors” to rejoice with her. In both cases, this seems like excessive rejoicing. But Jesus concludes each of these parables by comparing the joy of the shepherd and the joy of the woman with the “joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.”
Thus “the Parable of the Lost (Prodigal) Son” should be understood as having the same message. The point is the father’s joy when his lost son returns. The father expresses his joy by calling for a celebratory feast. The father of the parable is almost universally identified with God. This makes sense when we compare the two preceding parables — both of which contain Jesus’ words about the “joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.” This same message is clearly implied (although not stated) in this third parable about the Lost Son. God not only wishes to forgive the sinner, but God does so joyfully — rejoicing over the sinner’s repentance.