The parable of the abandoned father (Sabong News)
Author
Fr. Rolando V. De La Rosa, OP
Date
MARCH 27 2022
Today’s gospel reading narrates the story of a father whose two sons abandon him (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32). The younger son goes to his father and says: “I’m going away, so give me my rightful inheritance today.” In his haste, he does not realize the implication of what he is asking. Usually, a child gets his inheritance after the father dies, so by making such a demand,the younger son is actually telling his father: “I want you dead, right here, right now.”
The father is devastated. But unlike most fathers, he gives in to the demand of his younger son. He is, in effect,telling his son: “It’s painful for me to hear that you want me dead. But I love you so much that I want you to be happy, even if your happiness no longer includes me.”
In this story, often titled the “Parable of the Prodigal Son.” the elder son appears to have never left home. But in truth, the elder son has also abandoned his father. The difference is just a matter of geography. The younger son leaves and goes to a faraway land. The elder son stays in the same house, but he also has left his father because he has always been emotionally distant.He is visible but not present to his father.
He feels that way because he thinks he is the overlooked and neglected son. He fails to see that he is loved, and perhaps even more than his younger brother. In fact, he enjoys a greater amount of inheritance than what his younger brother received. As the father declares:“All this time, everything that I have is yours” (Luke 15:31).
Worse, while the younger son wants his father dead, the elder son merely tolerates the fact that his father is still alive. He does not treat him as a father but as a slave driver. He stays home, but he is so preoccupied with his work that he doesn’t even notice his father.He is no different from self-absorbed social networking addicts who relish the illusion of companionship without exerting effort to nurture real friendship and intimacy.
I prefer to call this story “The Parable of the Abandoned Father.” Abandonment is one of the most painful experiences we can face. In this parable, the father is abandoned by both his sons. One goes away to a distant land. The other imprisons himself in a virtual place in his heart, locked in by his resentment and false sense of filial piety. The father patiently waits for both of his sons to come to their senses and return to his welcoming arms.
Jesus addresses this parable to an audience, composed of sinners and Pharisees. By presenting God as a prodigal father who is wastefully extravagant with his love and forgiveness, Jesus invites sinners—who, like the younger son, treat the Father as though He is dead or non-existent—to finally come back to Him. No questions asked, they should just come with the willingness to be forgiven and loved.
Jesus also invites modern-day Pharisees to give up their wrong notion of religion and piety. Like the elder son,they think that religion means adhering rigidly to duty, piling up good deeds to prove that they are worthy of God’s love. God does not want to be an object of duty or obligation. He wants us to love Him with the same reckless extravagance with which He loves us.
