A Sermon preached in
Christ Church, Grosse Pointe,
Michigan
by The Reverend Vicki Hesse, Associate
by The Reverend Vicki Hesse, Associate
The Fourth Sunday Of Lent, Year C
6 March 2016
In the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Listen to this sermon here.
I did not know that I was lost.
I did not know
that I was lost.
Not until I hit bottom
through a complicated season in my life –
at the confluence of
addictions, grief, transition,
and employment layoff.
I must say,
sitting in that place in my life
that seemed to be a pigsty
was truly a deep low.
I did not know that I was lost.
Every time I hear today’s gospel story,
the parable of the prodigal son,
I relate closely with the son.
The son, who rejected his father,
partied away his inheritance,
lost everything, and hit bottom.
I relate to the son who realized,
as he was sitting with the pigs,
that he needed restoration and reconciliation. I relate to the son who is welcomed,
despite what he did.
The familiar parable of the prodigal son
begins with context:
the people crowding near Jesus were tax collectors
and sinners.
This bothered the Pharisees and scribes.
They discounted Jesus’ legitimacy as a teacher
by criticizing his relationships
with people who had sinned.
In response, Jesus tells 3 parables, revealing that the
God of whom he speaks
is a God of compassion, joyously welcoming
repentant sinners into God’s house.
Well, that is the simple and short version.
We know it’s more complicated
when humans get involved.
Rembrandt’s seventeenth-century painting provides
rich depth to the story,
about which Henri Nouwen wrote during a particular
struggle in his life.
From the first viewing until six years later, Nouwen
wrestled with God about his journey
of being lost and found.
He saw himself first in the son,
then in the brother and
finally in the father.
As we gaze on the image, we, too, can see ourselves
in three ways
reflected in this profound painting.
First the painting draws us toward the
son
at the moment of The Return.
But from what has the son returned?
In one short sentence, the gospel tell us
that the son had asked
from his father
his share of the inheritance
even before the
father had died.
It is easy to gloss over what that meant,
which was hurtful, offensive, and
“tantamount to wishing his father was dead.”[1]
Although Rembrandt did not paint
that precursor scene of the parable,
the depth of the pain and conviction of the son is
palpable; it is reflected in
the depth of the compassion and conviction
the father expresses;
the depth of a father’s love shown
in the embrace.
Rembrandt’s portrayal wonderfully captures
the extent of the son’s poverty.
His shaven head, as a prisoner.
His ragged clothes, barely covering his body. His torn
shoes so worn,
exposing feet of suffering and
misery.
The only shred of dignity is his sword –
the sword of truth that linked him
to the father during his Away –
and gave him permission to return.
God wants
to restore us to our full dignity
so God plants this sword of truth
in our souls at our birth, at our baptism,
or even before we are born,
as we are knitted together in the womb.
Pause
Second, the painting draws our eyes
toward the tall, stern elder who
dominates the right side of the painting.
The brother and his father have a similar look:
both bearded, wearing large red cloaks,
light their faces.
But what differences!
the brother’s facial expression
reflects his resentment for having lived his dutiful
and obedient life without fanfare.
We all know many
elder sons and elder daughters
who are lost while still at home –
filled with judgment and condemnation,
anger and bitterness, where joy cannot exist.
Although light reflects the joy of the house,
the elder son cannot accept it.
By his erect stance, we see how lost he is.
This portrayal of the elder is not lost on me;
my choice to compare, to be resentful,
to despair while desiring love
yet not able to let go of resentment.
How can the elder son also be found?
Only by God who does not force love,
but goes out to the elder son.
“You are with me always.”
We, too, have the choice
to stay in the darkness or
to step into the light and
invoke the spiritual disciplines
of trust and gratitude,
accepting God’s gift.
Without trust, we cannot be found.
Without gratitude, we cannot walk in light.
pause
Third, the painting
draws our eyes toward the father,
whom Rembrandt captured physically:
(half-blind, mustached & bearded,
dressed in gold-embroidered deep red cloak,
a cloak spread out like wings,
with large hands on the shoulders of the son.)
And, whom Rembrandt captured spiritually:
With infinite compassion,
unconditional love and
everlasting forgiveness.
At once, human and divine natures fuse.
At once, the wholeness of the father represents
the God that I want to believe in:
one who is present and tactile,
one who stretches out arms of blessing,
one who always waits and does not push,
one who keeps approaching us,
offering strong love and belonging.
Look closely at the hands of the father,
they are markedly different. [Nouwen writes [2] ]
“The father’s left hand is strong and muscular,
fingers spread out, covering a large part
of the son’s shoulder and back.
The hand not only touches, but also it
holds.
The right hand is refined, soft, and tender.
The fingers are close to each other and
elegant.
This hand caresses, strokes, and offers consolation.
This is a mother’s hand.
Rembrandt invites us, through these hands
to see God as both Father and Mother,
one who is strong and encouraging
as well as soft and caring.
He confirms and she
consoles.”
In this image, we are challenged:
Are we not called to be this father
to ourselves, our neighbors and our creation? Are we not called
to accept, to welcome, and to love others
with trust and gratitude for the differences they
bring into our lives?
I did not know that I was lost,
but in my lostness, God found me.
In my elder brother resentment and bitter heart, God
softened me.
In the image of the father, I am confronted
as a mature person in faith and wisdom,
to be that person, too.
God calls us to welcome returning people
into our lives, in our community, in our world.
It is a spiritual discipline to choose life and
choose joy, not death and cynicism.
In the image of the father, God calls us
“To be not just the one who is forgiven,
but to forgive.
Not just the one who is welcomed
home,
but the one who welcomes home;
not just the one who receives
compassion,
but
the one who offers it as well.”[3]
Rembrandt’s painting offers so much.
The textures, the colors, the hues,
the message beneath the message –
all this invites us to see ourselves.
Are you lost?
Because today’s good news, captured by Rembrandt, is
that
God’s love is greater than we can ever know.
Our compassionate God
welcomes us home,
blesses us with strong and caressing hands,
comes out and calls us
to share in love
and
invites us, too,
to welcome, bless and love
just as God first loved us.
Welcome home.
Amen
