Normally, the Sunday liturgy’s first reading relates to the Gospel passage. This Fourth Sunday of Lent, the connection seems to be a feast. The Book of Joshua speaks of the Israelites’ arrival in the Promised Land, where they no longer needed to be fed with manna, as they had been doing during their time in the desert. Because of their unfaithfulness, they had been wandering in the desert much longer than expected. But they have now been forgiven, and that is why they celebrate Passover with food from the land.
In the Gospel, we hear a parable about another feast. It is also a celebration of forgiveness because the prodigal son has returned to his father, and the father’s forgiveness shows us how willing God is to forgive us as well. However, the parable does not end there. It continues with the elder son’s complaint about the feast his father had asked him to organize for his brother.
I invite you to pay attention to the father’s words when he says, “All that is mine is yours.” He’s not just being sentimental because they’re family. Remember, the younger brother had already received his inheritance, so everything left would one day go to the older brother. That son can’t forgive his brother and is angry with the father for welcoming the prodigal son. This is where we come in.
Most of us have no problem asking God for forgiveness, but we find it difficult when we have to forgive others. We’re so used to thinking in terms of justice that forgiveness doesn’t satisfy us. When we’ve been hurt, we humanly feel like hitting back. When we watch an action movie, we don’t want the bad guy to give up and ask for forgiveness, and we expect the protagonist to destroy him.
It would be good for us to ask ourselves where the idea of justice that we live by in society comes from. Is the human expectation of the rule of an eye for an eye? Or is it God’s justice, which is mercy and forgiveness? When someone cuts you off in traffic, do you feel like doing a number of things to them that doesn’t include offering forgiveness? Perhaps we should change and adopt that for Christians, the golden rule should be “Forgive others as you would have them forgive you.” Jesus gave his life for the sins of the world, including yours and mine. Do we have the right to ask for more?
May the Lord always grant you his peace!
Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM
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