ルカによる福音書15:11-32

「子よ、お前はいつもわたしと一緒にいる。わたしのものは全部お前のものだ。だが、お前のあの弟は死んでいたのに生き返った。いなくなっていたのに見つかったのだ。祝宴を開いて楽しみ喜ぶのは当たり前ではないか。」　　　　　　　　　　　（ルカ15:31-32）

兄は、自分がいかに真面目な善い息子であるか、それに比べて弟はいかに不真面目な悪い息子であるか、 そして弟を優遇して自分には冷たい父親が、いかに不公平であるかということを主張して、父親をやりこめたつもりになっていました。ところが、それに対する父親の答えは、彼がまったく予想していない驚くべきものでありました。

兄にとって意外であった第一の点は、父親から「私のものは全部お前のものだ」と言われたことでありました。確かに、12節にありますように、父親は兄と弟の両方に相続分を分けてやったのですから、父親のもとに残っている農場や牧場はすべて兄のものでありました。ですから、兄が友達と宴会をしたいので子山羊を一匹くださいと言えば、父は兄の自由にさせたことでしょう。つまり、この兄の大きな間違いは、父親の寛大な気持ちを理解しておらず、自分が受けることのできる恵みに気づいていなかったということなのです。さらに、その奥にあるものを考えてみますと、この兄は、父親と共に生活し、そこでの安定した生活という恵みを受けながら、そのことを喜んで受け止めてはいなかったということが浮かび上がってきます。彼の心の中心にあったのは、29節の言葉に表されていますように、「何年もお父さんに仕えている」自分であり、「言いつけに背いたことは一度もない」自分でありました。 そのような自分のしたこと、つまり、自分の功績や業績を中心に考えるような精神構造では、ほかの人の気持ちを理解することはできません。共に生活をしながら、この兄は、父親が自分を愛してくれており、自分が望むならば子山羊どころか子牛でも食べさせてもらえるということがわかっていなかったのでありました。

兄にとって意外であった第二の点は、父親から「祝宴を開いて楽しみ喜ぶのは当たり前ではないか」ときっぱり言い渡されたことでありました。兄の頭の中では、この議論はどう考えても、自分が正しいという結論になっていました。ところが、それはこの兄の考えの中心が、自分の功績、つまり「自分はこれだけのことをしてきた」ということになっていたからです。もしこの兄が考えの中心を父親の愛という点に置き換えるならば、放蕩息子が帰ってきたことを「祝宴を開いて楽しみ喜ぶ」方が「当たり前」という結論になることでしょう。 その理由は、32節前半の「お前のあの弟は死んでいたのに生き返った。いなくなっていたのに見つかったのだ」という父親の言葉によく表されています。つまり、父親の愛を中心に置いて考えますならば、たとえ財産を使い果たした放蕩息子であっても、愛する息子なのですから、それが帰ってきたことを喜ぶのが当たり前という結論になるのであります。　　　（6月25日の説教より）

It is truly sad, but every day we see news of murders. According to Ms. ABE Kyoko, a specialist in assisting the families of perpetrators of crime, half of all murders in Japan occur within the family. Between family members, people may say things they would not say to others or do things they would not do to others. In other words, in modern parlance in Japanese, “Kireru,”i.e., losing one’s temper. However, if you read the Bible, you will find that there are people with a strong mentality who never lose their temper. The characteristic of the spirit of these people is that they have one firm and straight thing, but they are able to receive pressure from various directions in a flexible way. And that suppleness can be called the “power of forgiveness.”

Consider, for example, the apostle Paul, who preached the salvation of Christ to many people. Paul was severely criticised by the congregation of the church in Corinth to which he had preached Christ. Paul suffered, but he fought against them and brought them to repentance. In a letter to the Corinthians, he wrote to them to forgive and strengthen the central figure who had attacked him (2 Corinthians 2:5-8). When reading that letter, one cannot help but wonder where the source of the strength of spirit that enables one to fight without yielding to the pressure of one’s opponents and yet to forgive them lies. Perhaps this is one of the things that is lacking in people living in the modern world, because many people today lose their temper when they are subjected to unexpected pressure. What structural differences exist between a spirit of losing temper and a spirit of suppleness? Today’s Bible verses may provide clues to such a question.

The first half of today’s Bible passages tells the story of a prodigal son who returns home after spending all of his property, and whose father forgives and accepts him. This first half of the story is one of the most frequently mentioned stories in the Bible as a parable of God’s love. Today I would like to focus on the second half that follows. It would be no wonder if this parable of the prodigal son ended with only the first half of the story. The father, delighted at the return of the prodigal son, says as follows. “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” The reader would not have a problem if the parable ended with the beginning of the feast. In fact, if you read the two parables in Luke chapter 15 that precede this parable, the first parable ends with the shepherd rejoicing at finding his lost sheep, and the second parable ends with the woman rejoicing at finding her lost silver coins. In the case of the parable of the prodigal son, however, it does not end with the father’s rejoicing at the return of the prodigal son. There is another element added. It is the presence of the elder brother, who stayed at home and worked diligently for his father.

On the day the younger brother came back home, the elder brother was still working the whole day in the fields. And when he returned home after work and came near the house, he heard the murmur of joyful music and dancing. The elder brother became suspicious and called one of the servants before entering the house and asked him what was going on. The answer he got from the servant was surprising and unforgivable to him. The servant said, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.” In other words, while the elder brother was working hard in the fields, a lavish banquet was being held, and the banquet was to celebrate the return of the prodigal younger brother. The elder brother was so angry that he refused to enter the house. He was not in the mood for a celebration. So his father came out and entreated him to go inside. However, the elder brother hurled harsh words at his father, which are found in verses 29 and 30.

“Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!”

This protest of the elder brother against his father is very reasonable and makes the listener believe that he is right. Firstly, the elder brother argues that he has been faithful to his father for a long time. “Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command.” The brother’s claim of faithfulness is emphasised by the words “these many years.” The words “I never disobeyed your command.” also emphasises his own fidelity. And both words implicitly assert how he is a faithful, obedient and good son, unlike his prodigal younger brother. In other words, the elder brother wants to say, “Compare me, the faithful and good son, with the younger brother who is constantly disobeying you!”

Secondly, the elder brother argues that, nevertheless, his father has been cold towards him. He says, “Yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.” A young goat is a much cheaper feast than a calf. So here, the elder brother, comparing himself with his younger brother, claims that although he has served his father more faithfully than his younger brother, he has been treated coldly by his father. It is certainly true that the elder brother did not receive even a young goat. However, it is more likely that this is because the elder brother did not ask his father for a young goat. Furthermore, though the elder brother says, “that I might celebrate with my friends,” one cannot help but wonder whether he actually had the presence of mind to celebrate with his friends and enjoy it.

Thirdly, the elder brother complains that his father’s treatment of him is too unequal. He says, “But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!” The elder brother’s words are, on the one hand, a harsh criticism of his younger brother and, on the other hand, a sarcastic put-down of his father. This elder brother is quite an eloquent man. First of all, he does not say “my brother,” even though he is his own brother, but “this son of yours,” which shows his hostility towards his brother and his sarcasm towards his father. These words express the feeling that “that fellow is not my brother, he is only another son of my father.” Secondly, the assertive way in which he says, “who has devoured your property with prostitutes,” also shows a strong hostility towards his younger brother. What the elder brother says is probably true. However, it is not considerate to assume, in front of the father, that the younger brother “has devoured your property with prostitutes,” without having heard the younger brother’s story directly from him. Furthermore, the phrase “you killed the fattened calf for him!” also shows a strong sarcasm towards the father. The words express a condemnation of the father’s unfairness: “Not even a goat for me, but a fattened calf for my brother!”

So, to summarise, the elder brother takes his father down a peg by arguing how he is a good, honest son, while his younger brother is a bad, untruthful son, and how unfair his father is in favouring his younger brother and being cold towards him.

However, his father’s answer to him is surprising and completely unexpected: as we see in verses 31 and 32, his father says as follows. “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.”

The first point that has come as a surprise to the elder brother is that his father tells him, “All that is mine is yours.” Indeed, as verse 12 says, his father has divided the inheritance between both sons, so all the farms and pastures that remains with his father belonge to the elder brother. Therefore, if the elder brother asked for one of the goats because he wanted to have a feast with his friends, the father would have left him free to do so. In other words, the elder brother’s big mistake is that he dose not understand his father’s generosity and does not realise the grace he is entitled to. Furthermore, when we consider what lies behind this, it emerges that this brother lives with his father and receives the grace of a stable life there, but does not accept it willingly. At the centre of his mind is only himself, as expressed in the words of verse 29, “who has served these many years” and has “never disobeyed your command.” With such a mental structure that focuses on what he has done – on his own achievements and accomplishments – he cannot understand the feelings of others. While living together, the elder brother does not realise that his father loves him and would feed him not only a goat but also a calf if he wanted.

The second point that has come as a surprise to the elder brother is that his father tells him flatly that it is “fitting to celebrate and be glad.” In his mind, the conclusion is that he is right, no matter what he thinks about this argument. However, this is because the focus of the elder brother’s thinking was on his own achievements, that is, “I have done all these.” If he replaced the focus of his thinking with his father’s love, he would conclude that it would be “fitting to celebrate and be glad” at the prodigal son’s return. The reason for this is the first half of verse 32: “This your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found,” which is well expressed in the father’s words. In other words, if he focused on the father’s love, he could conclude that even if the younger brother is a prodigal son who has spent all his father’s property, it is fitting that he should rejoice in the younger brother’s return because the younger brother is the father’s beloved son.

The elder brother, who does not understand his father’s love for him, cannot understand his father’s love for his younger brother, who “was lost, and is found.” When you think about it, what a pity this is. Although the elder brother has been brought up and nurtured under his father’s love, and still lives in his father’s love, he cannot understand it and insists on his own achievements, saying “I have been ~ !” and “I have never been ~ !” The younger brother, however, having been so far removed from his father’s love, has conversely come to understand that he cannot live without it. Here a remarkable reversal has taken place. The heart of the elder brother, who should have lived with his father, has become far away from his father, while the heart of the younger brother, who lived apart from his father, has come to share one joy with his father.

Now, since the story ends here, we do not know whether the elder brother will change his mind and will entere the house. Therefore, the biblical passages may be asking us the following question: “If you were this elder brother, or if you see something in his image that overlaps with your own, can you go into the house with the father and rejoice in the return of the prodigal brother?” And this is an important question for us to ask ourselves in our own lives. Because when we see the image of the stubborn elder brother in ourselves, we are reminded of our own self-centredness and lack of love for our neighbours.

We human beings somehow become lacking love in our daily lives. There was once a horrific incident in which an old woman killed her son’s wife, or daughter-in-law, by bashing her head against the stairs of her house. And what was even more horrifying was that the wife’s husband, who was a dentist, saw the murder but did not stop it, thinking that if his wife died, he would no longer be plagued by the disagreement between wife and mother. This lack of love in everyday life goes hand in hand with the elder brother’s lack of love for his younger brother in today’s biblical passages, as well as the recognition of his father’s love. This means that even if we seem to live a stable life, if we live without recognising the love of God who has made us and has forgave us, we will not be able to love and forgive others. The darkness of such a lack of love tries to invade our hearts and take over our minds without our realising it. And we will be so centred on how much “I” have done, that we will say and do cruel things, thinking, “I worked so hard, I deserve this much.” Such a mind hardened by self-centredness is, in modern parlance in Japanese,“Kireru,”i.e., losing one’s temper.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Christ taught us to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” By praying this prayer earnestly, our souls are set free from stubborn self-centredness. In other words, when we pray this prayer earnestly, we realise that we are here now because of the Father’s forgiveness. And we can remember that God the Father not only forgives me, but also forgives my neighbours. Furthermore, we can be reminded of the warning that if I do not forgive my neighbours, I will also be denying that I myself am forgiven. In other words, in the context of today’s biblical parable, if the elder brother did not enter the house in his anger, what would happen to the relationship between this elder brother and his father? The relationship between the elder brother and his father must become very difficult.

Therefore, let us try to forgive our neighbours, so that each of us may experience the love of God the Father more deeply. Of course, this is not easy. Forgiving our neighbours is as hard as fighting to the shedding of our blood against the grave sin of lack of love and against the devil who tries to make us commit such sins. In fact, it was precisely on the cross that Christ shed his blood and lived out his love for sinners. And he triumphed over sin, death and the devil. Believing in Christ, receiving forgiveness for our sins and forgiving the sins of others is the way to restore our true humanity and to live as true human beings.