Thought for the Week 30 March 2025

Welcome to our service today, the fourth Sunday in Lent in which we examine the very famous parable of the prodigal son. This is a story of blatant and deliberate rebellion and sin; a story of careless and foolish actions carried out by a selfish individual who deserved punishment and banishment; it is a story of sowing evil and reaping the destructive rewards of this. It’s a story that many can relate to either because we have been that prodigal son, or we have children living far from the ways of God.

It’s a story of grace and forgiveness, undeserved and unearned yet freely and lavishly given. It’s a story of full and complete restoration of the status of an heir and son with all the attendant benefits of this. It’s a story that demonstrates what repentance looks like and what it leads to.

And it’s also a story of jealousy and blindness to the miracle of restoration that is possible because of the nature and character of the father, who represents God, in this story.  The older brother sees himself as a slave to his father, rather than a son and because of this doesn’t have the correct view of who he is. He has always been a son and heir, but he wasn’t living as one.

This story invites us to consider the power of repentance and unconditional love and the life we have been called to live in Jesus.

Nga mihi nui,

Brent