My church has been focusing on the story of the Prodigal Son during Lent. They’ve even been doing a film series on Wednesday nights watching movies that explore themes of fathers and sons (Finding Nemo, Les Miserables, Legends of the Fall, etc.), though sadly I work in the evenings and have no social life so I haven’t been able to attend. So I’ve mostly experienced the story of the Prodigal Son through sermons by our rector John Newton. This Sunday we got the twist ending of the story.
If you’re not familiar with the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), it’s a parable Jesus tells about a son who decides to take an early inheritance and leave his father’s household. He goes off and squanders all he has and eventually runs out of money and finds himself destitute. When he hits rock bottom he decides to return home and ask to be a mere servant in his father’s house. But when he returns home his father welcomes him with open arms and throws a party celebrating his return. Meanwhile the older brother throws a fit, complaining that he’s been faithful and never rewarded. Oddly enough, the story ends there. Which is what the sermon focused on.