Message: Immeasurable Love / Luke 15:1-3, 11b - 32
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So he told them this parable:“There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’ ”
One of my favourite hymns is The Love of God by Frederick M. Lehman. I especially love the third verse: "Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; Were every stalk on earth a quill, and everyone a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky. O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure—the saints’ and angels’ song." I grew up in a small town by the sea in Korea, so the imagery of the ocean and sky helped me imagine the vastness of God's love.
Today’s Gospel reading speaks about God’s boundless love. It is the well-known parable of Jesus, "The Return of the Prodigal Son." Many of us are familiar with this story. However, there is an important aspect we often overlook: the father loves his elder son just as much as his younger son. Today, I invite you to reflect on "The Return of the Elder Son."
Recently, "Eldest Daughter Syndrome" has gained attention, especially on social media. It is not an official psychological diagnosis, but it resonates with many because it describes the common struggles of eldest daughters across different cultures. Social media discussions have identified eight common traits of "Eldest Daughter Syndrome":
(2) You are an overachiever, highly driven, and often perfectionistic.
(3) You worry a lot and may experience anxiety.
(4) You struggle with people-pleasing behaviours.
(5) You find it difficult to set and maintain boundaries.
(6) You sometimes resent your siblings or family.
(7) You often feel guilty, even when you have done nothing wrong.
(8) You face challenges in your adult relationships.
This idea suggests that eldest daughters are often expected to take on extra responsibilities, such as helping raise younger siblings, managing household tasks, and being role models. They may feel pressured to be mature, selfless, and dependable, sometimes at the cost of their own needs and desires. Meanwhile, younger siblings may receive more freedom and attention, making the eldest feel unnoticed, unappreciated, or even resentful.
Of course, this does not apply to everyone. Some people, even if they are not the eldest child, take on significant responsibilities and strive for perfection. On the other hand, some eldest children may not relate to these experiences at all. The key point is that people experience responsibility to different degrees.
In today’s Gospel, we can see a connection between the Eldest Daughter Syndrome and the elder son. He did everything right: he stayed home, worked hard, and remained loyal. But when his younger brother, who had wasted everything, returned and was welcomed with a feast, the elder son felt ignored and unappreciated. His frustration reflects what many responsible people feel: "I have done so much, but no one seems to notice."
Let’s take a closer look at the parable. When the elder son returned home, he heard music and dancing. Curious about what was happening, he asked a servant. When he learned that his younger brother had come back and was being celebrated, he became angry and refused to enter the house. He felt disappointed with his father. He had worked hard, obeyed his father, and yet had never received even a young goat to celebrate with his friends. Meanwhile, his irresponsible younger brother was welcomed back with a big feast and a fattened calf.
A few years earlier, the younger son had asked for his inheritance while his father was still alive. In Jesus' time, this was deeply disrespectful because it essentially meant, "I wish you were dead." Soon after receiving his share, he left his family. Given the customs of the time, when families lived closely together, this indicated he was cutting ties completely. He not only abandoned his family but also broke religious traditions by working with pigs, which were considered unclean. Despite all this, the father welcomed his younger son home with open arms. The elder son could not understand why. In his mind, his brother deserved punishment, not celebration.
The elder son expected his father to be a strict patriarch, someone who kept order and discipline. However, his father’s actions did not match the strict expectations the elder son had. This made him angry. Similarly, the Pharisees and scribes, to whom Jesus told this story, struggled to understand why Jesus welcomed sinners and tax collectors. They believed that only those who lived righteously deserved God’s blessings, while sinners should be excluded. Like the elder son, they created an image of God that fit their own ideas of justice and fairness.
Even today, some people think this way. Some Christians believe only in a God they have shaped to fit their views. They claim that only their beliefs are the absolute truth about God, so they judge others by their standards. They set limits on God's mercy, thinking that only certain people deserve grace. They may seem responsible and hardworking, but they look down on others who do not meet their expectations. They argue that the church should be only for people like them.
Similarly, the elder son misunderstood his father. He believed his father wanted him to work like a slave, but in reality, the father wanted him to view his work as a joyful calling, not a burden. The father wanted him to enjoy his life, recognizing how much he already had. Perhaps, deep down, the father also hoped his elder son had gone searching for his younger brother, reassuring him that he was still loved.
God loves us more than we can imagine. God is the Holy Mystery beyond our understanding, and we should not try to define God based on our limited perspectives. However, there is a way to recognize God: it is through love. Love comes first, before understanding. When we love God and our neighbours, we begin to catch a glimpse of what God is truly like.
God does not call us to be slaves. God calls us to be beloved children. God does not want us to approach our mission and ministry as burdensome duties. Rather, God invites us to follow joyfully, knowing that it brings meaning, abundance, and fulfillment to our lives. Therefore, in church ministry, the important thing is to build more loving relationships, not to make programs or activities perfectly successful. No matter how great the results are, if it breaks someone's heart or disrupts fellowship in the process, it is not the way of Jesus Christ.
Jesus shows that God eagerly waits for all who have lost their way to return to love. Unlike the Pharisees and scribes, who focused only on their self-righteous perfection, Jesus and his disciples travelled to proclaim the good news of God’s boundless love. Even if someone used the sky as paper and the sea as ink, they could not write all of God’s love with it. One of our most important missions is to share this immeasurable love with those who need it. God is calling us to be a channel of this love, extending grace, compassion, and welcome to all.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Rev. Min Hwang
Comments
Post a Comment