THE OTHER SON
Undoubtedly Jesus’ most captivating parable is that of the «good father», mistakenly called «parable of the prodigal son». It’s precisely this «younger son» who almost always attracts the attention of commentaries and preachers. His return home and unbelievable welcome from the father has moved all Christian generations.
Yet the parable also talks about the «older son», the guy who remains with the father without imitating the disordered life of his brother far from home. When they let him know of the party organized by his father to welcome home the lost son, he gets upset. His brother’s return doesn’t make him happy, as it did for his father, but mad: «He got angry and wouldn’t come» into the welcome home celebration. It’s then that the son blows up, revealing all his resentment. He’s spent his whole life fulfilling his father’s orders, but he hasn’t learned to love as the father loves. He only knows how to demand his rights and insult his brother.
This is the tragedy of the older son. He’s never left home, but his heart has always been far away. He knows how to fulfill commands, but doesn’t know how to love. He doesn’t understand his father’s love for that lost son. He doesn’t welcome or forgive, he doesn’t want anything to do with his brother. Jesus concludes his parable without satisfying our curiosity: does he enter the party or does he stay outside?
Wrapped up in the religious crisis of modern society, we’ve gotten used to speaking of believers and nonbelievers, practicing and fallen away, marriages blessed by the Church and couples in irregular unions… While we keep classifying God’s sons and daughters, God keeps waiting for us all, since God doesn’t belong just to the good or practicing. God is Father of all.
The «older son» challenges us who live close to God. What are we doing, those who haven’t abandoned the Church? Securing our religious survival and observing the best we can what’s prescribed, or witnessing God’s great love to all God’s sons and daughters? Are we constructing open communities who know how to understand, welcome and accompany those who seek God among doubts and questions? Do we raise barriers or build bridges? Do we offer friendship or look suspiciously at them?
José Antonio Pagola
Translator: Fr. Jay VonHandorf
