Homily for 4th Sunday of Lent 2010

Remember the fear and confusion over water supply just twelve months ago? Now we have an abundance of water. Our dams are full just about everywhere. Some large water projects may be put on hold as a result. We do tend to live by fear and apprehension about what might happen to us when things are bad. But we grow ever more complacent when things are good. We behave like that in our personal spiritual life as well. When we are OK we forget to pray. When we are experiencing pain or suffering we are more inclined to turn to God for help. Prayer needs to be our response to life and all there is, both good and bad.

When we read the scriptures we often contrast the position of a literal interpretation of the text with one that recognises the nature of the writing and its cultural context. The literal interpretation sometimes claims to be reading accurate history and science. Whereas a more critical reading takes the view that the purpose of the record of events and knowledge of a bygone age are different from our own. This needs to be taken into account if we are to understand the meaning. For us the bible is not telling us detailed history or science. Rather it is trying to understand and communicate to us what that history and creation means. Does it all make sense? Has it a purpose? What is the point of suffering and death?

The reading from Joshua illustrates this. It tells of the arrival of the refugee Israelites from Egypt in the Promised Land of Canaan. As history it is a bit confused. The people are eating produce of the land on the day they arrived. It presumes a settled agriculture to produce the grain. There are many examples of such historical inaccuracy in the bible. Yet, the point of the story is not in that kind of historical detail. It is in what the experience of arrival in the new land means. They are celebrating, with the abundance of this Promised Land, their freedom given by the generosity of God, who, as the text says has "rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt" (Joshua 5:9). In other words it is about a compassionate God who hears the cries of the people. It is a liturgical telling of the story of them experiencing the fulfilment of God's promise.

This notion of the surprising generosity of God who is always with us was one of the themes of Archbishop Bathersby's address at the Deanery gathering on Friday night at Sippy Downs. It appears in the Gospel as well most tellingly and movingly. This parable is told as part of Jesus' response to the Pharisees and scribes who objected to his eating with sinners and tax collectors.

The younger son of the parable asked for his share of the inheritance even before his father was dead. According to custom the younger son would receive one third of the property. The elder son who is the heir, would receive double, that is, two thirds of the property. The younger son behaved very shamefully and the story of his subsequent life emphasises how depraved he became and how he in fact rejected the covenant by breaking just about every rule in the Jewish law. His selfish choice contrasts with the attitude of the father.

The elder son didn't demand his inheritance but kept all the laws and slaved on the property for his father. When the father came to plead with him to come to the party, he insulting his father, complaining about his father's generosity to "this son of yours". His father replied simply, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours." What a wonderful response and a generous affirmation of this mean spirited elder son.

Jesus in this parable is contrasting the narrow, joyless spirit of the Pharisees and scribes with the compassion and generosity of God. This is what life is about. This is who God is. This, we believe in faith, is the meaning of all that happens to us. This is how we are to live too. God is saying that to us even now. God is giving everything to us. This gift is shown most clearly of course in Jesus his only Son. In coming to know Jesus we know this God. This we celebrate sacramentally in the Eucharist just as the Israelites with Joshua celebrated their freedom in the Promised Land. In the Eucharist God says to us in Jesus, "You are always with me. All that is mine is yours." We need not be afraid of God. We in Christ are a new creation. In Christ God is reconciling us and inviting us to be ministers of this reconciliation to others.

Fr Graham