Are Prodigal Sons Grateful?

What biblical text would be appropriate for a sermon about gratitude? I was invited to preach at a worship that took place on Thanksgiving Eve, planned by two Presbyterian churches in Puyallup, one of them being First Pres where I did my internship this summer. I chose to speak about the famous parable of the prodigal sons (Luke 15:11-32) – this story is so powerful that theologians called it “the mini-Gospel”. We find in this story the redemptive power of God’s love, whose expression echoes in Psalm 18:19 “God rescued me because He delighted in me”

But are the sons grateful ? The story does not tell. We guess they were. We hope they were because they represent us. From this well known story, I pondered about the obstructions that can interfere with our feelings of gratitude.  

The older son is prodigal of bitterness. He is the one that knows the rules of obedience to the Father so well that he lost track of having a real communion with his Dad. “All I have is yours” his father told him, surprised by the rebellion of the son that has always been at his side and suddenly seemed not to know nor understand him. Sometimes knowing the rules too well gives us a feeling of control that that takes us away from the One who is the Master of the Rules. We live nearby in a respectful routine, but we are not really listening anymore.

When we know the rules so well and work hard at enforcing them in our lives, we may start looking at our brothers and sisters differently as well. We evaluate their own enforcing of the rules, and we come up with our own idea of the result they deserve. If the consequences of their actions do not correspond to our assessment, we can be angry like the older brother was; or confused, if we think they should have received more. Actually, the older brother seemed to be very aware of the actions of his brother, as if he had kept an eye on him at all times.

Then we start making comparisons and this is the course to avoid. Let’s keep in mind Job and his friends: we tend hastily to transfer our own fears and hopes on our loved ones, at the risk of burdening and hurting them. Our journey and our relation to God are unique. The very different path that the younger son took shows it.

This young man could be the first born son of Adam and Eve. Just like them, he wanted the Garden but not the Creator of the Garden, the estate without the master that built it, and he did not even care waiting for the normal rules of inheritance. The freedom that God grants us is alarming. The Father did not try to restrain his immature son. He gave him all latitude to go to his own doom. But the son’s place was kept intact in the family. When he wanted back, the son had in mind he should regain the esteem of the Father, one day at a time, but as soon as he came back, he was welcomed back as a loved son and as an heir.

The awareness of divine love guides us toward a gratitude that extends the limits of our soul. The words of the Father to his two sons are also meant for us: you are always with me. All I have is yours. Let’s celebrate because you came back to life. We were lost and now you are found.