Today’s Gospel reading, the parable of the prodigal son, gives us a profound insight into the nature of God and life in general. This powerful story encapsulates the entirety of the spiritual life:
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable: A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, “Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. He longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses, he thought, “How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger? I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.’” So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.” But his father ordered his servants, “Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.” Then the celebration began.
First of all, Jesus is being criticized by the religious establishment for associating with known sinners. Jesus does not see them as sinners, but as God’s children, potential saints and sages. When we fall in love with a person in a romantic context, don’t we idealize them, seeing their highest potential? God sees us this way at all times. Can we dare to see ourselves and each other in the same way?
Secondly, we see the younger son pulling away from his father, away from God. When any of us pulls away from God, we necessarily lose our grounding and our center. Inwardly, we become anxious, disordered, and disorganized. As a self-soothing strategy, we compulsively cling to various forms of pleasure. These happiness projects never actually work, and we suffer. Our suffering, though, is not a punishment but the very thing that stirs our memory of home. Eventually, we begin the journey home to God and to our own souls. At some point in our evolutionary process we have all been the prodigal son. If you are reading these words, you have already begun to wake up and are making your way back home to God.
Even when the prodigal son was far away, Jesus tells us that the father, filled with compassion, ran after him. Jesus is telling us that God suffers when we suffer, weeps when we weep, and never stops pursuing us. God is always saying, “Come home. I love you; I’m waiting for you with open arms and a merciful heart.” When the prodigal son does return home, there is no judgment, condemnation, or shaming. There is only an embrace of profound love and a great party in the heavens. Our return home to God literally brings great joy to God and heaven’s angels and saints.
Jesus’ story of the prodigal son is absolutely relevant to today’s world. Clearly, we have lost our way. God is calling us home. The path is simple: prayer and meditation, humility, right living, a lifestyle worthy of our dignity as children of God, faith in the Guru, and a heart full of love. Be patient with yourself; the journey home takes place one step at a time. God is running toward you. Remember the great joy you bring to God as you make this homeward journey. Yogananda tells us, “God has everything, everything but our love. God has need of nothing, except our love. This is the one thing he does not have unless we give it to him.”
Divine Mother, Heavenly Father,
I am your prodigal child.
Help me to realize that
Even as I slowly make my way home,
You are running to greet me.
