the parables of the kingdom robert farrar capon

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. 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. In this last one being both lost and dead come together. He tells of a lost sheep (1 out of 100 – a 1% loss), a lost coin (1 of ten drachma – a 10% loss) and now he tells of a lost son (1 of 2 – a 50% loss). So catching up from last week, we have sinners and tax collectors coming from all around to listen to Jesus and in the background, like a Greek chorus, are the Pharisees and scribes who say, “This man welcomes sinners … and eats with them!” Jesus then launches into three parables claiming how being lost is exactly what is required for grace to find you. So we’ll get Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, Lost Son … and Lost Scruples. But today … I’m going to make an exception and continue a series … AND … (“But wait! There’s more!!”) weave in today’s Gospel reading too. I’m a Lectionary based preacher and I start with the readings and work my way back into life. Those of you from more Protestant traditions are familiar with pastors who do preaching series where they take a topic, make several sermons on it and weave Scripture into their sermons. Want to mess with me? Sit in different seats next Sunday … it will totally blow my roll taking system to pieces … which is entirely consonant with the theme of grace in these parables. They have, of course, rightly deduced that ALL of you were sitting right here on the Fourth Sunday in Lent (Year C) to hear me preach that text … right? Of course … and I know because I can pretty much “take roll” of who is here by where you sit each Sunday. The lectionary says: lost sheep, lost coin … dishonest manager?!! Really? WTF: “Where’s the flow?!!” This is just shifting gears without a clutch! I understand the reasoning behind why the lectionary drops the Lost Son (a/k/a the Prodigal Son) story.

Apparently, the Revised Common Lectionary had another idea! It’s supposed to go: lost sheep, lost coin, lost son. I hinted (ok, actually I promised) that we’d get the story of the lost son today. Last week, we heard two of a series of three parables from Luke 15 about losing and the limits of meritocracy in the parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin.

The parables of the kingdom robert farrar capon