About a year or so ago I off-handedly remarked to Dave that he always gets to preach on Mother’s Day – and, well, he also gets to preach on Father’s Day.  Now Dave, is one of a little over a handful here who knows (well, you all will know) that I do not have the best, even a good, relationship with my earthly father.   So, I teasingly asked Dave if maybe he doesn’t trust what I would say on Father’s Day.  His response was very supportive.  He said something like, “Of course I trust what you would say – in a sermon – after much prayer - on Father’s Day.”  And that was that.  Until a few months ago when Dave gave me the preaching schedule through July.  And there was my name next to today’s date, Father’s Day.  Well, after choking, spitting and sputtering, I gave some serious prayer to what God would have me say. 

            “There was a certain man who had two sons….”  That is the beginning of the parable we know as and most often refer to as the Prodigal Son, from Luke’s gospel.   Most sermons and most teachings focus on that younger son who wants his share of the inheritance.  And he wants it now!   To know the culture of Jesus’ day is to know that by him expressing this request it is a thinly veiled death wish on his father.  Nonetheless, Dad gives this young whipper snapper his bundle of money.  The kid splits town with it.  The focus of the story remains on him throughout his time of recklessly squandering his wealth in wild living.  Then the kid bottoms out, eats with pigs and pretty much crawls home thinking he will confess and then work for dear ol’ dad.  Yet there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of real remorse or sadness.  The amazing thing is that the kid does not get cuffed about the head and shoulders and told to go muck out the camel stalls.   No!.  Instead there is great rejoicing at this that this wayward child’s return.  Forgiveness has just been waiting his return.  And we get to see out Dad deals with the older son.  Dad continues to give total acceptance; total gratitude and total love to the older son.  

            I think this focus we have had of the younger son has no doubt shaped our thinking of the word ‘prodigal.’  The seemingly “unfair” treatment of the older son sharpens the focus.  Perhaps like me, you grew up believing, that based on this parable, prodigal means wayward, wandering, lost, even one who makes wrong choices.  But, Mr. Webster’s unabridged dictionary says this of prodigal:  (1) recklessly extravagant;  (2) characterized by wasteful expenditure: lavish;  (3) yielding abundantly: luxuriant.

            So it occurs to me that one of the characteristics of love must be wastefulness. Maybe wastefulness is not the best word.  Perhaps the better word is extravagant.  Let me share some examples, even Father’s Day illustrations.  Maybe some of you dads sitting here this morning are the real thing- prodigals yourselves. Alright, you have just taken the family out to dinner.  Pretty nice.  Then as everyone gets in the SUV to return home, they all cry out for ice cream.  You just smile.  You know no one is hungry.  You know what the cost of that meal was.  You know none of the kids – well no one needs that ice cream.  And you know that maybe even some of them will be complaining about weight gain the next day.  Yet, you stop at the local Cold Stone and buy everyone their pleasure.   Wasteful?  Probably depends on who you ask.  Extravagant?  Yes. An act of love? – Sure.  How about you husbands who – for no other reason that LOVE - buy your wife flowers (and they’re not cheap), even though you know that within a week, no matter how much 7-Up and aspirin you put in the water - the flowers wilt and die.  Extravagant! Full of love – you betcha!  And what about you wives here today who will be honoring Dad’s Day by preparing, or helping the kids to prepare, that Dad’s favorite dinner – even though you know that when that meal is over there will be nothing left but dirty dishes!-for you to clean up!!  Extravagant and wasteful, - and love! Even a bit prodigal?

            So listen again to the beginning of this parable:  “There was a certain MAN who had two sons….”  Jesus makes is very clear that the main character is the father.  You see the Father is lavish with his rejoicing over the return of one son.  He is extravagant in his forgiveness of this younger wayward one.  He is luxuriant with love for both children – both types – yes, each one of us. 

            This tells us that the same God who is the creator of heaven and earth, the very one with the entire universe and all its riches at His disposal, not only knows each of us by name and calls us by name – as scripture states; He also lavishes His love on us – in spite of us.  He is intimately acquainted with us whether we are like the younger or the older child in the story.  He knows every single one of our peculiar ways; our rebellious nature and actions; and our disobedient ways.  You see God cares for us and takes care of us because we are His workmanship – His creation.  He takes care of us so that we may engage in a lifetime of fellowship with Him and a lifetime of extending His goodness to others.  Actually that means that God has some very specific good works for each of us to do today.  No one can do them except us. 

Isn’t it cool – and humbling to know that God plans to work through us, while lavishing His love on us – even in spite of our human ways!  So armed with the knowledge that if God wants to work through us, what a great reason it is to get up each morning – knowing we are part of what god has in mind to accomplish His purpose.  Perhaps what god is working through you is exactly what He worked in and through the younger son – new life, for he was lost – even dead.  Is God wanting to offer you new life in Him?  Or God’s purpose could be to you as it was to the older son.  Is He giving you encouragement?  Is He expressing thankfulness for your steadfastness? Or is He showing you to rejoice, even love, in all circumstances?

            All of this is love from the Prodigal Father.  You see the Bible gives us the perfect picture of perfect love.  John tells us in his first letter how great is this love that God lavishes on us….because we are His children.  This is the perfect gift to us, His children – from the very One who created us, who redeemed us and who loves us!  This love holds on when all else comes to an end.  It is love that never fails us, in spite of our disappointments and trials, even in spite of betrayal.  This perfect love forgives us again and again.  This perfect love accepts us even when we cannot accept ourselves. This is the love of God.

            It is in Jesus we have this life.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16 ).    Our Prodigal Father gives us this love in a new life through His Son.  Actually He gives us this life so that we may have it more abundantly (John 10:10b)!  Someone said this about abundant life – life lavished on us:  “There is something so characteristic in the word “abundantly.” For God has a way of doing everything in such abundance: not merely one kind of tree or flower or bird but thousands – all shapes, colors and sizes.

            “And God has made the potential for our lives to be even more abundant.  None of us need be satisfied with monotony if we long for variety and profusion.  We have imagination, intellect, talents, dreams and memories.   We have moods.  We have days that vary like the tides of the seas, now rushing and full of power, now receding, ebbing, quiet. No two days are the same.  No two people are identical – not even twins or triplets.  No two events exactly like.  We have the happy and the sad, the bright and the dim.  We have the rhythm of living that makes us appreciate joy, and sharpens our senses in grief.”

            As Christians, we should reach out for this abundant life our God, the Father, offers to us.  For each experience teaches us more of this extravagant and lavish God.  Every storm we go through with Him is to make us that much more certain of His amazing power and abundant sufficiency.

You and I, who are the younger child, can know God, our Father is always overjoyed at our returning to His waiting and loving embrace.  His rejoicing is lavish.   When we come with a repentant heart, no matter from where we come, or how long our journey, He is so very extravagant in his forgiveness of each and every mess up, failing and yes, sin.  And, we, who might be the older child might still say,  “Great! The wayward are certainly welcome, but they must pay and pay well – just like we did.”  It is our voice speaking to the Prodigal Father, saying, “Yea, they can come, but give them bread and water – not a banquet, for crying out loud.  They should wear scratchy sackcloth, not a new royal robe!  We need to put ashes on them, not a new ring.  And could they shed a tear or two, and kneeling on bended knee – even for a moment, would really be good.”  Our Prodigal Father hears us and he forgives us our attitude.  And at the same time He still lavishes encouragement and thankfulness and assurance – and love on us.   If we are not the older or younger, might we be the neighbor up the hill, across the barranca, or right next door, wondering if we are going to attend that party at that place – that church - at all.  You see, the Father knows each one of us and our different attitudes,  and He is luxuriant with His love as He spreads it out over each of His children – each one of us.

            This lavish, extravagant Father is one you can believe in.  You truly can believe! He is a Father, who from before the beginning of creation, stretches out His arms in merciful blessing, never forcing Himself on anyone, but always waits.  He never lets His arms drop down in despair, but always hopes that His children will return so that He can speak words of love to us and let His tired arms rest on our shoulders, or in an abundant embrace.  His only desire is to bless. 

            The Prodigal Father is a story that teaches us about us – rebellious children.  It teaches us of forgiveness.   It teaches us of parenthood.  This is a story of humanity and the divine.  It is a story about the fragile, and of the powerful.  It is a story of the old, and the eternally young.   This is a story that teach us about love:  The love that we want to receive; the love we want and need to give; God’s love for us.  This is a story about our lavish, extravagant heavenly Prodigal Father.

            Now, my guess is that most of you here are not runaways, like me of 37 years ago.  Yet, perhaps like me, many of you are able, or are learning to look away from a blaming, unforgiving, controlling, empty-of-mercy type of earthly father.  I hope we can all look toward and rest in the waiting, powerful embrace of our heavenly Prodigal Father.   As lost sons and daughters who have experienced God’s extravagant grace, we can and do grow into adulthood to be like this parent.  Some of us, both male and female, cringe and even rebel in the days leading up to and on Father’s Day.  Yet, everyday can be celebrated as God’s day when we have God in our lives.  God loves every one of us.  In fact, God, our Prodigal Father, squanders His love on us through His Son Jesus Christ. 

Happy Father’s Day!  Happy God’s Day!