On Tuesday I had the opportunity to go to Phoenix 1- a gathering of believing 20-30somethings in the area. It was an interesting new 'cultural experience' for this re-entry of mine, and I enjoyed meeting some of the people that my sisters interact with.
What really prompted this blog though, was some thoughts that started with a one-man skit that was performed that night. The guy that did it was pretty great- he was able to command the whole group's attention for about thirty minutes!
The story line? It was a re-enactment of the story commonly known as the Prodigal Son. The actor had modernized the story a bit, so I almost felt that I identified the story sooner than those around me.
He started out first as the rebellious younger son, striving to be let out of the house and out from under his father's heavy hand. Then the lights changed on the stage, and the actor became the responsible older brother, sighing heavily over his brother's follies. What totally struck me as different in this portrayal, however, is that right about when I thought the actor was going to be finished with the story... he came to the center of the stage and portrayed the father. The final act where the father bemoaned the choices of both of his sons gave me a new moment of insight into the older son.
Then today I read an article in Christianity Today, entitled, "Party Favors." In it the author posits that this parable is primarily about the older son, and not the younger one. This was interesting to me since I had just been thinking about these things from the other night. What really struck me, though is when the author began to wonder, as he says, " if, from Jesus' perspective, having a feast in one's honor is a blessing, but being invited to help the father host the banquet is a vastly greater gift."
Wow, right?!
I mean... I've always thought it was the younger brother that totally disrespected the father, but if you think about what a privilege it is to be part of a family and to be in such a position of honor and respect that you are asked to host the party with the head of the household and you turn in down?
Oh man.
And all these years when I self-identified with the older brother and felt so gypped by the younger son who got to go out and come back to a freakin' party... Little did I realize that not only did I 'stay home' and 'obey the rules'... but I also had started to reject the wonderful, immense joy of hosting with the Father. Ouch.
(This realization was given even more layers when I thought about all my experiences in Central Asia, with hosts who gave over and above just because they were being good hosts. Incredible to think about what the Father is offering to us in that cultural light.)
I want to end with the words of the author of the article, because she says it so much better than I could:
"As Jesus tells it, the Father is hosting a lavish banquet, and we're invited--not because of our own merit, but because he loves us. And there's more. He's invited us to help him throw the party--neither as servants nor as guests, but as family." -Carolyn Arends
