Inside or Outside?

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/091513.cfm) reminds me that sin does not only manifest in our behavior, but is also evident on our thoughts and attitudes.

The parable in today’s gospel is one that probably almost everyone is familiar with. The Prodigal Son. But today, I had a new insight on the parable – that sin is not always manifested on our actions.

The younger son was obviously the prodigal one. Pasaway. He took his inheritance and spent it all. He was impatient and was not willing to cooperate with his father’s plans for him (sounds familiar, when we are impatient with God’s plans for us and wants to things and have things our way?). Then after all his money was gone, returning to his senses, he humbled himself, apologized and came back to his father (familiar too, that after we sin and realize our human efforts are useless and we can’t do anything significant if we are away from God, we return to God, right?). Yes, he was the focus here, he was the prodigal son.

However, we see that the elder brother was not free from sin. While he did not take his inheritance and stayed to be with his father, we see his attitude with his words and actions “He became angry…all these years I served you and did not disobey your orders, but you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends”

Wow, nasa loob ang kulo.

May issues din pala si kuya.

We see that even if he seems to obey his father and love and serve his father, he had this feeling of entitlement. He was expecting something in return. And when he saw how generous his father was to his brother who returned (who already enjoyed his inheritance while he was working with his father), he got generous. He was like the workers in the vineyard who got the day’s wage after working the whole day, while those who worked for an hour got the same amount as well. We can probably hear the father echo the words of the master “Are you envious because I am generous?” He was working for his father, he was serving him, but he wanted to get something out of it. And when he did not get it, he became mad. Sounds familiar too, when we seem to be good children of God, loving him and doing his work, but when he doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want to, we get mad at him?

We may identify with the younger child who explicitly disobeyed his father, or the elder son who harbors sin inside us, but we are very blessed to have a great father. A loving, merciful and forgiving father, who went out of his way to run to his returning child (yes, he ran to him and did not just wait for him to come to him) and so gentle in explaining to his elder son when he found out his concerns.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for giving me another day to live. Thank you for loving me with an everlasting love. Thank you for being gentle with me. Thank you for being patient with me. Thank you for your forgiveness. Lord, I pray that I have the heart that will hate sin, that will hate hurting you. And as I live my life, I do so out of love for you, without expecting favors or blessings. Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-