The Prodigal Son - 3.31.19 The Rev. Andrew Walmisley

Fourth Sunday in Lent The Collect:  Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.   Old Testament:  Joshua 5:9-12 9The Lord said to Joshua, 'Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.' And so that place is called Gilgal to this day. 10 While the Israelites were encamped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. 11On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year. Psalm:  Psalm 32 1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *        and whose sin is put away! 2 Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, *        and in whose spirit there is no guile! 3 While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *        because of my groaning all day long. 4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *        my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, *        and did not conceal my guilt. 6 I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." *        Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. 7 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in                            time of trouble; *        when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them. 8 You are my hiding-place;    you preserve me from trouble; *        you surround me with shouts of deliverance. 9 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you                             should go; *        I will guide you with my eye. 10 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *        who must be fitted with bit and bridle,        or else they will not stay near you." 11 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; *        but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord. 12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; *        shout for joy, all who are true of heart. Epistle:  2 Corinthians 5:16-21 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Gospel:  Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 1 Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, 'This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.' 3 So he told them this parable: 11 'There was a man who had two sons. 12The 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. 13A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17But when he came to himself he said, "How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.' " 20So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21Then the son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son." 22But the father said to his slaves, "Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!" And they began to celebrate. 25 'Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27He replied, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound." 28Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29But he answered his father, "Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!" 31Then the father said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found." '