In our parish library hangs a poster of Rembrandt's painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son." You have a copy of it on the front of your bulletin today. Rembrandt painted it during the last days of his life. Like holy writing, the painting reveals its truth slowly, requiring meditation to bring out the beauty and the wisdom of the painting.

It is a study of darkness and light - the light shines on the figures of the prodigal - the youngest son, and the father who forgives him. Radiant light shines down: as strong as forgiveness. And in the darkness behind the figures are other people, including the older brother, whose bitterness at his brother's exaltation causes him to await in the shadows, knife in hand.

The central figure is not the prodigal son - it is the Father, And in fact, if one were to name the parable by its emphasis, it would be called the parable of the merciful father - for it is a parable of a father and two sons - both of which have need of the mercy of God.

Rembrandt was familiar with God's mercy. Earlier in his life he had lived so lavishly that he had gone into debt - such great debt in fact that he later had to sell everything he possessed in order to pay it off.

When he painted The Return of the Prodigal Son, he was near death. He had recently lost his own wife and son, and was alone, aware that he would meet God face to face very soon.

So in the portrait, he painted himself into the work, as the Prodigal Son, who kneels before the father seeking forgiveness.

Notice, he doesn't look at the Father - he looks away, perhaps ashamed, perhaps not yet certain that forgiveness is what he really desires.

Perhaps Rembrandt himself wasn't sure if he was worthy of forgiveness - and so he painted himself looking away, and he painted the Father, larger than life, completely tender, loving hands on the prodigal's shoulders, in a robe of red, signifying love…

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of those incredible stories in which each of us can find ourselves. Some of us have been younger brothers - we have lived foolishly, and lost what was precious to us.

The younger brother went so far as to serve pigs - something no self-respecting Jew would do. To the Jewish listener, the son's life amongst the pigs signified how deeply he had sunk, how hopeless his life had become.

Some of us have been there. Through addictions, foolish relationships, get-rich-quick schemes, and general irresponsibility, we can find ourselves down and out - desperate for a break, and desperately in need of God's mercy.

Perhaps we haven't lost everything like the Prodigal Son -
Perhaps instead we have squandered our life in pursuit
Of wealth, or attention, only to find ourselves

Living life, as Jane Austin wrote, as a series of empty nothings.

This too, requires God's mercy.

The wisest thing the prodigal did was to repent - not only to feel bad for what he did, but physically turn around, and go back the other way

- he went back to his father's house.

- That required a great deal of humility, and at least a glimmer of wisdom.

So he went back - and confessed his wrongdoing, and here we see the Father's mercy. No shame, no chiding, no anger. Just complete joy in the fact that his son had returned.

And here the Father mirrors the mercy of God to us - no matter how low we crawl, no matter how far away we remove ourselves from our dwelling with God, God continues to seek us, continues to forgive, continues to welcome us back to himself, time and time again.

And just as there will always be God's mercy, there will always be those who resent the undeserved blessing we receive. Rembrandt portrayed the older brother holding a knife, as if he were waiting to strike down his brother in a fit of jealousy.

And he was jealous. Was it fair that his brother receive such accolades when he himself had been faithful for years? Was it fair for his father to kill the fatted calf for the sake of a deadbeat who decided to come in for a decent meal?

For the older brother was a good man, who had done the right thing.

Where was HIS fatted calf? Where was HIS celebration?

No. No, it was not fair… and that is the point. God does not deal in fairness. God deals in mercy. Mercy is unfair. Thank God that it is.

For there is even mercy for the older brother in each one of us. There is mercy for us when we become judgmental of our brothers and sisters. Mercy awaits us as we wait to get back at someone who has hurt us. Mercy is there to remind us that all of God's great gifts are given freely to us, without price. Mercy helps us understand that we are all dust, all God's creation, good or bad,

Prodigal or responsible.

We are God's and nothing we have is our own.

We are the prodigal. We are the older brother.

Some of us indeed have been like the Father, giving out mercy to our own prodigal children.

But have we accepted God's mercy for ourselves? Have we accepted the fact that we have need of it, whether we are a prodigal, or a faithful older brother?

Have we allowed God to place his hands lovingly on our shoulders, to shine his divine light around us, and give us the joy of forgiveness?