"Front Porch Theology"

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Rev. James Pennington

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.

15:2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

15:3 So he told them this parable:

15:11b "There was a man who had two sons.

15:12 The 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.

15:13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.

15:14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need.

15:15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs.

15:16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.

15:17 But 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!

15:18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;

15:19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."'

15:20 So 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.

15:21 Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

15:22 But 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.

15:23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

15:24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

15:25 "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

15:26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on.

15:27 He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.'

15:28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him.

15:29 But 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.

15:30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!'

15:31 Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

15:32 But 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.' "

Introduction:

Today, we take back the word "sinner" from the religious right! It is time we stopped letting them define for us as spiritual progressives, theological words.

How does one get the title of "SINNER"? How does one get categorized as a "SINNER"? Most of us have heard, as I did in my early days as a Christian..... "God loves the sinner BUT hates the sin!" A good way to keep certain "sinners" at arms length. God loves you, but only this much and only this far! It's that SIN that is keeping you from God and God from you!

15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.

15:2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

If only these "darn" sinners wouldn't be hanging around, listening to Jesus, well maybe, the religious leaders of His day would have accepted him and maybe Jesus wouldn't have ended up on the cross! See, it's those "darn" sinners that are at fault!

In my seminary career, I remember the class I took that focuses on the parables. We were told that parables where "earthly stories with a heavenly meaning". And it is true – this – the most famous of all of Jesus parables – is an "earthy" story with a heavenly, other worldly meaning. And it is so chocked full, running over the brim, with meaning! And in essence, this parable, this "earthy story with a heavenly meaning" is the Good News or the Gospel in a "nutshell". This story conveys the very MISSION of Jesus. And on this Lenten journey, it is good to go back to the CORE, the MISSION; the GOSPEL of Jesus before it all comes crashing down as Jesus is nailed to the tree.

I call this parable – "Front Porch Theology".

In Mississippi, the "front porch" (and EVERYONE has one – no home could be complete without one) is the very SOUL of the home. Weekday evenings, and weekends were spent on the front porch. You sat on your front porch, waiting for "kin", "relation", friends and neighbors to drop on by....often for sweet tater pie, coffee or mint juleps. Isn't that just a grand image! There you would sit, rock and talk....getting out of the heat of the house.

And it is on the front porch of her home in Booneville, Mississippi that my sister, Faith, waits for me to arrive when I go back home to visit. She waits, with my nephews and nieces and whatever other KIN decide to gather on the front porch for my arrival. When she sees me driving up the drive, she hurries to meet me, throws her arms around me and "loves on me"....as we say in the south.

That is the image that comes alive in my mind when I read this parable – this earthy story with a heavenly meaning. Front Porch Theology! The father senses the return of his son – goes out to the front porch of his home – and waits for his son to return – he keeps a vigil.

15:20 So 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.

Front Porch Theology at its best! Doesn't ask any questions – doesn't ask where he has been or what he has been doing – just receives him – is filled with COMPASSION – RUNS toward his wayward son – and LOVES on HIM!

Front Porch Theology in its best and purist expression!

The three characters of Jesus Parable were:

     The Father

     The Older Son

     The Younger Son

All three characters in our story weren't following the expectations of their society in this scenario.

First, the younger son. He asks for 1/3 of his father's estate. 1/3 of his land – 1/3 of his crops – 1/3 of his money in the bank – that was the younger sons' inheritance which he was to receive at the father's death. In the Greek, the young son literally asks: "Give me now the part of the estate I will get anyway when you are dead and gone – let me get outta here!" The younger son, tradition says, was only 15-17 years old. Now when I was 15-17 years old, I certainly would not have been mature enough or responsible enough to handle 1/3 of my fathers possession (no matter how small)....not even just his automobile! It would have been gone right quick!

Certainly NOT in line with the EXPECTATIONS of the younger son!

Second, the father. The father, by giving the younger son 1/3 of his inheritance NOW would be risking being dependent on his sons in old age! In today's lingo, the father was enabling the younger son to squander his entire inheritance! He was an enabler.....Not only was the young son wasteful – but the father was wasteful TOO! Not in line with the cultural norms of expectations of a father in his current culture.

Third, the oldest son. You don't question your fathers' judgment! Again, going against the expectations of the day of the older sibling!

So in this parable, Jesus the ULTIMATE cultural norm breaker of his day creates a story with three characters that do not fit the cultural norms and expectations of the day.

The Pharisees, the Sadducees really expected Jesus not to be present with the tax collectors and sinners of the day, but to be present with them. Spending time in their lavish residences, around their lavish banquet tables and not with the down and out poor, impoverished, enslaved people of his culture.

This EARTHY story is not about the WASTEFULLNESS OF THE YOUNGER SON. This earthy story is not about the JEALOUS, POMPOUS, PIOUS OLDER SON who ALWAYS did what his father wanted (the brown-noser, the goody two shoes) – it is about the WASTFULL AND EXTRAVAGANT LOVE OF THE FATHER – Front Porch Theology!

APPLICATION:

So you want to know what really grinds my grits about this story? It's the INJUSTICE! The loser wins in the end! The faithful, good, honest, obedient, really brown noser of a son – LOSES in the end! The wasteful, rebellious son WINS! Now that is simply not the way it supposed to go, right?

Most of us, however, find that the music and dancing of the prodigal's party makes our blood boil. In our minds we dutifully affirm both justice and mercy. In the secret chambers of our hearts, however, we despise mercy except for that which we ourselves receive. By our calculations, we have earned it.

And the contemporary counterparts to the PRODIGAL – the younger son – the wasteful son. We all know who they are and we all in our heart of hearts identify them in our world. Those unfortunate ones we see on the bus or at the entrance ramps to our highways here in Minneapolis. Those who are rummaging through dumpsters, carting all their worldly possession around in a shopping cart...

We all know who they are! THOSE PEOPLE who are locked away in drunk tanks – thrown into corrections. We all know these people who buy and sell their drugs even in our own parking lot here at Spirit!? It's those people who are turning tricks around the city – sex for hire. These are the people who have no future, right? These are the one's that can't hold down a descent job – are hanging onto life by just a thread. Even out family members with their addictions and hatred for us. They are the one's who are WASTING and throwing away their lives!

These are the people "living in the margins". These are the "sinners of the day"!

Is the goodness of God's House – are the riches of our God available to these people "living in the margins"? Is the goodness of the Gospel of God's inclusive and liberating love available to those "sinners" in our day?

Is the liberating gospel of Jesus an option for these losers, these wasteful individuals in our community today?

Sometimes I wonder – who would be in the presence of Jesus today if he were walking in our community? Would it be the "religious" or would it be the "sinners" and those living in the margins?

It does seem that Jesus leaned toward the marginalized – the outcasts – the down and outers in his society. Jesus HUNG with the marginalized tax collectors, lepers, women of the night.

It does seem that our Mother/Father God leans toward the marginalized. It does seem that our Mother/Father God leans a bit toward those who don't have a voice in the religious community of the day.

This is a message for us today....as LGBT people and allies.

20 years ago this community of faith was formed WHY? Because we were living on the margins – outside the community of faith – we were not acceptable to the religious community – you and I – we were the "sinners"!

Lest we forget! And yet even today, LGBT people are still disgraced and excluded by religious communities. We have been blamed for the disintegration of local congregations as well as entire denominational communions. We are going to split the ELCA, the Episcopal, maybe even the Catholic communions! We will do well to remember our own history not as a shameful secret to forget. That history is becoming an integral part of the wider church's salvation and liberation history!

15:21 Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

15:22 But 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.

15:23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

15:24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

It is almost as if the Father doesn't even want to hear the confession of the younger son – he just wants to get onto the party! He wants to get on celebrating and dressing his son who has returned in the finest of clothes and jewelry. He wants to get on with the party and spread the reception with the best and fattest of meats...

EXTRAVAGANT and WASTEFUL LOVE! No requirements are made. No promises or covenants asked for. No admissions of wrongs or rights.

It's just time to PARTY! It is time to be free! It is time to be liberated! Front Porch Theology at its best!

So the question from this EARTHY story today is this – HOW WIDE ARE WE GOING TO OPEN OUR DOORS –THE DOORS OF SPIRIT OF THE LAKES – AND THE DOORS OF OUR OWN HEARTS?

We who can marginalized today – must NEVER marginalize others! We who are LIBERATED by the all inclusive GOSPEL of Jesus – must never withhold the gospel which liberates from anyone imprisoned by injustice. We who have been shown mercy and justice and grace and unconditional LOVE and ACCEPTANCE MUST NEVER withhold mercy or justice or grace from anyone!

And in the end, the Father, the older son, the younger son are all in the household together – as we are – all in the house of our God together – lost and found together! HOME!

And now, as the household of God together, You and me – we – are the presence of Jesus in the midst of the marginalized – the disenfranchised.

We are the giddy welcoming joy in God's heart.