The parable of the lost sons is not just a story of forgiveness. It is also a story of power. One uses his to forgive. And the other….
This week’s gospel is a famous story of forgiveness. In it, a father forgives a son who has left the family and miraculously returns.
The older brother, however, isn’t thrilled with the idea. Who can blame him? He stayed when the other left; he worked and the other played. It’s a story that’s abundantly familiar.
It is also one of the most powerful stories of forgiveness. Precisely because the father has no logical reason to forgive. Not in the earthly sense. But as a father, he sees the potential to get his son back as infinitely more important than maintaining a grudge.
The father, of course, has all the power in the relationship. And forfeits it to have his son back. This is why forgiveness is so hard. When we’re in such a situation, do we share our own power by forgiving the undeserving? Or do we refuse to use it?