As I was praying about what I might preach about this week, an image kept coming to the forefront that I wanted to share. It was an icon that I used in Metanoia this past week, that I also noticed in several parishioner’s homes, as well as some books I was reading this week. It is the 6th century Icon of Jesus the Pantocrater of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai.
This icon is very unique, because it gives us a wonderful example of how we are to view Jesus Christ the Word…God Himself. Christ’s face is depicted in what looks like two distinct personalities. On the right side of the face, He is depicted as more mild and pleasant! On the left side of the face, he has a look similar to one that a father would give to Children who are misbehaving.
This icon depicts quite vividly how we need to view God in our lives, because to block out one of these faces would lead to an unbalanced view of who Christ is. We often see or hear of people speaking only of Christ as a close friend or a buddy. We see this illustrated in some of the popular “He Get’s Us” ads that have been showing up on the television and internet. This single view of God, albeit attractive, is a dangerous view to take! What happens in our life when our buddy doesn’t do what we expect them to do?! We get angry at them or separate ourselves from them! On the other side of the spectrum, we often see or hear people who look upon Jesus as a wrathful God who has come to destroy the sinners and send them straight to hell. This view goes too far in the opposite direction, depicting Christ as some tyrannical ruler who is out for blood for those who do not do His will!
I bring this icon to our attention these next two weeks, because through the Sunday Gospels of the Prodigal Son and the Last Judgment, we indeed experience both sides of the face of Christ…reminding us that He is not just one or the other, but rather He is: “The Dread Judge Who Has Come to Save Us!”
The parable of the Prodigal Son is perhaps one of the deepest parables that our Lord taught during His earthly ministry. It is one that has so many lessons wrapped up inside of it for us, that the Fathers say if the entire Gospel was somehow lost, yet only this parable remained, it would be sufficient. We are given within its words, the theme of sin and the falling away from the home we are meant to be in. We see within it the theme of repentance. We see how repulsive Judgment is with the actions of the second brother. Yet, the overarching theme of this entire parable is what is depicted on the right side of the face of Christ in the Sinai icon: The undeserved Love of the Father towards His Creation.
The parable speaks of a young man, who receives an inheritance from his father, goes out to a distant country and wastes it all in a mess of his own passions. Drinking, women, parties…the Prodigal Son blew through everything! When his wealth was gone, we hear how a famine hit the land. To survive, the young man got a job on a farm and was sent out to go and feed the swine. It was there in the pig pen, that we hear four words which highlight the entire season of Great Lent…Four Words that we have to continually embrace, day after day, regardless of what kind of life we have led up until this morning:
“He came to himself”.
The son realized that this was not the way it was supposed to be. His life of prodigal living had destroyed him.
All of his passions…all of that gluttony, entertainment, and lust for earthly pleasure, acted like a vicious drug that gives superficial enjoyment for a brief period of time, before leaving its victims in complete ruin!
The son said to himself, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me one of your hired servants!” He expected a stern response from his father, not realizing the tremendous love, compassion, and forgiveness that flows from a loving parent for their children.
Despite expecting the worst, Scripture says that when the son was still a long ways away, the Father saw him, had compassion on him, ran towards him and fell on his neck to kiss him. A celebration ensued, complete with the fatted calf, the finest clothing, music and dancing! All of this because the prodigal son was lost! He was lost in the midst of the traps of the material world…and now has once again returned home. The prodigal Son returns, not to a Father waiting to punish him and say “I told you so”…not one who wants to inflict a wrathful vengeance upon his son for squandering his inheritance…but rather one who runs to embrace those who change their ways of life and return home!
Dear ones, Our Father does not come down to the pig pen to drag us out. He waits for us to humble ourselves, and repent. He is waiting even now for us! When we finally decide to return to Him, how incredible it is for us to know that our Lord won’t stand there and say: “Hey, you hurt me with what you did.” He doesn’t say a word and instead throws a party! This is our Loving God! This isn’t Zeus waiting to strike us down with a lightning bolt! Our God is one of Love and compassion! He is one Who is constantly awaiting our return, and One Who rejoices in all of those who are able to come to themselves, get out of the pen, and live once again in the joy of the kingdom!
As we continue in our preparation for Great Lent, the Church offers us a partial view of God as the Father Who is one of Love, Care, and Forgiveness of His Creation…of which we are completely unworthy of.
….to be continued