Readings: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 34; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Grace and peace be multiplied to you my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord.
The Gospel of today is the very beautiful and familiar story of the prodigal son and the merciful father. This story has a lot to teach us about the merciful love of the Father, about the nature of sin, about the true meaning of freedom, about the malice of self-justification and judgment of others, about repentance. Implicit in this text is also a shadow of Jesus, the Lamb slain to restore us from death to life.
Today, the Lord has given me a message that I believe will make a difference in the life of someone.
The prodigal son wanted freedom; he lost confidence in his father’s love and plan for him. That’s the story of some people.
He requested for his share of his father’s property. Sooner rather than later, he messed up. He squandered his share of his father’s properties. He thought he would be successful and prove a point to his father but things didn’t go as he expected. His life had now become wretched, miserable and low. What would he do?
When we are in a situation like this, the devil appeals to our pride and attacks us with guilt and shame. He tells us that there is nothing we can do to make things right, that we are doomed for life, that we should be too ashamed to face what we have done and those whom we have disappointed.
This is when many people turn to drugs; excessive drinking, some self-destructive attitudes and many isolate themselves. Some choose to continue to suffer in silence instead of facing the shame. Some hate and constantly hurt themselves. Some do everything to hide their shame, whilst some become angry with God, life, others, family, the Church. Some simply heed the devil’s counsel and end their lives, just as Judas did.
For his decision to go back, the prodigal son is a hero to me. He said to himself, “I will not allow shame to hold me captive. I have screwed up but then that’s not the end of my life. I still have a chance with my father. I won’t pretend to dress well, I won’t give a false impression to him, and I won’t go blaming him and others. I won’t mind how my father’s servants will look at me and what they will say behind me. I will put my pride behind me and go as I am and show how sorry I am. I will ask to be forgiven. I will acknowledge that I have failed but I refuse to believe that it is over for me, that I am worthless. Even if I am to be a servant, I am still useful.”
This boy stood up and he didn’t delay. Take note, he didn’t delay – the sin of some is the sin of procrastination. He pushed aside his pride, shame and guilt and went back. His father accepted him back – he welcomed him, restored him and gave him a second chance.
This message is for anyone here who has messed up, anyone who has made a terrible mistake, anyone who has failed to live up to expectations, anyone who has done terrible things or has made terrible choices in life. It is for anyone who has done something they are not proud of, something they are ashamed of. It is for anyone who is too ashamed to do what is needed to make things right. This message is for anyone who is here but hiding, who is here but has guilt as a roommate.
God is saying to you today:
•Whatever you have done, I still love you.
•I still want you, just as the father of the prodigal son still wanted his son.
•I can still forgive you and remove your reproach, if you will disregard your shame and come back to me.
In the First Reading, the Lord told Joshua, I will take the shame of Egypt from you. That’s a big thing but God says He will take it away from them.
In the Second Reading, St. Paul says God is calling us to be reconciled to Him. He is calling us to come out of our shame, to bring it to the Lord, to break the yoke of pride, to accept His grace, freedom and healing and to experience His love.
In the Gospel, the tax collectors and sinners were defying shame and coming to Jesus to seek salvation.
Today, God is saying that it is not over for you; this is not your end. He is saying, “I can make you a new person; I can give you a fresh start. I can open a new chapter for you. I will change your story and you will bring me glory. Like Peter, you may have denied me three times but I can still use you mightily.”
Now is the time to make the decision. Would you like to surrender your shame to the Lord? Will you allow Him to take away your shame? Would you like to be reconciled to God?
It is time to come out and do the needful. If you need to ask for forgiveness from God and someone you have hurt, go on. If you need to confess, why wait? If you need to try again, then this is the time to embrace God’s grace and opportunities for you. You might have failed or fallen but you can stand again. You may have squandered opportunities but you can still go back. You may have been cut down but God will give you the chance to sprout again (Job 14:7-9).
God is calling you to defy pride and shame and to come to the light.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Happy mothers’ day to all our mothers. May the Lord grant eternal rest to all mothers who have departed this world and comfort those who today will miss the physical presence of their mothers.
Sermon preached by Fr. Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on March 30, 2025.