Lent
March 30, 2019
Scripture Reading: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. 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. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 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. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 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! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’” –Luke 15:4-19
One of the hardest cultural realities that we must overcome is an abiding sense of privilege being special to only a few and not to all. Our Constitution does not say that:
no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges and immunities of citizens of the United States — U.S. Constitution
For Example: any of various fundamental or specially sacred rights considered as peculiarly guaranteed and secured to all persons by modern constitutional governments (as the enjoyment of life, liberty, and reputation, the right to acquire and possess property, the right to pursue happiness)*
Funny we seem to be so ensconced in privilege meaning, for a special few, that we consider whether something is a privilege or a right with right meaning that it is available for all.
The Prodigal son learned the hard way that privilege is not to be taken for granted. It is a precious gift from God and part of our job is to assure that all are privileged with enough—love, joy, food, clothing, health care, and so on. That is a picture of the Kingdom of God.
Prayer: Lord, save us from sparing privilege based on some false sense of superiority. Help us to see that all of God’s children are privileged. Amen.
*http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/Privilege
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.