Episode 10: "Coming Home"

"The story is as old as time itself, the prodigal son returns home..."

Now this is an interesting thought: The story is as old a time itself. As I heard the words of Mary Alice, I thought to myself, "No it's not. It's as old as Jesus. After all, he was the one who told the story." But after some thought, I realized it IS as old as time itself, because it's a parable of the human condition. And really, if the parable was meant to be about the relationship of God and man, then it is most certainly a story that began with the creation of time.

So, here's a summary of the Prodigal Son parable (see full text below): The younger of two sons asks his father for his inheritance. He goes and squanders it on wild living just before a famine sets in. He begins to starve and goes to work feeding pigs (a low and disgraceful job for a Jew). He is so hungry and humiliated that he decides to go home to ask forgiveness and to work for his dad. As he approaches, the father sees him coming down the road. Instead of being angry or taking revenge, the father runs to him, embracing him before the son can even speak. The son apologizes, saying he isn't worthy to be called a son anymore. The father interrupts him before he can ask for a job and restores him to his previous position. He then throws a big party in his honor. The older son catches wind of all this and is very angry. When he confronts his father, the father says, "...We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

On Wysteria Lane, Zack and Paul are reunited. Though this story line isn't developed much along the prodigal son strain, we know that Mike isn't willing to give up on Zack. Like the father in the parable, Mike will wait.

Susan and her dad try to reconcile their relationship - or at least form one. He resists at first and tries to scare her off. She persists. His wife warns Susan, "He'll break your heart," and she finally lets him go. But in the end, he comes back to Susan and let's her know he's willing to try to have a relationship. In this story line, Susan's dad is the prodigal. His actions line up directly with those of the prodigal son - he wants his own way, he likes his indulgences, he breaks his father's (Susan's) heart, and after he is set free, he thinks twice about the value of the relationship. And she...accepts him back.

The story of Bree and Andrew is a little darker. Andrew is more like the prodigal son because he has malice in his heart. We know that somewhere down the road he will use the information his mother disclosed to destroy her. Since most of us don't come from a Middle Eastern background, we can't comprehend the level of insult implied in the prodigal son's request. It's not equivalent to a modern-day youth asking for his college fund money to go party. The inheritance was only given at DEATH, which means that the son was saying his father as worth as much alive as dead. The focus was on the money, not the relationship. This level of hatred brought severe shame upon his father, and the fact that the father granted his request would have been shocking to the Jewish hearers of the day. The son should have been disowned for his disrespect.

The only thing more appalling to the Jewish folks captivated by Jesus' parable would be the ending to the story. Rather than taking revenge on the hateful son, the father sees his repentant heart and restores him to sonship. Would you be disappointed if Bree reacted to Andrew's malevolence like the father in the parable? Or would you be happy for Andrew if after obliterating Bree's heart, he is restored? The Father understands the value of relationship over the spiteful hatred of a wayward youth and prideful arrogance.

In it's own way, Lynette's storyline mirrors the prodigal son parable because the she fights for her estranged child. Although the baby committed no wrong, they are still separated and Lynette will do anything in her power to reunite that relationship. This kind of desperation is shown in the parable by the father running to his son. Again, we can't appreciate this. What's so dramatic about running? According to Jewish custom at the time, running was completely indignified. To raise up one's clothing, to show one's legs, to run...humiliating. Absolutely humiliating - but the father was more concerned about the relationship.

At the end of the episode, Mary Alice comments something to the effect of "It's all about family." I don't have a transcript yet. But, it is, isn't it? How much more valuable is our relationship with God than our rebellious hearts? How much more important are we to God than all of our mistakes combined? It seems that God understands this concept, but we tend to miss it. We want to say that we aren't good enough to be forgiven. We want to earn our keep, like the prodigal son. We value the temporal blessings God gives over the eternal relationship that fills our souls. How do we miss the messages of this story?

I challenge you to read the text below. It's from the Bible, NIV version. The passage is Luke 15:11-32, the story of the Prodigal Son. Even if you think you know it, reread it with new eyes. Try to find something you missed. Think about your own heart and the heart of God toward you. Here it is...

There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, "Father, give me my share of the estate." So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men."

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his servants, "Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." So they began to celebrate.

Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. "Your brother has come," he replied, "and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound." The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, "Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!" "My son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." (Luke 15:11-32)

At the end, Mary Alice's comments: "The story always ends the same - in the tender embrace of a loving father."