His Friendship to Sinners
The evangelist has spoken to us of the basics of the divine friendship. Now he is telling us of our amazing Friend who is asking for sinners, and is searching for those who are lost, and is opening His arms to the lost ones coming back to Him. By means of parables, He offers us His tender fatherhood and His divine eagerness for man, and His search for every soul.
- The parable of the lost sheep 1- 7
- The parable of the missing coin 8- 10
- The parable of the prodigal son 11- 32
+ + +
- The Parable of the lost sheep:
The evangelist St. Luke reveals to us to what extent God’s eagerness and His search for man is. He also reveals the joy of the heavenly hosts for his salvation, and his return to them in partnership by means of this parable. He says (Luke 15: 1-7) “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them’. So He told them this parable; ‘Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost’. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance”.
St. Ambrosios links those three parables given by the Lord of glory, Jesus, concerning the care given to the salvation of sinners. He says, “The good physician advises us with the medication needed for the cure of the lost ones, for the forgiving Judge does not reject granting forgiveness. St. Luke will fully mentioned those three consecutive parables: the lost sheep that is found, the missing coin that is found, and the lost son who was dead and has lived. The evangelist wished to motivate us with this triple medication to obtain the healing of our wounds, for the braided triple cord is not cut easily.
Who are these three? The father, the shepherd, and the woman? The father is God the Father, the shepherd is Jesus Christ, and the woman is the church.
Christ the S0hepherd carries you in His body, for He carries your sins in His body, and the church is searching for you. The Father accepts you, the Redeemer helps, and the church is concerned, and the Father reconciles. What great mercy is God’s divine work!
The wearisome sheep is returned by the shepherd, and the lost coin is found by the church, and the son returns to the Father’s way, full of repentance for the lost life he has led”.
St. Ambrosios continues commenting on the parable of the lost sheep, saying, “Let us rejoice, therefore, for the sake of the sheep that was lost in Adam, and is risen in Christ.
Christ’s shoulders are the arms of the cross, where my sins were put on this life giving wood, and so I rested.
(Luke19: 10) “For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost”. He came to save us all (1cor. 15: 22) “For as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ”.
The Shepherd is rich, we all put together represent one percent of His inheritance. He has a tremendous fold of angels, archangels, principalities and dominions (Col.1: 16): He has folds in the heavens. Because the are wise, they rejoice at human redemption, a thing that urges us all the more to righteousness.
“We have to know that our renewal over-rejoices the heavenly hosts. Let us ask for their intercession and their support, and let us not anger them. May you bring joy to the angels when they rejoice at yourreturn.”
This parable has attracted the heart of the church since the first apostolic age; for in it we can see the good Shepherd who seems as Someone leaving the ninety-nine sheep, that is, the heavenly hosts, so as to seek man for being the lost sheep. The Word of God has Come incarnate, carrying all sins till the cross; He went to the grave to snatch away the fallen man from the depths of hell. He destroyed all the powers of darkness to bring us back to the joy of His salvation. This parable has moreover, pointed out clearly our relation with the heavenly hosts who rejoice at our return and at our sharing them the heavenly praises, and our being blessed by the eternal glories.
The shepherds found in this parable a live source of shepherdly love that is so true.
Sinners too, found incessant hope of every soul’s acceptance however corrupt it may be.
I find it enough mentioning a few of the fathers’ comments on this parable:
+ I do not want the salvation of many, but rather of everyone. If one remains in perdition, I, too, perish. We have to follow the example of the good Shepherd who has ninety-nine sheep, yet he hurried after the one lost sheep.
St. John Chrysostom
+ The sheep that got separated from the ninety-nine, and them returned once more, only means to us the believer who fell and then returned. He is related to the rest, and he was the concern of the same Shepherd. He has lost the partnership, and has strayed on the mountains and valleys on a long journey away from the way of the truth.
St. John Chrysostom
+ The number 100 is a complete number. God had a hundred sheep when He created the angels and humans. But one sheep got lost, for man has sinned, and has left the pastures of life. But their Shepherd left the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and He left all the angelic heavenly hosts above.
How was heaven called ‘the wilderness’? (Luke15: 4) It was as if it has become deserted! Man has deserted it when he sinned. But the ninety-nine remained in the wilderness, whereas God went in search of the lost sheep on earth.
The number of the rational creation has decreased, that is, the angels and humans. These were created to see God; but man has fallen. The number in heaven had to be complete; this is why God came down to the human race on earth.
What St. Luke calls ‘the wilderness’ is mentioned by St. Matthew on the same topic as ‘the mountains’ (Matt.18: 12). This is to point out that the ninety-nine were not lost, but they rather remained in the highest heavens.
Once He found him, He put him on His shoulders joyfully. He carried the sheep on His shoulders because He adopted our human nature, and carried our sins.
Once He returns home, He calls His friends and His neighbors letting them (Luke15: 6) “Rejoice with Me, for I have found My lost sheep”. When He found the lost sheep, He returned home; since our Shepherd returned to heaven when He has saved man. There He found His friends and His neighbors, the hosts of heaven who are His real friends. They are the ones who are not shaken, and carry out His will continuously. They are His neighbors, since they are blessed by seeing Him clearly while listening to Him with no interruption.
It is appropriate for us to notice He did not say ‘Rejoice with the returning sheep’, but rather ‘Rejoice with Me’ because His joy is our life, and when we return to heaven His joy is fulfilled.
(Luke 15: 7) “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Brothers, we have to contemplate why our Lord says there will be joy in heaven with sinners who repent more than with the righteous ones. In our general experience we find many who are not burdened in their conscience with sin who are on the righteous way, strangers to the forbidden things, these do not have strong eagerness to reach the heavenly home. We find them rather careless in practicing the most important virtues, since they know they have not committed grievious sins. On the other hand, they sometimes feel they have committed sin, and so they are pricked by their conscience and are kindled by God’s love, and thus they attempt to do greater virtuous deeds. They face all difficulties with more sanctified courage. They depart from all worldly matters, and from all honors, joyful over the scorn springing from others against them. They are kindled by the heavenly desires and eagerness towards reaching the eternal home. They realise they have strayed away from God, and thus their old sins are an urge to the final gains. For this reason there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over a righteous person who goes on in his righteousness. This is just as in the battlefield, when the officer sees the soldier who has previously escaped, return to fight the enemy more courageous than he who has not escaped, yet he did not fight zealously. It is also similar to the laborer who appreciates the land that previously produced thorns and thistles, and how it has now come to produce plentiful harvest, more than his appreciation of the land that had no thorns, yet it did not province any fertile crop.
Despite all of this, we cannot deny that some of the righteous lives cause such uncountable joy less than the joy of the sinners return.
But there are some people who lead a life of death as if they have committed every kind of sin in the world, even though they have not committed a particular crime. These reject every rest even if lawful, and welcome others scorn to themselves. They do not allow themselves the least of pleasures, they rather denounce even the pleasures allowed to them. They scorn all materialism and their eagerness is kindled to what is invisible.
They find their pleasure in suffering, and modesty in everything; and if some weep over their sinful deeds, these lament the sins of the mind.
Pope Gregory the great
+ the fold is one hundred, and only one of them got lost. This is the family that is on earth. This is what the Shepherd is asking for, and thus He left the ninety-nine in the wilderness. Is it because He does not care about so many that He has shown His mercy to only one? Never... but it is because many are in safety, protected by His able hand. Therefore indeed, mercy has to be shown to the one who is lost, which th e remaining group are in need of. By the return of this one, the beauty returns to the one hundred.
The search for the lost one does not mean the disregard of those who have not sinned. It is rather appropriate to manifest grace, mercy and love to humanity, as a matter befitting the above sublime nature granted to the befallen creation.
St. Cyril the great
+ If the good Shepherd does not put me on His arms and brings me back to the fold once more, then my steps will remain hesitant, and whenever struggle to get up, I find my feet failing more and more.
St. Jerome
+ He who has laid down His life for the sake of His sheep, He searched for the lost one on the mountains and hills. When He has found him, He carried him on His shoulders that have carried the wooden cross.
St. Gregory El Nazinzi
+ The Lord manifested His great zeal for the weak and the small, by leaving those who have been saved, and paying all of His concern for the single one so as to rejoice for him.
St. John Chrysostom
+ When the Shepherd found the sheep, He did not punish him, nor did He drag him to the fold. He rather put him on His shoulders, and carried him gently and included him to the fold.
St. Gregory El Nysy
- The Missing Coin:
The above parable reveals the Shepherd’s love; He has given up Himself, and came down to earth, in search of the haughty person, not to rebuke him or to hurt his feelings, but in love He embraced him, and carried him on His shoulders, and brought him back to the heavenly host. In the following parable, He offers us a picture of how the church should be like, the bride of the good Shepherd. The church has the same qualities towards the fallen ones, and searches for them lovingly and is tender to them, and rejoices for their coming back, He says, (Luke15: 8-10) “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost! Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence4 of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The above parable shows the lost sheep as to refer to the family on earth; for we know we belong to God, the God of everyone, who creates all existing things out of nothing. As it is written (Ps.100: 3) “It is He that made us, and we are His”. Also (Ps95:7) “For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand”. With this second parable in which He compares the lost one to a coin, and that he is one of ten, that is, of a perfect number... it is clear we have a royal semblance, and the royal picture of the God of everyone. This is because the coin, as I think, is sealed with the kingly semblance. If we have fallen and have become lost, Christ has found us and shaped us in sanctification and righteousness in His own image. No one doubts this, for the devout St. Paul wrote (2Cor.3: 18) “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit”. He also sent to the Galatians these words (Gal.4: 19) “My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth, until Christ is formed in you”.
The search has been done about what has fallen. The woman lit the lantern, and as I have said, we have been found by means of the wisdom of God the Father, who is the Son, when He shone in His light, so godly and divine on us. The sun has shone, and daylight opened up, and the morning star has risen (2Pet.1: 19) as the Book says. God moreover said on another occasion by means of one of the devout prophets about Christ our Saviour of us all (Is.62: 1) “for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch”. The Lord also said about Himself (John8: 12) “I am the Light of t he world”. Also He said (John12: 46) “I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me should not remain in the darkness”. Therefore, by Light, what was perished has been saved, and there has been joy in the powers above.
St. Cyril the great
+ The joy of this woman who found the lost coin is not to be overlooked, because the coin has the King’s image. We own this image in the church.
I admit, I wish, as sheep, entreat God to lead us to the restful waters (Ps.22:2), and that we ask for the pastures, and as coins, we keep its value in carrying the King’s image in us, and as chi8ldren, we come back to our Father.
St. Ambrosios The woman and the shepherd here have the same meaning, for they stand for God and
God’s wisdom.
The coin is a currency carrying an image; likewise is the woman who loses the coin; she stands for man, who has been created in the image of God and how he goes astray when he loses his semblance to his Creator, because of iniquity.
The woman lights her lantern (Luke15: 8) since God’s wisdom has been manifested to mankind. The lantern is simply light put on a stand. But the light here is God taking the form of man and has become human. He who is wisdom speaks of the light of His body in the words of the psalm (Ps.22: 15) “My mouth is dried up like a potsherd”. Just as the soil gets heavier with fire likewise His strength has dried up as the clay. This means that by enduring His suffering, the body has become strengthened in carrying the glory of the resurrection. He lit the lantern once, and searched the house. For as soon as His godliness has been manifested in the body, man’s conscience became terrified at the reality of his great sin, just as the house that has been searched from top to bottom.
The word ‘evertere’ means the ‘upturning of something’. It is not any different than the word mentioned in other documents as ‘emundre’ which means ‘the sweeping of’. For, cleaned or swept of its old ugly habits.
When the house is searched, the coin is found. When man’s conscience is disturbed over his sins, then man discovers the image of his Creator.
(Luke15: 9) “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost’. Who are these friends and neighbors other than the heavenly powers about whom we previously spoke? These are constantly close to the divine wisdom, because grace gives them light by its constant presence.
But, let us think about these matters: we should not forget why it was said about this woman, she who represents the divine wisdom, that she is the ten coins. She lost one of them, but after the search, she found it. God has created the angels and humans so they would know Him. Because He granted them eternal life, He formed them, undoubtedly, in His image. The woman had ten coins, because the angels are of nine ranks. It was necessary to fulfil the number of the elect by creating man. He was not lost even after the disobedience; for the eternal wisdom of God shone on everyone, and was manifested by the miracles fulfilled on earth. This corrected what sin has corrupted by the light of His physical presence, as a lantern on a lighthouse.
Pope Gregory the great
+ Who is the woman? She is Christ’s body.
What is the lantern? (Ps.132: 17) “I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one”. This is why He was searching for us until we were found, and when found, we speak.
I wish we be not proud, because previously, we did not exist, and would have remained as lost if the search was not made for us.
St. Augustine
+ The lantern was let, that is, His body. The house was swept by purifying the world of sin. The currency was asked for, and the kingly image too, which was no more bright due to the air exposure. He calls His friends, that is, the heavenly powers when He finds His coin, so they share Him His joy, for He has previously made them share in praises for the mystery of His incarnation.
St. Gregory El Nazinzi
+ This is God’s purpose in us; for He has become man for our sake, and has become poor (2Cor.8: 9) so He raises our bodies (Rom.8: 11) and give back His image in us (Luke15: 9; 1Cor.15: 49) and thus man is renewed and all of us become one in Him.
St. Gregory El Nazinzi
+ It is said that there is great joy and a festive feast in the heavens, at the Father with His angels, when one sinner returns and repents.
St. Clemendos the Alexandrian
+ The heavens and the angels therein, rejoice at man’s repentance. Oh! You sinner, be in good joy!
Look how there is joy on your return and repentance!
The scholar Tritilian
- The Parable of the Prodigal Son:
This is called ‘the parable of the lost son’ or ‘the parable of the loving father’. As much as this reveals the unfeeling son’s heart, who has fled away from the face of his loving father, as much as the father is eager for his son’s return. He welcomes him with kisses, without blaming him or hurting his feelings, whereas his brother stood outside grumbling because of the father’s love to him.
Let us return to this parable in more details.
(Luke15: 11-13) “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 traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living”.
In both of the above parables, the Lord Jesus did not find it sufficient to reveal God’s relation with man; for God searches for him, as does the shepherd to his lost sheep, or as the woman who lights up the lantern and searches the house for the sake of the lost coin. The Lord also reveals the heavenly hosts’ relation with us. In the first parable, they appeared as the ninety-nine sheep, whose number is not completed unless we return; for heaven rejoices at the repentance of one sinner, and as nine coins that are completed by us, we the lost coin. But as for this parable we are speaking of now, the Lord mentions a bitter and grievous picture of man’s relationship to his brother. It manifests the elder brother, though he seemed to be sensible and integral at his work, yet he is unable to easily accept the return of his brother to the father’s house. He rather criticizes his father for being so kind to his brother’s return.
Anyway, the appearance of two brothers in the parable reveals many matters among which we mention:
Firstly: No judgment could possibly be passed on anyone as long as he is still struggling on the road. The younger one appeared at the beginning of his life to be a pleasure-lover, and violent in his actions, for he asks his father for the inheritance, whereas the father is still alive. He thus squanders the talents, and is dishonest in what he has. But he returns in repentance to his father’s embrace, and appears as dressed in new clothes, with the ring of sonship, and shoes on his feet, and enjoying the feast at his father’s house. But the elder brother began his life as being gentle in his attitude, serving his father and not asking for any money. He remains in his father’s house, but he ends his life by standing outside, criticizing his father for his love, and shuts his heart towards his brother. He thus loses his inward peace and joy, and so lives with a controversial heart to that of his father’s.
Secondly: Some people seemed to think the two sons referred to the heavenly hosts and the human race. The elder son refers to the saintly angels who live sensibly, whereas the younger son refers to the human race that left the father’s house by being disobedient, and have returned once more by repentance. St. John Chrysostom rejected this interpretation, and said, “The elder son got frustrated at his brother’s return and his peace, whereas the Lord says ‘there will be joy in heaven at one sinner’s repentance’. “ St. Cyril the great says, ‘ If we point to the correctful son as being the saintly angels, we find the conversation as being inappropriate. This does not imply their feelings towards the repentant sinners, who turn from the sinful life to the admirable behaviour. For the Savior, the Lord of everyone says, (revise Luke15: 7) that there will be joy in heaven before the saintly angels at the repentance of one sinner. But as for the elder son mentioned in the parable before us, even though he is accepted by his father, and though he leads a blameless life, yet he appears as being angry, and overriding his love, and seems as having no feelings, considering his father wrongful in showing loving feelings so natural towards him who has been saved. This is contradictory to the feelings of the saintly angels, who rejoice and praise God when they see the inhabitants of the earth being saved. For when the Son yielded to be born of woman according to the body, in Bethlehem, the joyful news was brought to the shepherds, saying (Luke2: 11) “Do not be afraid; for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people; to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah the Lord”. When they crowned with praise and joy He who is born, they said ‘Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, goodwill towards men.
As for interpretation accepted by most of the fathers, it is that the two sons refer to the relationship between humanity with God. This has been divided in two: the Jews and the Gentiles. The elder son represents the Jewish people that are considered eldest and prime in knowing God, for they have accepted the divine promises, the law and the prophecies before all the other nations. The younger son represents the nations that had no true relation with God. They rather squandered God’s gifts such as the natural law. They lived a life of wastefulness through their indulgence in idol worshiping and the atheist defilement. But those Gentiles have come back to God so that the last came to be first, whereas the Jews were too late through their envy of the Gentiles. They stood out of the house of faith denying God and criticizing His love for theGentiles.
St. Cyril the great thinks the elder son does not apply to the Jews; because these Jews did not lead a correct life. They rather diverged to the unbelieving faith and indulged in its unchastity. In (Jeremiah2: 5) “What wrong did your ancestors find in Me that they went far from Me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves?” In (Jsaiah29: 13) “The Lord said, ‘These people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, while their hearts are far from Me, and their worship of Me is a human commandment learned by rote”. This is why St. Cyril the great thinks the elder son applies more so to the Pharisees who pride themselves on leading a righteous life according to the law. But they proudly reject the Savior’s love to the sinners and the lawyers, instead of rejoicing over their salvation.
Thirdly: The younger son was bold enough to ask for his share in the inheritance while his father was still living. He wished to enjoy his share by going out of his father’s house. He thought being tied to his father’s house is humiliation and bondage which he wanted to get rid of, to live according to his personal whims. But he soon squandered his money in waste.
It is surprising indeed that God the heavenly Father has granted man the gift of free will, as the greatest gift, yet man uses it against God Himself. Man believes this freedom will not be realised unless by disobedience and getting away from the circle of God’s obedience and love, and following His will.
The portion that the Gentile squandered in wasteful living is the natural law that he misused; for St. Paul the apostle speaks of the Gentiles saying (Rom.1: 21, 22) “for they they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools”. But as for the Jew, he obtained a bigger portion that he squandered; for he did not only misuse the natural law, but he also misused the law of Moses. For, instead of being led to repentance and keenness towards the Savior to obtain the eternal salvation, he fell into pride. He considered himself better than others, and thus he did not enter the kingdom, and neither did he let others enter in. but as for the Christian who has fallen into personal righteousness, he is worse than those two, because though he is blessed with new blessings and tremendous divine gifts, yet he uses them in evil-doings. As St. Ambrosios says, “We have squandered the inheritance of our spiritual honor that we obtained, in earthly pleasures”. However the Lord Jesus opens by means of this parable the doors of hope for everyone. If we have squandered the natural gifts, or have sinned in the due commandment or the free blessing, yet, despite all of this, God is still waiting for us with open arms, accepting us as His children coming back to their Father’s house.
In a more explanatory note, we say that man, prior to the law, also obtained some motivation and natural instincts such as love, fear, anger, fatherhood or motherhood. All this was for man’s construction in the Lord; thus he would be able to love God, and fear evil and wrath against iniquity, and also to practice parenthood to raise up our children spiritually, socially and emotionally. So when man diverts, instead of loving God he loves his physical pleasures, and so love is transformed to physical passion, even when loving others, he is enclosed in his egoism. He asks for what is physical, or for himself, under the cover of love, just as Photiphar’s wife who believed she loved Joseph so much that she led him to bondage when he refused to offer her physical pleasure. Also, what Ammon did, when he loved his sister to the extent that he fell sick for his love to her. When he fell with her, he humiliated her and he hated her so much that he sent her away. What we say of love, applies to all other natural motives, such as our fear from evil is changed to the fear of people and cowardice from things to come, in addition to worry and confusion etc.
When we, too, accept the faith, and have obtained great divine gifts, and our potentials have become more extensive.... yet, if we neglect them the fall will be far worse! Thus the fall of the believer in sin, is probably way more serious than the unbeliever’s fall, for he misuses the gifts for construction, and transforms them to being destructive.
Let us go back to this son, and see him as running away from his father’s house, in the belief that he will enjoy life all the more. As St. Ambrosios says “He who is far away from the church, squanders his inheritance”. The martyr Kaprianos says, “He who stays out of the church is out of Christ’s camp”, also “He who does not have the church as his mother, God cannot be his Father”.
Fourthly: It is said, (Luke15: 13) “and traveled to a distant country”. What is this distant country to which man escapes other than the ego, the ‘I’. Man releases himself in absolute freedom, so foolishly, away from the heavenly life, which is “love”, to selfishness where he encloses himself. He becomes as if in a distant country, not only away form God, but also away form people, and away form his love to his own salvation. By means of the “I” man loses his inward clinging to everyone, even if he appears to others as a sociable, gentle and generous person in his givings. The “I” is a shut up inward lock where man imprisons himself and his freedom, and thus he loses his humanity, and lives in absolute isolation even from his very own children and members of his household.
St. John Chrysostom says, “The younger son did not travel to a distant country so as to be away from God in distance, because God is present at every place; he rather traveled away from god with his heart, for the sinner flees from God to be far away from Him”. St.
Augustine also says, “This departure is man’s reliance on himself, his personal strength, and thus he loses God’s work in him. On the other hand, drawing close to God means to rely on Him, so He works in us and thus we follow His example.
St. Ambrosios comments on the traveling to a distant country, saying, “The greatest departure is when man is separated not in far away distances, but rather by means of the habits. He does not go to different countries, but he adopts different diversions.
He who is separated from Christ is foreign to his mother-country, and this world becomes his mother-country. But as for us, we are no more strangers and sojourners, but are rather sheep with the saints and the people of God’s house, (Eph.2: 19) because (Eph.2: 13) “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ”. I wish we be not too hard on those coming from a distant country, because we too, were far away in a distant country as well. These are the shadows of death... and we have been brought to life in the shadow of Christ. This is why the church says (Songs of Sol.2: 3) “With great delight I sat in His shadow”.
Fifthly: (Luke15: 14) “When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need”.
When the soul flees from God, the source of satisfaction and the treasure of wisdom, it finds itself entering in inward emptiness and so we become as if in ‘famine’.
The human soul was created in the image of God and in His likeness. We shall have no satisfaction unless it be by Him, for He is the source of all the world. All the physical pleasures and passions and the temporal life with all its occurrences, will not fill up the emptiness within the soul which asks for the endless One to fill it up.
St. Ambrosios says, “The famine that overswept this country was not a famine of food; it was rather a famine for the good and righteous deeds and irrtues. Is there anything more pitiful than this? He who is far away from God’s word becomes hungry, for (Luke4: 4) “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God”. By being far away from the spring, we are thirsty. By being away from the treasure, we are impoverished. By being far away from wisdom, we become foolish, and by being away form righteousness, we die. Therefore it was normal for this son to be in need for he has departed from God, He who is the treasure of wisdom and knowledge (Col.2: 3). He has left the depths of heavenly blessings and so he was a hungered; for there is no satisfaction for the lost man. Man becomes is constant hunger when he does not realise that the eternal food is the source of satisfaction”.
Sixthly: (Luke15: 15,16) “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his field to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the ports that the pigs were eating, and no one gave him anything”.
St. Ambrosios says, “It seems this man refers to the ruler of this world. This son was sent to his fields, that the buyer apologizes for not going to the kingdom banquet (Luke14: 18). There, he takes care of the swine which the devils asked to enter in. as a result, the swine rushed to the edge of this world (Matt.8: 32). These pigs live on trash and rottenness.
He was eager to fill his tummy with the pods the swine were eating, and no one gave him anything. It was said their gods are their bellies”. (Phil.3: 19) The suitable food for them is the pods, empty from the inside and soft from the outside. This has no nutritional value but it fills up the belly. Its weight is more than its usefulness.
Some think the pods refer to the evil hosts, or the weakness of human righteousness, just as those prestigious preacher that are saying vain sermons, and are attracted by futile philosophy. Their outer appearance is brilliant but still useless. This outer ornament is not to survive for long. ‘No one gave him anything because no one except God is able to grant life.
St. Augustine offers the same interpretation; for he sees this man as ‘the ruler of the air’ that takes the soul which is far away from God into his fields, that is, he subdues the soul
under his authority. He serves the defiled souls, which are the swine, since he works for the account of various sins. As for the food he offers, it is the pods, that is, the hollow human doctrine that delights the devils, and fills up the sinners’ minds, yet it does not satisfy the soul. Thus the sinner lives a life void of any happiness, and he feels as if he cannot find anyone to give him something of any satisfaction.
Seventhly: (Luke15: 17,18) “But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and 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’”.
This is the beginning of the repentance road; ‘he came to himself’; What does this
mean?
We said that the prodigal son, when he left his father and traveled to a distant country,
he has only left the road of love, and became enclosed in his egoism, and in his human self. He has come to live in his selfishness, and made himself a god. He focused on his honor, and his physical satisfaction or his pleasures. By so doing he has justly released himself even from his own personality. If he is enclosed round his ego, then he is destroying himself and devastating his life.
In other words, I wish we could differentiate between ‘self’ and the love of man to himself, that is to say, his love to save himself. This is what the Lord Jesus affirmed when He declared he who destroys himself saves himself. This means he who destructs his ego ‘I’ that is in himself, he will live in the road of love, not only to God, to people and to the angels, but he also loves himself away from the selfish cycle. This is what the old law declared when we were asked to love our neighbors as ourselves. St. Augustine says he who does not love himself, that is to say, his eternal salvation, how could he possibly love his neighbor?
Sin is the perishing of the soul by man’s entering ‘a distant country’, which is the selfish ‘I’. Repentance means man’s return to himself to declare his love to save himself. By this he returns to his heavenly Father who is able to renew the soul and to satisfy if inwardly. By this, when man returns to himself, he returns to his father’s country. There he would practice love as a divine gift, and will be found in truth a live member in God’s house. He opens his heart to God and His angels and to all His creation, even to those who resist Him.
+If he has come back to himself, it is because he has departed from himself.
Because he has departed from himself, therefore he comes back first to himself, so he comes once more to his first situation from which he has fallen.
+ When he left himself, he left his father.
When he departed from himself, he released himself to outer matters.
Now he comes back to himself, and thus he returns to his Father where his soul would be in absolute and perfect safety.
St. Augustine
+ He returned to himself after he had departed from it, because to return to the Lord means to return to the soul. He who resists Christ, resists himself.
St. Ambrosios Man’s return to himself needs God’s divine work to enlighten man’s inner vision, so
he discovers his absolute poverty and even his own death. At the same time, he realises God’s work of salvation and His love to man, and consequently man is filled with hope. St. Peter came back to himself when the Lord looked at him. He therefore went out and wept bitterly but not hopelessly. As for Judas, he repented and realised his evil, but because he did not took to Jesus, the Savior of the world, he went away and hanged himself.
We are badly in need of sitting with our inner self under the care of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who shines on us with His Holy Spirit and thus He pricks our conscience over our sins. At the same timeHe comforts us with His free grace. He grants us the sighs of
the heart together with His overwhelming peace. He pours on us the spring of tears, so the regretful feelings are blended with the joy of His divine work. Thus we come back in truth to ourselves, and are safely thrown in our Father’s embrace that are so full of love, and He folds us in His arms.
When the stray son came to himself, he realised the truth; that though he is a son, yet he was eager to eat of the pods with the swine, whereas the hired ones at his father’s house, eat bread and not pods. He lived far away from his father’s house in severe hunger whereas the hired ones are close to his father and are satisfied.
+ After suffering in a far distant country the same way wicked people do suffer, he fell under the ordeals that attacked him. He hungered and was badly in need. He felt he was perishing, and he realised that it was out of his own free will that he threw himself in the hands of strangers, away form his father. He has thus become in exile instead of being in his own house; in need instead of wealth; in famine instead of welfare and luxury. This is what he meant by saying (Luke15: 17) “And here I am dying of hunger”. It is as if he is saying: ‘I am not a stranger, but am rather a son to a good father, and a brother to an obedient brother. I am a free and noble person, and have now become more miserable than the hired slaves. I have fallen from the high and sublime position to the basest level.
St. John Chrysostom
+ O Lord Jesus! I wish You would put away the pods, and give us the blessings, because You are the One responsible in Your Father’s house!
I wish You would accept us as slaves, even though we have come late, because You accept those who come at the eleventh hour, and You pay them the same wages. You grant them the same life, but not the same glory. For the crown of righteousness is not kept for everyone, but to him who could say (2Tim.4: 7) “I have fought the good fight”.
Some think to postpone their baptism or their repentance until when close to death.
But how do you know your soul will not be required this same night? (Luke12: 20)
St. Ambrosios In this same way St. Ambrosios urges us to quickly return to our Father’s house, so
we the sons are not deprived of being blessed with what the hired ones obtain. Those are the ones who serve the heavenly Father for the sake of the wages. Let us hasten to Him, urged on by many factors, the first of which is that we do not know when our souls would be asked for. It could be right now. Secondly, so that we struggle in truth. For if God’s gift to all those who enter His kingdom is “the eternal life”, but (1Cor.15: 41) “indeed, star differs from star in glory”. Also as the Lord of glory Himself says (John14: 2) “In My Father’s house are many mansions”.
Let us hasten now to our heavenly Father’s house, struggling every moment in our estranged life. Let us say in truth (2Tim4: 7,8) “I have the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on, there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day”.
Eighthly: (Luke15: 18) “I will get up and go to my father”; this is the experience of the resurrected life.
The impact of repentance begins with man’s return to himself by means of the Holy Spirit, to discover he is in a state of hunger. He realises the ego, the ‘I’, has knocked him down to the ground due to the void situation in himself. He realises he has absolutely fallen to the ground, and has come to be under the judgment of eternal death. But the Holy Spirit uncovers his vision so that he sees in his Savior Jesus Christ, the risen from the dead “the, mystery of the resurrection”. He rants the dead ‘resurrection so they live ‘in the experience of His resurrected life’. Repentance is not a passive work by which means man discovers his drawbacks and even his absolute devastation; it is rather a positive job in which the Christian believer accepts his Christ as the mystery of his resurrection and his life, so that he lives all
his estranged days experiencing the new life. He goes on from strength to strength, enjoying one glory after the next, and one grace in addition to the other. He is eager to reach the full measure of Christ (Eph.4: 13). Repentance is the practical blessing of the permanent resurrection.
+ Our way, likewise, is to entreat God, so He strips us off of the old man, and clothes us with the heavenly Christ. This is because the Lord when He wished to fill us with the satisfaction in tasting His kingdom He said “Without Me you can do nothing” (John15: 5).
Everyone of us has to oblige himself in entreating God to be counted worthy of obtaining and possessing the treasure of the heavenly Spirit, so he might be able without much difficulty and toil to fulfil of the Lord’s commandments in purity and flawlessly.
St. Macarius the great
+ The Holy Spirit is the power that resurrects life. By His means man has been accepted for adoption, and has transformed death to no death.
St. Basilious the great
+ The Renewal that we experience in this life, and our transfer from the physical earthly life to the heavenly and spiritual one, is made in us by means of the impact of the Holy Spirit.
St. Basilious the great Ninthly: (Luke15: 18, 19) Confessing the wrong: “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’.”
The Holy Spirit who works in us for repentance, opens our hearts with the hope on God, the Giver of resurrection from the dead; but with the Spirit of modesty, He grants us to confess our sins. The prodigal son is confidence says ‘my father’ . in modesty he declares he has sinned and is unworthy of sonship, asking to be accepted as a hired hand.
+ When the soul yields itself totally to the Lord, with all its strength, the grool Lord manifests these drawbacks and sufferings one after the other so the soul deviates from them.
St. Anba Antonious the great
+ Let us learn how to entreat the Lord. He said ‘My Father!’ How great God’s mercy and gentleness is! Even though He was dealt with wrongfully, yet He does not reject being called ‘My Father’ ‘I have sinned against heaven and before you;’ this is the first confession before the Lord of mercy, before the Judge of iniquity.
God knows everything, but He waits for us to admit our sins (Tom.10: 10) “one confesses with the mouth and so is saved”.
When a person blames himself, he alleviates the weight of his loss, and cuts off the sharp accusation. You lose nothing when you confess what is already known to Him.
Admit your sins, and Christ will have mercy on you, for He is our intercessor to the Father (1John2: 21).
Let the church also pray for you sake, and let the people weep over you, and do not get disturbed or doubt, because you will receive. The intercessor promises you forgiveness, and the landlord of the vineyard promises you grace, and the Defendant confirms your reconciliation with the fatherly kindness.
Rest assured this is a fact, and be comfortable for God is power! He is careful to intercede for you so He would not have died for your sake in vain. The Father also is careful to forgive you, for (Gal.2: 21) “for of justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing”.
‘My father, I have sinned against heaven and before you’; Sin harms the gifts of the heavenly Spirit. It was important for man not to deviate from the intestines of this mother ‘Jerusalem’, which is heaven.
He says ‘I am not worthy to be called your son’; it is appropriate for the fallen one not to be proud, but rather to return in lowliness.
St. Ambrosios
+ These words concerns him who confesses his sins, but he has not used them yet.
He is not speaking now to His Father, but He promises what He would utter when He comes to His Father.
Let us understand ‘the coming to the Lord’ means to stay in the church, in faith. In the church we practice the confession of sins in an active methodical lawful way.
St. Augustine
+ He was addressing the speech to Himself; but the speech was insufficient unless He comes to the Father.
Where is he to be searched for? Where is he to be found?
Rise up and hasten to the church so as to find the Father there, the Son and the Holy Spirit too.
The Father listens to you when you talk to yourself, and He quickly comes to meet
you.
St. Ambrosios
Tenthly: (Luke15: 20) “So he set off, and came to his father”, this is the first step to begin work.
If the stray son has traveled to a distant country assuming it is his personal freedom, and squandered his father’s money as he pleased, then once he came to his mind and decided to come back to his father’s house, he realised the distance between him and his father however long it may be, this was no obstacle at all. He was attracted by his father’s fatherhood, and drew his mind to find the way of return is not too long or impossible. He rose to work as well, walking to his father, as if he was listening to the voice of Zachariah (Zach.1: 3) “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Return to Me’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will return to you’, says the Lord of hosts”.
+ Let us work as well even if we are out of the boundaries. Let us be exalted to our Father’s house, and let us not linger on the journey. If we want, the return will be quick and very easy. We just have to leave the strange country which is sin. Let us depart from it, so we return hastily to our Father house.
Someone may ask, ‘How do I return?’
Just begin working, and everything else will be accomplished.
St. John Chrysostom Eleventhly:(Luke15: 20-22) the encounter with the kind father: “But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son! But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out a robe- the best one ”
This parable reveals God’s loving fatherhood. Even though He does not oblige man to return to Him, yet, when He sees him from afar coming towards him, he quickly runs to him not to blame him or rebuke him, but rather to embrace him and to kiss him. He listens to His son’s confession of the wrong he did, but God does not allow him to be humiliated. He does not let the sinner say ‘make me as one of Your hired servants! God rather asks for the son’s robe and his ring, honoring him in His house!
+ The Father listens to your when you are talking within yourself, and He hastens to meet you. When you are still far away, He sees you and runs to you.
He sees what is within your heart, and He hastens so no one would delay you. He even embraces you.
His encounter with you shows He has previously known you. His embrace to you is a manifestation of His mercy, and is an expression of His fatherly love.
He bends on your neck so He raises you, the one who has fallen under the weight of transgression. He wants you to return to heaven, for you have headed to the earth, and thus you ask for your Creator.
Christ falls lovingly on your neck, so He delivers you from the bondage yoke, and He makes you carry the easy and bearable yoke (Matt.11: 20).
He falls on your neck, saying (Matt.11: 28) “Come to Me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you”.
In this way the Lord embraces you when you repent.
St. Ambrosios
+ What do the words ‘he ran’ means? Due to our obstructive sins we ourselves cannot reach up to God through our righteousness. But it is God Himself who is able to come to the weak, and thus He falls on his neck.
He kisses the mouth; this means the Father accepts joyfully the one who confesses with his mouth, and is repentant with all his heart.
St. John Chrysostom
+ When He runs, He then falls on his neck; this is because the father does not leave His only begotten Son, who constantly runs towards us, we who have gone astray for so long (2Cor.5: 18) “All this is from ‘God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation”.
He put his arms around him, bending to embrace with his arms, that is, with the Lord Jesus Christ.
The repentant one is comforted with the graceful Word of God, that grants the forgiveness of sins; this is fulfilled with the loving kiss springing from the Father when coming back to Him on a long journey.
He did not say ‘Make me as one of your hired servants’, because when he was in need of bread, he was eager to be as even one of the hired slaves. But when he nobly received his father’s kiss, he stopped from saying so.
St. Augustine Twelfth: The fatherly gifts: (Luke15: 22-24) “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out a robe- the best one- and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate”.
St. John Chrysostom says the father does not address his son who has just returned, but he rather addresses his slaves, or his agents. The repentant one has come entreating, but he receives the answer not through words addressed to himself, but rather through the merciful deeds offered to him.
Father Theophlactius sees those slaves as the ministering souls, or the priests who perform the baptism, and offer the word of edification, so the soul is clothed will Christ Himself.
+ He brings you the robe the ring and the sandals.
The robe is the robe of wisdom, by which the apostles covered the nakedness of their bodies, and with which every person is clothed.
They took the robe so as to cover up their physical infirmities with the spiritual power of wisdom. It was said about wisdom (Gen.49: 11) “he washes his garments in wine”. The rob is the spiritual clothing and the wedding garment.
The ring is nothing else but the true seal of faith, and the seal of truth. The sandals refer to the gospel preaching.
St. Ambrosios
+ The first robe is that of the honor that Adam has lost. As for the slaves who offered it, these are they who preach the reconciliation.
The ring on the finger is the deposit of the Holy Spirit due to the partnership of grace, since the Spirit is adequately referred to by the finger.
The sandals on the feet are the preparation for the gospel preaching so we do not touch what isearthly.
St. Augustine. These three items: the robe, the ring and the sandals, have been offered by the Lord
Jesus to the sinful humanity, so as to raise from them sons to the living God. These sons wear the appropriate wedding garment for the heavenly banquet, and they also wear the ring for sonship, and cover their feet and protect them from the dust of this world and its transgression when crossing through the preaching word.
We can moreover say these matters were offered to the humanity returning to Him, so He may make it a wedding and a queen to Him, after His humanity has lived its life as a spiritual prostitute, running after another groom. At first, He offered humanity the garment ornamented with gold, as the psalmist says (Ps.45) “The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes”.
St. John Chrysostom also says, “Here he does not mean a real robe, but rather righteousness. The robe decked in gold, has in its texture variable elements”. The saint goes on saying and explaining that the church embraces people of variable distinctive talents, but yet all integrated, and thus one robe for the heavenly wedding is woven. As for the ring, it is the deposit or the earnest of the Spirit; for St. Paul the apostle says, (2Cor.1: 21, 22) “But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, by putting His seal on us and giving us His Spirit in our hearts as a first installment”. This is the money deposit offered by the heavenly Groom to His bride, the church, so it lives by Him and enters the perfect wedding. The sandals refer to the preaching mission, so as to embrace every soul to the spiritual membership of the church, and he would thus have a share in the eternal wedding.
What is the fatted calf offered in the banquet, so everyone eats, be filled, and rejoices? St. JohnChrysostom says, “He is the Lord Jesus Christ who is called like this, for He offered His spotless body asacrifice. He is called ‘fatted’ because of His siches and costteness, for He was able to save the entireworld”. St Augustine, too, gives the same interpretation, saying “He was slaughtered for every man whobelieves in Him being slaughtered”. St. Ambrosios commented as follows: “By the partaking of the holy Sacraments, man can live by the rich body of the Lord, by means of the spiritual strength. He
is the priestly sacrifice that was offered for our sins”.
The Son has given up His body a sacrifice for the sake of humanity’s salvation. The Father rejoiced for the sake of this joyful work, and He asked the heavenly hosts to come and see, and rejoice at man who has risen to the heavenly life after his death. But the elder son, who refers to the haughty Jews stood outside, unwilling to enter and rejoice with everyone else. The Lord Jesus says therefore (Luke15: 25-32) “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound. Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father ‘Listen’. For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command, yet you have never given me ever a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends, but when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him’! Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life, he was lost and has been found’”.
St. Ambrosios comments on the elder son’s attitude, saying, “The elder son’s condemnation is because he came from the field. The field here refers to the concern given tot he toil in the land, the ignorance with the deeds of God’s Spirit. (1Cor.2: 11).
He complained for not being given a goat to kill, even though the Lamb of God was slaughtered for the forgiveness of sins, and not for any physical pleasure.
The envious one asks for a goat to kill, whereas the righteous one is eager to be slaughtered for the sake of God’s Lamb!
Due to envy, the elder one got stricken with spiritual old age at an early time, and he kept outside due to his lack of love. The evil jealousy overflowed his heart, and this expelled him outside.
He is one of those who do not see the panel in their eyes whereas they criticize the speck in other’s eyes.
He is frustrated because others obtain forgiveness and grace.
The spiritually evil hosts are unable to hear the joyful hymns and the Psalm reading!
The two sons refer to two nations: the younger one stands for the Gentiles, whereas the elder one stands for Israel, that envies the other one for being blessed with eternal blessings. The Jews objected to Christ’s eating with the Gentiles, so they asked for a goat as a loathsome sinful sacrifice.
The Jew asks for the goat, that is, for Barabas; whereas the Christian asks for a lamb, who is Christ. This is why Barabas was released to the Jews, and Christ was offered a sacrifice to us. Since that time the corruption of sin has befallen them whereas we have obtained the forgiveness of sins.
The elder son refers to the Pharisee who justified himself in his prayer that was so full of pride. He considered himself not breaking any of God’s commandments by practicing the literacy of the law (Luke18: 11). He cruelly accused his brother of squandering his father’s inheritance with prostitutes, even though he had to be more cautions in his words because the Lord Jesus came for the sake of the tax collectors and the prostitutes.
The elder son was not expelled out, but he stood at the door, and did not wish to go in since he did not accept God’s will which called the Gentiles to the faith. In this way the son became a slave (John10: 14) “Because the slave does not know the wish of his master”. And when he knew it, he became jealous, and was tortured due to the happiness of the church, and he remained outside. Despite this, the loving father wanted to save him, for he told him ‘You are with me at all times!, I wish you would stop your envy ‘All what I have is yours, when you have the mysteries of the Old testament as a Jew, and you obtain the mysteries of the New Testament if you are also baptized.
+ Now because his elder brother was in the field, and then he came to the house, he heard music and dancing. He then called one of the slaves and asked what this could be. The elder son is understood to be the Jewish nation that was in the field, working for God so he would enjoy the earthly possessions. In the Old Testament in Particular. The earthly happiness was a promise to him who worships God.
He came to the house and heard the music, the harmonious tunes together is called music, because when all those who serve God in love are in harmony, they fulfil the apostle’s words, (1Cor.1: 10) “that all of you be in agreement and that there be no division among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose”. When Christians become as such, they give out music, that is, one harmonious sound that pleases God; in them is fulfilled the words written (in Acts4: 32) “they had one heart and one soul”.
He asked one of the slaves, that is, he read one of the prophets; Isaiah or Jeremiah or Daniel, for all have preached the coming of Christ joyfully, for the sake of the nation- reconciliation.
The slave said to him that his brother has cone back, and that his father has killed the fatted calf (Luke15: 28). He therefore became angry and did not wish to enter. His wrath means the resistance of the Jewish people for the nations’ salvation. Indeed, up to this day they are Jealous of the church, and resist it.
The following fact is that the father went out to him (Luke15: 28) This might mean that at the end of times all the Jews will accept the faith through God’s mercy. As the apostle St. Paul said (Rom.11: 25) “a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. and so all Israel will be saved.
By his words ‘And I have never disobeyed your command’ he meant the Jews seemed as if they worshiped the one God; and when he complained ‘And you did not give me even a goat’, this is understood to be Christ. For Christ is the Lamb of God, and was condemned as a goat by means of the Jews, that is, He was condemned as a sinner.
Therefore Christ for us is the Lamb, and for them He is a goat. Those who believed Him to be a sinner, and not a righteous One, did not deserve the blessing of the banquet of a slaughtered goat or a lamb as a sacrifice.
When the father said, (Luke15: 31) ‘You are with me at all times, and all that I have is yours’, he means by this the worshiping of the one God, and the writings of the old Testament and the prophets. These matters surely concern God, and these remained with the Jews forever.
Father Caeserius, bishop of Aries
+ This is the fatherly work of love, so tender and good. He does not only raise man from the dead, but He also gives him back His tremendous grace by means of the Spirit. Instead of corruption, He clothes man with an incorruptible robe. Instead of hunger, He kills the fatted calf, and instead of the long distance he journeyed, the father who has been awaiting his return to him, offers him sandals for his feet. What is even more amazing than this, is that he gives him and engagement ring of divinity to put on his finger. All of this put together, makes him in the image of Christ’s glory.
St. Pope Athanasous