C, Lent 4 - Psalm 32 "My Brother"

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My brother, don't get me started.  He's such a little up-start.  How dare he show his face around here again after all he's done to our family name! 

You know, we've had to struggle since he's left.  I have to do all the work for dad and he expects perfection you know!  And that little scamp just got up one day and decided he was bored, farming was no fun, so off he trots to town.

But that's not the half of it!  He had the audacity to demand the inheritance from dad.  He wanted it then and there, and dad being such a sucker takes an overdraft and gives him what he wants.  Surely he knew what was going to happen?  But he just gives the lot to him, knowing full well what type of person he is.  Has dad gone mad?  My brother's not fit to be a part of this family, let alone take all our money!

My brother's never been responsible!  Money always seems to burn a hole in his pocket.  And work!  Well!  If he did some perhaps his pearly white soft hands might get a blister.  And we can't have than now can we?!  What he's done is just straight out flamin' wrong!

And now after all this time he comes home.  I can't believe what happened.  Dad runs out to meet him.  He treats him like royalty.  I'd like to know exactly where all his wealth is gone.  He's blown the lot I bet!  And look at him!  His clothes are rags, he's filthy, he stinks like pigs, and I bet he hasn't been to church since he's left.  And to think, he's got the nerve to come back here after what he's done to us!  He's such a conceited little brat.

What will people think of us?  He's brought the whole family down!  We will be a laughing stock.  And I'm the one who's going to have to keep on working to get us through.  Dad takes me for granted, you know.  Perhaps "I" should run away and live like a fool.  But dad probably wouldn't even realise I was gone!  Am I the only one around here who gives a stuff?  Ahhh!  What's the use anyway?

Stress is a major part of everyone's life.  When we look at the parable of the Prodigal Son, all three of the main characters are burdened by stress of different kinds. 

The father's stress; he's lost a son.  Perhaps he knew he was going to lose him even before his son had left.  Imagine dividing up the family property suspecting it might be squandered, but regardless, still hoping for the best for your son. 

Then the younger son, who's taken the inheritance and squandered it on wild living!  After his money had gone and he was belittled and broken so he had to eat with the pigs his conscience returned.  How great his stress would have been, knowing what he'd done to his family.  And the humiliation of having to crawl home and beg to be one of the servants! 

And then there's the older son, from whom we've already heard.  He was incensed with rage over his brother.  He was frustrated with the situation in which his family was left.  And he was deeply hurt but his father's seemingly careless attitude towards him.  But at the same time his willingness to bend over backwards for the son who showed no respect for the family, the farm, his upbringing, and his own sense of right and wrong.

It seems, in this parable, we have bottled here all the same stresses of our complex human relationships today.  Taking the lid off your human heart, do you see mirrored in this parable's stress - your inner reality, your guilt, your fears, your anger, sinful pride, prejudices, and discrimination?  A mirror of me, into the deep dark hidden recesses within - you might say of yourself.

There's no denying that stress exists.  But how do you deal with stress?  To where does stress lead you… into yourself or God?  When we let stress drive us into the darkness of our selves, are we not submitting ourselves to a personal world of hurt and pain?

Blessed are those whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." And you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalms 32:2-5)

Stressful situations can and do lead us to wallow and brood over the darkness of our inner thoughts.  Is this not only deceitful to God but also dishonest to yourself? 

When we mask our stress, when we keep silent, mumbling to our sorry selves, God tells us the truth of what happens.  We just heard what it does in Psalm 32.  We waste away, we smoulder and groan.  Problems big and small turn up the pressure inside us until we explode with all the ugliness of our inner sinful selves.

Luckily you have a God who knows you better than you know yourself.  We his children still struggle with the childish ways of our sinful centred selves.  So having been baptised God faithfully remains with us but he weighs heavily on us and our sinful conscience in a bid to uncover us and correct us.

Hiding our darkened inner self destroys us from the inside out.  Our bitter thoughts burn away under pressure.  Implosion is imminent.  However God also is imminent!  He is nearer than our thoughts.  In fact our cover-up kills us, and it also led Christ to the cross.  But when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to confess and we hear the words of God's forgiveness spoken through the pastor, our ever-present ever-ready Father is so willing to run to us and welcome us into his arms.  Just like the father of the Prodigal Son.  And what a sigh of relief it is to have the weight of sin lifted off us.

Ironically God also covers up our darkness.  But not as we do by allowing it to stress us like the Father's older son in the Prodigal Parable!  Rather, he vents the stress on his son on the cross, and he covers our sin, with the crucifixion of Christ.  God does a far better job of covering our sin than we ever will.  And even more so, his cover is stress free for us, having taken all the sin and stress off our shoulders and placing it on his Son Jesus Christ. 

Subsequently we can acknowledge our sin to God.  We can uncover it and let off the pressure of our stress and sin.  By doing this the light of God's forgiveness in Christ exposes sin and depressurises it of all power.  The power of pressure is only so because it is confined and hidden.  So too the power of sin which stresses and causes all sorts of deceit in our hearts.  But once God enters into our secret dark pressure cookers the tension of sin is vented and deemed powerless on the cross.

Therefore, in the secret part of our being, right where the darkness of sin begins to smoulder, the Holy Spirit works to vent your steamy sin.  You can allow God access into the darkness by not smouldering to yourself and causing yourself undue grief.  Instead you can allow the Spirit to lead you into prayer. 

The older brother in the parable certainly burned with all sorts of sin seeing the farce his younger brother was living.  And he mightn't have let it manifest itself in such sinfully destructive inner thoughts.  God too knows your deepest darkest thoughts.  But until we acknowledge them to him in prayer they remain in us causing us no end of harm. 

Accordingly we surely ought to add a "Dear Heavenly Father" to the beginning of our evil struggles within and end them by asking for forgiveness in "Jesus' name Amen".  It's in our best interest to do so while God gives us the chance and is with us.  Like those in the days of Noah it was too late once the chaotic mighty waters of death rose and God was no longer present. 

So too for you, seek forgiveness while God can be found.  Trust God to cover your stress, your woes, your worry, your sin!  Don't let your woes and worries lead you into the woes of the wicked.

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds those who trust in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! (Psalms 32:6-11) Amen.