Our Gospel reading for this fourth Sunday of Lent talks about the meaning of forgiveness, being set free, and how much we need to come “Home.” It is a place of peace and knowing that all is well. We all need to come home to our loving God, our forgiving God, a God who embraces all of us. No matter what may have happened in your life, God says, “welcome home.”

There is a song from the movie, “The Wiz,” the African American version of “The Wizard of Oz.” Lena Horne sings a song, “If You Believe In Yourself.” Dorothy wanted to go home, but she could not understand what it would take to get home. Lena Horne, before singing the song, says to Dorothy that she had to first believe in herself. In the beginning Lena Horne shares with Dorothy what it means to be home. She says, “home is always a place we must find. It's knowing your heart. It’s knowing your mind. It’s knowing your courage." If you believe that this is true in your life, then welcome home.

In our gospel, the focus is on Jesus sharing about the “Parable of the Prodigal Son.” However, today, the “Prodigal Daughter” and the relationship she had with her mother and older sister. She had to figure out what it meant to be home, what it meant to know that she was safe, what it meant to be forgiven, and what it meant to be loved.

As you reflect on this parable, who might you represent? Everyone goes through those changes in life and sometimes you might be the mother, the older sister, or even the younger sister. Reflecting on this today can be a wake-up call when you realize you portrayed someone in this parable. Are you living that person today? Have you in the past lived the life of one of these women, and realized that change had to take place? Change does happen for a reason.  

The Pharisees were not happy when they realized that tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus and listening to what he had to say. We don’t know who the mix in the crowd was; but let's for a moment think that there were a lot of women in the crowd who needed to be saved. Women needed healing and they knew where to go. Jesus welcomed all no matter what kind of lifestyle they were living.

The issue with the Pharisees was they thought they were in charge. They basically were jealous of Jesus and what he was doing. Afterall, no one was coming to them. I am quite sure their question was, “who does he think he is?” Jesus shares with them a parable in hopes they would understand the meaning of what it means to be healed.

The mother had two daughters. The youngest daughter came up with the idea that she shouldn’t have to wait until her mother was deceased before gaining her inheritance while she was still living. How does that really make you feel? There may be different reasons why you may want what you want in the present moment. Why didn’t the mother ask, “why do you want your inheritance now?” Did she think that her daughter was responsible and used the inheritance wisely? Or was the younger daughter that spoiled that she would give her daughter anything she wanted? Sometimes mothers can be in the situation where they would give their daughter whatever she wanted with no questions asked. It’s the same way as a mother trying to be their daughter’s friend and not portraying the role of mother.

The daughter in this parable did not even ask her mother. Whatever happened to manners? The daughter waited for two days before leaving home. She probably waited because she had to make sure she had everything in order, such as how she was going to use the money and where she was going to go. When you have a lot of money, you can do whatever you want to do and that’s exactly what the younger daughter was going to do.

As the younger daughter went about her way, people most likely found out that she had a lot of money. She trusted them and considered them her friends. Some people felt like she had not seen them in years. She began to live a lavish lifestyle as long as she had the money. Good times were had by all.

Sometimes you may find yourself in the same situation. All of a sudden there is a lot of money given to you. You begin to live a lifestyle that you are not used to living. People you have not seen in years show up at your doorstep. You accept them because they were trusted friends in your life.

The prodigal daughter kept on giving and giving and people loved it. She could not understand that she was being used. No matter how much they asked for, she gave it to them. She was happy to give. However, all good things soon must come to an end. She squandered what she had until the very end when she realized she had nothing more to give.

The prodigal daughter was now broke. Soon those friends drifted away. Even the ones who were close to her. She had to understand that true friends would never leave your side no matter what type of situation you may be in. That’s called “sisterhood.” It’s a special bond of extended family. Unfortunately, she would not understand this.

The country where she was living had a famine that arose. Since she had nothing, she knew she had to get a job. She got a job alright, and that was to feed the pigs. She did not even get any food from those who sent her into the field.

However, one day she finally realized what she had left behind in the beginning and that was a home. She knew she would have a comfortable lifestyle again, but she had a fear of returning home. She was afraid that she would not be accepted back into what she did not realize she had, a loving home.

She finally got the courage to move forward because she knew she was lost. In your own life or the life of a sister or a sister friend you know who have lost their way, how do you think you or she would feel when home was really the most important place to be? When the daughter had to realize what home really meant, would she be accepted or rejected? Would you be accepted or would there be rejection?

The prodigal daughter needed a complete makeover. She needed healing physically, emotionally, and spiritually. There are many women who need healing, especially from all types of abuse. The anxiety that builds up, sudden panic attacks, being alone and feeling as if love is lost. The prodigal daughter needed to be home with her mama.

When the prodigal daughter got close to home, her mother could see her from a distance. As she got closer to where her mother was, she did not know what to say. She didn’t have to say anything because her mother embraced her and that’s when she realized she had been forgiven. She probably cried in the embrace of her mother. All the mother wanted to do was to celebrate. Her daughter was lost and now she was home. She wanted the finest robe on her which could have been purple which represents royalty. She had a ring put on her finger which in one sense could represent the circle of life, “I once was lost, and now I’m free.” She had sandals put on her daughter’s feet. Sometimes when our feet are hurting, that’s because we forget to put on the sandals of faith.

Imagine coming home and not even bathing and your mother dresses you in the finest linen. She does not care because again, you have come home. That is what God does for us. It is not what you look like but the fact you came home. God does not judge you for what mistakes you make. God forgives you because you have learned from your mistakes.

As you remember, there are two daughters, and you don’t hear much about the older daughter until the end. When she finds out that her younger sister is back home and her mother is having a celebration, there is anger, resentment, and even jealousy. After all, the older daughter always did what she was asked to do and could not understand why there was never a celebration for her. The mother explained to her older daughter; your sister was lost, and she had come home. You have to wonder what the response of the daughter after her mother was explained to her about her younger sister.

There is a song written by Tonya Taylor Dorsey who is a composer from Philadelphia, PA. The song, “Stay in the Word” speaks about how much God truly loves us. Part of the song, “hold on my sister, God knows your pain, looking at you we see your strength in the rain.” The rain was the tears of the prodigal daughter when she was embraced. The song continues, “there were times when I know I should have died, but only by the grace of God I lived.” This was the prodigal daughter’s testimony. She was no longer called “prodigal” but a child of God. How her older sister took her sister’s testimony we will never know. However, when you put your own ending to what the older sister thought, then only you can imagine what it might be. It might be your own testimony of faith.

We too have to remember God’s forgiveness, and God’s love. God holds out his hands and welcomes us all home with no judgement. God sees you as you are. You may be all banged up from the struggle you have gone through but God says, “WELCOME HOME.”