Readings for March 29-30, Fourth Sunday of Lent
By Lyn Zahorik | For On Mission
The story of the Prodigal Son, which we will hear this weekend, provides lessons on grace, forgiveness and the nature of perceived unfairness.
The younger son leaves home, squanders his life and returns home — not to chastisement — but to the celebration of the unconditional love of his father. The elder son, who stayed home, worked diligently and obeyed his father, never received such a celebration as the one given to the returning son.
If I had to give a title to this parable it would be, “It Just Isn’t Fair!”
Unfairness plays out in life every day. Your 16-year-old next door neighbor, a diligent student, star athlete and active volunteer in the community, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, while your uncle who is ornery, mean and has never done one kind thing for someone else is pushing 90 and still going strong. “It Just Isn’t Fair!”
You are driving down the highway, enjoying the beautiful day when the red lights show up behind you. As you sit there waiting on a ticket for being “seven miles over,” you watch all the other cars whizzing by you. “It Just Isn’t Fair!”
People around you have money to burn, they live in palatial homes, drive fancy cars and vacation in exotic places while you must work hard every day “just to have enough.” “It Just Isn’t Fair!”
And then, while you have “just enough,” someone else is sleeping with an empty stomach under a bridge. “It Just Isn’t Fair!”
There are so many more “not fairs” out there. The question isn’t about God’s mercy or fairness; God embodies pure love and compassion, even when life events are hard to understand from a human perspective.
For our part, what we need to consider is how to live life in grace and with grace. To do so in unfair situations is no small feat. The path of grace means treating people with respect, empathy and upholding Gospel standards, even when others don’t. Grace calls us to recognize our own blessings and let go of the feelings of resentment we feel at the good fortune of others.
Grace isn’t just for the one who wandered away; it’s for everyone. Grace is unearned and unlimited. God continues to work in people’s lives in ways we don’t understand. And while we may struggle with bitterness when others receive grace that we feel they don’t deserve, God may be laying the groundwork for a miracle of redemption in the other person’s life.
The story of the Prodigal Son emphasizes that grace is not about fairness, it’s about love and restoration. It reminds us to anchor ourselves in our own journey with Jesus, living with integrity and commitment.
The story teaches us that grace is a quiet but powerful force that softens the unfair edges of life. As we receive it and extend it to others, we not only transform ourselves but also inspire others to live with more kindness and compassion. “That seems fair, right?”
Zahorik is director for spiritual engagement at St. Mary Parish, Omro, and St. Mary Parish, Winneconne.
The readings for Sunday, March 30, can be found at Fourth Sunday of Lent | USCCB