The pious Jews of Jesus’ day grumbled that Jesus didn’t do things their way, that he didn’t go along with their traditions, that he stirred up the marginalized and welcomed them into table fellowship, of all things. Jesus was rocking their boat, and they didn’t like it one little bit. From this side of Good Friday, we know just how far their grumbling took them. When we’re tempted to grumble about others, that’s something we might consider.

Jesus tried to get the attention of the scribes and Pharisees with his parable that we might call “The Grumbling Son,” to enable them to pause and take time to reflect on their relationship with the “Father.” Perhaps some of them did; scripture is silent on that point. If we were to use that parable as part of our Lenten self-examination, what insights might come to us? Would we find ourselves fussing and fuming with the elder brother because no one appreciates all the work we do or recognizes our sacrifices, no one rewards us for doing our part, no one sees our point of view or does things the way we think they should be done? Or would we find ourselves off with the younger son choosing to separate ourselves from God, to go our own way, to ignore that “still, small voice” deep within which is always calling us home. Try it and see what you discover about yourself and your relationship with God.

I would hope that we all would find ourselves on our knees exclaiming, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,” recognizing our need for the reconciliation God has prepared for us in Christ Jesus, trusting God to make us into a new creation, the imago dei that the Beloved has desired for us from our creation. Then we will know the joy of the psalmist who recognizes that:

“Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sin is put away!

Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt,

and in whose spirit there is no guile.”

That’s what the season of Lent is all about, a time for self-examination, confession, reconciliation to return us to the joy of the Lord