Temptations in the Desert: Entitled Children

The word “entitlement” got politicized in this last presidential election, thanks to a covert recording of a Mitt Romney speech about the 47%. According to Merriam-Webster, entitlement is “the belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges.” What are you entitled to? What privileges are your right, what do you deserve?

Read Psalm 32 and Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32.

With whom do you identify? The lost son, who wanders away? The older son, who faithfully serves and builds up resentment? The father, who unconditionally loves the children over and over again? Many of us in the church can all too easily identify with the older son. We faithfully show up to worship, to Sunday School, to mission activities. We bake cookies and deliver bread and pray. And yet God gives the same grace to everyone? Even though we have worked so hard? It seems so…unfair.

Both the older and the younger sons share a temptation – the temptation of entitlement. The younger son believes that he deserves his inheritance – that he has done something in his life to earn it. Asking for his inheritance early is the same as spitting in his Father’s face: “I wish you were dead!” But the fact is, as the younger son, he did not deserve any inheritance. He was entitled to nothing.

The older son also suffers from the temptation of entitlement, believing that he deserves special celebrations for the work that he is called to do as a son. The older son believes that he deserves the same things that his younger brother gets – the older son falls into the temptation of entitlement, believing that he deserves more of his Father’s love because of his faithful work over many years.

We too fall into the temptation of entitlement, believing that we deserve a special place in heaven, or our special pew in church, because of our constant and faithful attendance. We too believe that we deserve our Father’s grace and love, that we should get a gold star – unlike those people outside of our church, unlike those people who don’t know about Jesus’ love yet.

And yet, the Father refuses to fall into these temptation games – He gives a constant love and a surprising love, a grace equally offered to all who will run back into his arms. As we have talked about repentance – turning back to God – during this season of Lent, look at this parable and see how our Father responds to repentance. In the words of Psalm 32, "God holds nothing against you." See that God will run to you with open arms, ready to throw a party and share all that God has with you, because you are a beloved child of God.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Kate