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I wonder if some of you kinda’ tuned out the Gospel reading when you realized it was the very familiar story known as the Prodigal Son.  But the story of the son who left home and squandered everything that he had been given, AND the story of the dutiful brother who stayed home AND the story of the father ALL have great truths for each of us.  We will be blessed if we can learn from them.  

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In this morning’s reading from Luke’s gospel Jesus is confronted with the dilemma of good people … just and righteous people … incurring a devastating fate.  Innocent Galileans had been slaughtered by the Roman Prefect as they were offering their religious sacrifice at the Temple … and simple bystanders were crushed as a poorly built tower in Siloam fell on them.  What Jesus was challenged with is an age-old question that continues to haunt us today.  A little over a week ago a lone gunman killed 50 worshippers at a Mosque in New Zealand … eerily similar to Pilate’s slaughter of Jews at the Temple as they were making their sacrifices.  And, just two weeks ago an Ethiopian Airliner crashed … seemingly because of flaws in the construction of the aircraft … killing all 157 on board.  It wasn’t a building falling on them … it was like they were in a building falling from the sky.

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This is a TEST to see if you were paying attention to the Scripture readings we heard this morning.  Did you hear in the Epistle…Paul’s letter to the Philippians… where he said that there were some whose minds are set on earthly things…in fact, he said…their god is their belly?!!!   Well, thank goodness that doesn’t apply to any of us,   since WE all know we are in the season of Lent and so it is the time to give up good things for the belly like booze and candy!!

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On this First Sunday of Lent we always hear about Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by the devil.  Of course, this is by no means the first we have heard of wildernesses in the Bible.  Noah was in the wilderness of the landless waters for 40 days.  Jacob wrestled with an angel in the wilderness.  Moses encountered a burning bush in the wilderness, and the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.  Later, the prophet Elijah heard a still, small voice in the wilderness.  So, what is it about these places where there are no familiar landmarks, no resources, and such solitude, that they become the venue for an encounter with the sacred … the holy … the divine presence of God?

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Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing.  Return to the Lord your God, for God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love./////   This from our first reading  from the Book of Joel.