Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree

Posted on 29 August 2019 by LeslieM

We Anglicans are a liturgical church and, I mean by that, we have a liturgy – a schedule of Bible readings that provide us with a spiritual focus each week. Recently, our focus was the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Charles Dickens was fond of this parable and lovingly retold it in his “biography” of Pip in Great Expectations. I must admit to not being nearly as erudite as Charles Dickens – I’m a child of the ‘70s and the parable reminds me of Tony Orlando and Dawn’s hit song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree.”

The parable is found in the 15th chapter of Luke’s Gospel and is one of three parables of the lost that Jesus told – a lost sheep … a lost coin … and a lost son. Our understanding of any good story is enriched by knowledge of the story’s setting. I have often found that imagining our Lord in a contemporary setting helps me to understand his message. I once lived in Savannah, Georgia and often found myself with friends at a great little place on River Street called The Other End.It was owned by an Englishman and he served good food, good drinks and hung the requisite dart board on the wall at the end of the bar. Let’s suppose Jesus was at The Other Endone evening and was enjoying the company of some local people. About that time some very pious people walked by and, seeing Jesus inside, walked right in and confronted him: “What are you doing in a place like this, and spending time with this kind of people?”

Our Lord knew what was in their hearts and said to them, “Sit down here with me and let me tell you a story.” He proceeded to tell them three stories of the lost and ended each telling with a statement about the outward joy of recovering what was lost, as opposed to the inward joy over what was already found. He concluded his conversation with the pious people with a question, “Now do you understand what I have told you?” They didn’t.

It doesn’t help our understanding of our Lord’s message if we look askance at the reaction of those pious people who first heard his parables. Why? Because our understanding may be clouded by the same notions that prevented them from “getting” our Lord’s message. They, and sometimes we, like the Prodigal Son, fail to understand the power of our Lord’s forgiveness; that there is nothing we can do that is beyond his power to forgive, when we turn to Him and accept Him as our Lord. They, and sometimes we, like the brother of the Prodigal Son, fail to understand that we live in our Lord’s benevolent hands and that He is ever present in our lives.

There is a classic illustration that has been used for years when preachers speak about The Parable of the Prodigal Son. In this illustration, a young man took his inheritance and left his family home for the bright lights of the city. He was soon out of money and friends and options. He hit bottom and wrote to his parents: “Dear Mom and Dad, I have sinned deeply against you and against God. I am not worthy to be called your son. There is no reason for you to welcome me back but I have hit bottom and I need to come home. The train I will be on will pass our family home before it arrives at the station. If it’s OK for me to come home hang a white towel on the clothesline near the tracks and I will know you want me back.”

Spoiler alert! When the train rounded the bend and passed the family home the whole clothesline was festooned with white towels and the trees, fences and roofs were all covered in white. And so it is with our Lord and each one of us. Sometimes, we wander away from Him and get wrapped up in things of the world and live as if He doesn’t exist. When that happens, and it may, the parables of the lost remind us that when we turn back to a loving relationship with our God, He will tie a white ribbon around a tree and welcome us home.

Rev. M. Tracy Smith, SSA, Rector is from the Saint Peter’s Anglican Church, 1416 SE 2 Terr., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more information, call 954-695-0336. Wednesday: Holy Communion at 10 a.m., Sunday: Holy Communion at 10 a.m.

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