Week 6: The fattened calf
FED UP!
As we’ve explored Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son throughout this Lenten season, being fed up is a key theme.
The religious leaders were fed up with Jesus’ and his law-breaking, tradition-squashing behaviour of showing favour to the outcasts of society who didn’t deserve it.
The youngest son in the parable was fed up—fed up with his father, fed up with living in the boring confines of the family home. But after he blows his inheritance in a distant land, and hard times fall upon him, he is fed up with being hungry and without. So he returns home, to a surprising welcome of love and grace from his father.
The eldest son is fed up—fed up with slaving away for his father, working hard. Now this brother of his—who first of all blew his share of the inheritance before he should have even got it—is now lavished with even more—ring, robe and sandals and an extravagant celebration. What’s with his father’s reckless gifting? Has he lost his mind!?
And now to the final character we’re studying in this series—one that usually gets little focus—the fattened calf. The fattened calf is fed up too.
Did you notice that the father speaks of “the fattened calf”—there are not many, but only one fattened calf. The word “fattened” distinguishes this particular animal from any other livestock the father has.
A fattened calf was one that the household had set aside, reserved for an exclusive purpose. While most cattle simply grazed in fields, the fattened calf was fed in a confined stall. Restricting the animal’s movements while feeding it extra food resulted in significant weight gain more quickly, so that they would be plump and prime for festive eating. Like today, meat was expensive and prime veal like this was considered a luxury, therefore one would never eat the fattened calf for a regular meal. The fattened calf was kept exclusively for the rarest and most important of celebrations.
Clearly, the father in the parable sees the return of his son as a reason for such extravagant celebration. So he gives the order: “Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat, and celebrate”. The calf in Jesus’ parable was innocent. It didn’t speak out against what would become of it—because of course it couldn’t. It was not rebellious like the first son. It was not resentful like eldest. It had no idea what was going on. It was simply innocent, and innocently played its role, that there might be a tremendous celebration in the household of the father.
There is no celebration without the fattened calf, and in the parable, that celebration cost the father greatly, as his one and only fattened calf is killed. This killing of the fattened calf is a demonstration of the incredible generosity of the father to the guests eating it—the father’s reckless expenditure, given the context of the son’s unworthiness.
The word here for ‘kill’ more particularly means to ‘sacrifice’. In a household a fattened calf exists only to be sacrificed, to bring benefit and blessing to others. It is a symbol of extravagance and wealth—and also one of hope; looking forward to the day its sacrifice will usher in joy and celebration. If we consider this angle of sacrifice, then the fattened calf—as well as providing the feast for the celebration—would make payment for the wrongdoing of the son who had confessed to his father: “I have sinned against heaven and against you.”
As we reflect on the parable and note that the character of the father represents our Heavenly Father, does not the fattened calf in the parable represent Jesus himself? Although Jesus was not referred to as a fattened calf he was referred to as our Passover lamb who was sacrificed for us— the Father’s one and only Son, reserved for sacrifice to usher in heavenly celebrations. For there is no reconciliation between us and our heavenly Father without the sacrifice of the lamb. But neither is there any celebration in heaven without him either.
Like the fattened calf in the parable, Jesus did remain silent before his accusers, before he laid down his life. Isaiah says of Jesus: “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7).
But unlike the fattened calf in the parable, ignorant of what was about to happen, Jesus was fully aware. He prayed to his Father: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42). Paul says that Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8).
Our Father in Heaven shows his reckless extravagance for the world and for us, handing over his only Son, whose life was sacrificed to give us life, his death to bring us into the heavenly celebration. When Jesus allowed himself to be betrayed, when he stood before Pilate, when he was mocked, abused, shamed, ridiculed, beaten, whipped, suffered and died, Jesus knew what he was doing, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus did this for you to take away your sin.
Jesus’ parable ends with rejoicing and celebration initiated by the father. This rejoicing and celebration is the complete opposite to the mumbling and grumbling of the Pharisees against Jesus for welcoming those they thought he should reject. They have so badly missed the point. Like parents who so desperately love their children and want only the best for them, so is God’s love for all people. And so it is not the sinners and tax collectors, not the prostitutes and publicans who have come to listen to Jesus who have missed out on God’s grace.
It is the religious rule makers, who, like the eldest, resentful son, think that the only way to God’s favour is by being good. They are like the oldest son…they have refused to go in to the Heavenly Father’s celebration.
Jesus’ parable shows us the heart of the prodigal father—our Father in Heaven, who recklessly spent all he had, opening up the storehouses of heaven and pouring out all his treasure when he sent his Son to earth. God is generous. And he loves celebrating! When he gave his own Son, sacrificed for the sin of the world, it was so that you and I might be brought home. It was so that you and I might come to his party.
The rejoicing and celebration at the end of the story points to the end time, where, in Revelation there is feasting again—the marriage supper of the Lamb, where all of those whom God has blessed join in the heavenly multitude of rejoicing and praise of God (Revelation 19).
Each time you come to Holy Communion, the Father in heaven lavishes his extravagance on you through his Son. We come like the sinners and tax collectors to Jesus—like the unworthy younger son—to be blessed with divine grace, love and peace, and to share in his own abundant life that triumphs even over death. And each time we eat and drink the body and blood of our Lord, sacrificed for us, we have a foretaste of the heavenly feast to come; we get a glimpse, sample an appetiser, of the unending marriage feast of the Lamb, with his holy communion of saints in heaven forever.
In this meal we are fed up too; nourished with the food and drink that meals of the world cannot provide, so that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will hunger and thirst no more (Matthew 5:6).
In each of Jesus’ parables in Luke 15, there is great rejoicing and celebration over that which was lost but now found. That is a picture of you and me and all of God’s people. As we eat and drink in this sanctuary on earth, there is rejoicing over you in the sanctuary in heaven, by the angels and all the saints who have gone before us. Jesus says: “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7).
Rejoicing over every sinner who repents is present tense. It is something that still happens. That is not just talking of the moment of our baptism, or when we believed the gospel. That is talking about every time we turn to the Father; every time we come to Jesus and listen to him, and give him our sin and guilt to take away from us, there is great rejoicing in heaven. Jesus has come to fulfil the Old Testament prophecy of Zephaniah for you:
Sing, Daughter Zion;
shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:14-17).
Thanks be to Christ, our Passover Lamb, who was sacrificed for us, that even now, we may share in the rejoicing of heaven. Amen.
