In today's Gospel reading, we are confronted with the attitude of God to the wrongdoer, his deep desire to forgive, that is, to be totally reconciled with the one who has severed relations with him.

The context of today's passage is important. Sinners and social outcasts were "all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say." The Pharisees and Scribes, who were the "good and religious" people, were shocked and disturbed. "This man welcomes sinners and [even worse] eats with them." By their standards, a "good" person avoids "bad company". To be quite honest, don't we think the same? If so, then we are not thinking like God or like Jesus.

Jesus answers the Pharisees by telling three parables. But the most striking story is the third parable. We normally call it the "Prodigal Son" but, in fact, the emphasis is less on the son than on the father, who clearly represents God and Jesus.

The elder son simply cannot understand what is happening. He was never treated like this and had always been a "good" boy. What kind of justice is this? One brother stays at home keeping all the rules (Commandments) and seems to get nothing. His brother lives riotously with prostitutes in a pagan land and when he comes back he is treated like royalty. He could not understand the mind of his father and some of us may have difficulties too. In some ways God seems to be very unjust - at least by our standards. He is love!