One repenting sinner and the ninety-nine righteous people

One repenting sinner and the ninety-nine righteous people

In the parable of the prodigal son, the righteous brother felt slighted that the father threw a celebration to welcome back the lost son. In a way, this is very understandable.

But at the same time, this may be the final roadblock for the truly righteous or virtuous: removing envy and insecurities, and rejoicing when a truly repenting fellow comes back and commits to being better.

In a way, this is the burden of a person who truly seeks to be virtuous or righteous: how can we transcend the pursuit of external rewards for our good behavior? How can we better internalize that the purity of our good actions and the peace it brings are the ultimate rewards in themselves, not external incentives?

The temptation of the devil is for the ninety-nine righteous people to become a mob that chooses to cancel the lost but repentant sinner.

Maybe, the invitation is to embrace not “self-over-others” nor “self-for-others” (because practically we need to retain a piece of ourselves for ourselves). It is to embrace “self-with-others”; being secure with who we are while finding how our natural gifts can be a means of accompaniment for repenting people committing to find their way.

Luke 15:3-7. Finding one lost sheep

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 175: JUNE 24, 2022]