Ambassadors for Christ, Paul calls us in the second reading. And yet, what do we think of when we hear the word ambassador? Maybe someone who is called out of their own nation to represent it in a foreign land.
In today’s famous Gospel parable, there’s plenty for us to represent on behalf of Christ.
We called to be ambassadors for mercy and life. «All things mine are yours,» the father says to the older son. We humans tend to think primarily in terms of our own property and merit in moving through life. And yet, in God, through Christ, there’s an overarching theme to celebrate and share life with others.
Being ambassadors for Christ also means spotlighting outsiders or outcasts, and there’s still plenty of work to be done there. As much as the prodigal son is the one who represents the ultimate lost-and-found story, I can’t help but think of the servants in the father’s house. Will they ever come to feel as adopted children? Also, is the mother in this family drama ok? By the way we treat the downtrodden or forgotten in our midst, we give a resounding yes to those questions.
Jesus has come into the world knowing the blessing of life from God, entering the world’s brokenness, and giving himself to others in life. We are ambassadors of that dynamic, which can be a never-ending source of life for us as disciples.