I have preached the Prodigal Son parable many times, and when it came around this year in the lectionary I thought I would give it a rest. I turned to the Epistle lesson this morning, from Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, which I have also preached many times, but not as many as the Prodigal Son. It goes like this: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and calling us to a ministry of reconciliation, God making his appeal through us."

When I read that passage in Paul's letter to the Corinthians, I finally realized what Paul was doing. He was proclaiming exactly the same message that is in the parable -- the message of reconciliation. That is what both scriptures are about. In fact, that is the heart of the Christian faith.…