This Sunday is Mothering Sunday.  This will be observed in some way in many churches as they worship today.  There is no such thing as a typical mother!  But in most cases mothers find joy in their children and try to provide a secure family life.

Today’s reading is the story of the Prodigal Son.  It raises a few questions.  The son had wasted his inheritance – would he ever receive more?  Was the elder brother ever reconciled?  But where was the mother?  And what did she think of all this?

When I read this story, I can’t help comparing it with another younger son that left home and fell out with his brother. That story is in the Old Testament – it’s the story of Jacob who had cheated on his brother Esau.   Jacob needed to flee from the wrath of Esau.  But in that Old Testament story we do read about the mother, Rebekah.

Where was the mother of the Prodigal Son? 
If we think about it, there must have been deep anguish as she saw her youngest leave home. 

Both stories remind us of the separation that all mothers face at some point.   The son or daughter who is no longer a child and is out-growing home life.   At worst, they may have got involved with drugs and sunk into hopelessness. Or criminal behaviour has put them in prison. Each situation will cause anguish or worse.  So, as we think about the story of the Prodigal Son today, let’s not view it only from the father’s or elder brother’s point of view.   Let’s think about the mother.  Like Rebekah in Genesis, this is her youngest son.

Now, this is a parable, just a story. But parables are meant to raise questions so perhaps we can think about the mother’s concern.  Above all, it’s a story about how a wayward child finds forgiveness and love.  I’m sure that the mother showed as much love as did the father when their son arrived home.

Mothering Sunday has become a time to remember our mothers and perhaps recognise that through them we learnt what love is. In this story Jesus says that the love of God is like a father welcoming a wayward son.  The prophet Isaiah describes God’s love in another way: “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Is. 66.13).  On Mothering Sunday, we appreciate the importance of nurturing love. Life’s challenges can mean we forget this love. We can become lost through the mistakes and wrong choices we make. The joy is that God’s outrageous love is always, always there, welcoming us home.