Duty

Then the father said to the older son, “Son you are always with me and all that is mine is yours” (Luke 15:31).

             Some time ago, I was chatting with someone who had just received an award at work for outstanding service. “I have a duty to my employer and my clients to provide them with my best effort every day” he said. “I have the same duty to be the best husband and father to my wife and kids” he added. Yet, when it came to his religious obligations he revealed a different attitude. “I know I should go to Mass but I just don’t want to get out of bed on Sunday” he said. Like many people, this man took a cost/reward approach when deciding how much sacrifice a duty requires.

            In this passage from Luke, Jesus tells the story of a father who uses a different means to measure the amount of sacrifice required by his obligations. By doing so, Christ reveals another way to understand the relationship between sacrifice and duty.

            Within the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament, the Covenant which existed between Israel and the Jewish people supplied a model for social relationships. One of its components was the fulfilment of certain obligations by each side. God gave Jews land, security and an identity. For their part, the people satisfied their Liturgical, Spiritual and Moral duties under the Jewish Law. When they disregarded their obligations, God usually punished but never abandoned them. This example provided a lesson on the importance of commitment to duty regardless of the cost. Jesus expanded on this lesson in his Parable of the Forgiving Father. According to Jewish Law, fathers gave their sons protection, material security and moral instruction. In return, sons showed them honour, loyalty and obedience. When the younger son wanted his share of the inheritance early, he put his desires ahead of the obligation he owed his father. He further distanced himself from his duty when he wasted the inheritance in a foreign land. The son saw the cost of his obligation as being greater than the reward of personal happiness. Yet, when the father restored the younger son’s position in the family, despite all that happened, he revealed his love and commitment to duty disregarded such calculations. The anger of the older son at the apparent non-recognition of his loyalty and favorable treatment shown to his brother highlighted the calculations behind his obligations. The cost of duty demanded an appropriate reward. When he refused to participate in the celebration and disregarded his father’s plea for family reconciliation, he dishonoured him. However, the father’s response indicated his love for the older son through a recognition of his hardships but also how obligations were about relationships which frequently required sacrifices without cost/reward calculations. Through his example, the father taught both his sons a lesson about the relationship of sacrifice and duty.

            Modern Society has a complicated attitude about the connection between obligation and sacrifice. On the one hand, it respects those who give up a great deal to fulfill their civic duties such as soldiers who risk their lives to defend their country. It admires those who make personal sacrifices in order to become outstanding in their professional lives, like a salesman who works weekends to win an important client for his company. On the other hand, calculations are often made about how much sacrifice is required by one’s obligation. A soldier who risks his/her life may receive a medal. The salesman who gives up his weekends might get a pay raise. However, true commitment to duty ignores this cost/reward calculation. Catholics and other people of faith know this truth. Obligations define an individual’s identity and beliefs. The sacrifices needed to fulfill their duty to God, a family member or the Community are not the most important factor in their thinking. In this passage, the father never worried about what the neighbours or those at the celebration thought. His focus was on fulfilling his obligation to love his sons and teach them a key lesson about life. This was the approach Jesus wanted his disciples to take when they carried out their duties on earth.

            As the man with whom I chatted demonstrated, the duties one takes seriously reveal a lot about one’s priorities. Obligations to one’s employer, family and Community require sacrifices and should be taken seriously. While fulfilling one’s duty to God will not result in an award from your employer, appreciation from your relatives or recognition by the civic officials, it will show whether you understood the meaning of this passage.

March 27, 2022