2 Cor. 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation

Ps. 133 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.

When the prodigal son comes back home he isn’t looking for a full reconciliation with his father.  Though he is starving for his father’s love, he believes he dare not ask for more than a job which will fill his starving stomach.  Yet, what does he receive?  His father welcomes him back into the family restoring him to full son ship again.  The father reconciled his son to himself.

However, the older son would have none of it.  He refused to live with his brother in unity.  He refused to be reconciled.  He refused the ministry of reconciliation of which St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5.  But St. Paul tells that God has reconciled the whole world to himself in Christ.  God has entrusted to us the good news of what God has done for the world.  We are ambassadors for Christ.  God makes his appeal to the world through us.  We are the means through which God gets his message of making every new available to the world.  We are the carriers of the news that God was in Christ and made him to be sin who knew no sin.  Therefore, by believing in this gospel everyone can learn that they too are right with God.  They too are friends with God.

As we may have sung in the Hymn of the Day,

What wondrous love is this,

O my soul, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this,

O my soul!

What wondrous love is this

That caused the Lord of bliss

To bear the dreadful curse for my soul,

For my soul,

To bear the dreadful curse

for my soul.