Queerying Lent 4C

Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ³So Jesus told them this parable:

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^11b“There was a man who had two children. ¹²The younger of them said to their father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³A few days later the younger gathered all they had and traveled to a distant country, and there they squandered their property in dissolute living. ¹⁴When they had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and they began to be in need. ¹⁵So they went and hired themself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent them to hir fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶They would gladly have filled themself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave them anything. ¹⁷But when they came to themself they said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ ²⁰So they set off and went to their father. But while they were still far off, their father saw them and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around them and kissed them. ²¹Then the child said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your child.’ ²²But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on them; put a ring on their finger and sandals on their feet. ²³And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴for this child of mine was dead and is alive again; they were lost and are found!’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵“Now his elder was in the field; and when they came and approached the house, they heard music and dancing. ²⁶The elder called one of the slaves and asked what was going on.

²⁷She replied, ‘Your sibling has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got them back safe and sound.’ ²⁸Then they became angry and refused to go in. Their father came out and began to plead with them.

²⁹But they answered their father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this child of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for them!’

³¹Then the father said to them, ‘Child, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this sibling of yours was dead and has come to life; they were lost and have been found.’”

Queeries for the text:
What's missing?
What does the rest of the family think? The slaves? How do they feel?
How is property inherited?
Why did no one give the younger child anything?
Why was the younger child dead to the father?
How can a child work like a slave?
What does the elder actually know about the younger's activities? What is assumed?
What do sex workers do?

What are your queeries?