Good morning,
Praise The Lord, for the way He brought joy to the world of sin and suffering. He was known as the friend of sinners. Tax collectors and sinners were drawn to Him. He loved to eat withe lost, the least, and the last. He talked about banquets and feasts. He spoke about the great tragedy of being lost and the great joy of being found. He also talked about the son who wen way to far away country and squandered everything. . . he wasted it all.
One of the readings for yesterday was taken from Luke 15, the parable of the prodigal son. We can look at this story and see the foolishness of this boy. The error of his way is so clear that we can see the results of his destructive lifestyle before they even come about. However, when you are in the middle of such a situation, it is not so easy to see what the outcome will be. The world looks so appealing, and people seem so free and appear to be having such a good time. You think you are invincible, and immune from the destruction that takes place in other people’s lives. You are (you think) smarter than they are. Those things will never happen to you. . . But they do happen to you. In the words of the Bible, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8).
In the story of the Prodigal Son, freedom became freedom to sin, and pleasures provided a false enchantment, maybe even a deluded sense of self-justification. The lost son lusted for freedom without restraints and ended up enslaving himself. When his money ran out, his so-called friends deserted him. They, in fact, were never true friends, but merely the acquaintances that like to live off someone else's money. He learned the hard way that we cannot enjoy the things money can buy if we ignore the things money cannot buy.
Sin promises freedom but it only brings slavery. It promises success, but it only brings failure. It promises life, but "the wages of sin is death." Those who reject God’s rule are compelled to serve the Devil. The Prodigal Son reaps the results of sin, ending up in the pigpen. In fact, he came to have more in common withe pigs than human beings. Sin ravages our lives if we stray from the Lord. The Prodigal eventually came to his senses, as the Bible declares.
The prodigal complained about no one but himself, and spoke of no unworthiness but his own. He did not blame his plight on his former evil companions. He came to the point of his own sin, where he could admit the wrong in his eagerness to leave the protection of his home. He offered no excuses to cover his guilt or justify his waywardness. He reached rock bottom, where his only remaining resource was repentance. He confessed, "I have sinned; I am unworthy."
Guilt and shame are painful to face, yet we desperately need to see ourselves for who and what we are. Before we can respond to God’s mercy we must gain a sense of our personal inability and unworthiness, and acknowledge the horror of how our sin has debased our lives and offended God.
The now-penitent son unconditionally confessed his sin, offering no excuses. Realizing how well his father treated his servants, he turned from his sin and turned toward home. His resolutions turned into action. This an essential step on the road to recovery. Some people drown in guilt and depression and never turn to God for recovery. Conviction can lead to despair, but it can also lead to repentance and restoration.
The returned son attempted to deliver his prepared speech in vs. 21— where he admitted he had sinned against "heaven", too shamed to even speak the name of God. He began, but did not get to finish, because his father called to the servants to bring out the best robe (to cover the son’s poverty and shame), a ring (as a seal and symbol of his identity as a member of the household), and shoes (so that he could now walk in a new way). Shoes were not worn by servants, but only by members of the family! The father did not humiliate his son, but welcomed him into all the privileges of the family where he gave him honor. He then directed the servants to prepare a feast! Everything this wayward son hoped to find in the far country he discovered back home. He moved from a "give me" mentality in vs. 12, to "make me" in vs. 19, resulting in reconciliation. (vs. 24) "He was lost and has been found".
Sometimes we think we need to clean ourselves up before we come to God, when all we really need is to come home, where the Father will give His best even though we’re filthy. If you are afraid to come to God, if you are ashamed of your past, if all you have to offer is your guilt, then remember the loving father of the prodigal. He is, in fact, the Father of us all, ready to run to us with open arms.
Fredrick Buechner, in his book, "The Alphabet of Grace", told about Mark Twain at the end of his days, and described him as being “riddled with guilt and fame.” Late in life Twain wrote, “There is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a dream — a grotesque, foolish dream. Nothing exists but you. And you are but a thought — a vagrant thought, a useless thought, a homeless thought, wandering forlorn among the empty eternities.” The Christian message of hope is the opposite of Twain’s message of despair. It tells us that life is real, we are real, God is real. Its message is that we are not homeless, wandering vagrants, but people with a home. Ours is the Father’s home where we are welcomed, embraced and, yes, celebrated. The Father’s house has become our house — our eternal home.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment