This one image created by Scripture has been reproduced in songs, paintings, and sculptures. What is it about this scene from one of Jesus' parables that so captures the attention of mankind? Could it be that we are so enamored by the love of this father? Could it be that in our heart of hearts we so desperately want this to be true of God? Could it be that we struggle to understand this type of compassion? Whatever the reason, I do believe that woven into the fabric of every human being is the need to feel this loved, this forgiven, and this accepted. The Good News according to Jesus - YOU ARE!!!
I often read this parable and wonder how I would have handled the return of my own son. Would I be as forgiving? Would I be so overwhelmed with emotion that I wouldn't even consider what he was saying? Would I be so ready to celebrate? This scene creates so many questions about myself, and what I would do, but thankfully it's not a parable about me. This is a parable about the heart of our Heavenly Father and how He treats every person that comes to Him. They are like a son who has been off in a far country, separated by their own choosing, alone and desolate, and desperately wanting to come back home. And God is the loving Father who looks out at the horizon waiting to see that lone figure traveling up the road. He desperately wants His son back.
This was a hard image for the religious leaders to accept. They were comfortable with their ideas of separation. They were completely content with the idea that God was so obsessed by the sins of humanity that He couldn't tolerate them. This mentality felt good to them. It felt right. And they had even created a God in their own image who felt the same way. However, Jesus presented a drastically different image of the Father. He presented an image of God who was comfortable with the humanity of humans. A God who wasn't obsessed with their failures, their sins, or their issues. Instead, a God whose heart was emphatically set on seeing them brought back into His arms.
The parable of the lost son is (in my opinion) the heartbeat of the Gospel. It adequately displays many of our issues while at the same time adequately portrays the nature of God. He's not a Father sitting on the porch with a shotgun. He's not a Father that just cannot wait to rip into this son of His who made all these mistakes. He's a Father who is completely comfortable with His place in the family. A Father who loves His child enough to divide up the inheritance and allow His child to make His own choices. And even when those choices lead to ruin He is compassionate enough to welcome us back.
It's no wonder that this story has inspired so many. It's no wonder that so many people hear this parable and are stirred in the core of their being. This is their Father. This is His heart. And they know without a shadow of a doubt that they are acceptable to Him not because of anything they have done but because of His great love.
Life is a journey and in this journey we all have choices to make. Sometimes the choices we make will lead us down a lonely path filled with ruin. Sometimes these choices will keep us close enough to God but still cause us to never see the Father's heart (you see that in the elder brother). Regardless of where we are in the journey, take comfort in knowing that God's heart is for you. You have a Heavenly Father who longs for nothing more than relationship with you. It's what you were created for and in Jesus He has made the dream of His heart a reality. It's my hope and prayer that every person on the journey will have their eyes opened to the reality of God's heart for them. It is my hope that they will have that moment in life as the younger son where they come to their senses. It is my prayer that they will acknowledge the Father's love for them. This is where life makes sense - at home with the Father.
No comments:
Post a Comment