Showing posts with label Judgment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Judgment. Show all posts

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Perspective on the Parable of the Prodigal Son

Most of us have heard the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15. Superficially it is a story about greed, shortsightedness and then humility, and one most people feel they don't identify with.  It is the stories like this which make me realize when I speak with someone who has "read the Bible" and it was nothing more than a history book, I know they did not read the Bible with the influence of the Holy Spirit. As I reviewed this chapter in Luke again this morning, the Holy Spirit revealed still more to me despite the numerous sermons I have heard on the topic over the years. Some of what I am about to share is sharing previous revelation from sermons, but there were several salients points brought to my attention as well that I wish to share.

In verse 12 we read the younger of two brothers approaches their father and says I would really like to have my inheritance now (basically so he can enjoy it before HE becomes an old man). What he is really saying to his dad is "I wish you were dead NOW so I could have what is coming to me." Wow- what a sentiment to a father whom has loved and nurtured him in great comfort!

But notice the father does not rebuke him, try to persuade him otherwise or decline him. Rather, he divides his wealth between the two brothers.  Notice also the father does not weep for his son despite the ugliness he received from his youngest son.  I think this is because the father knew his son's heart and he would soon run through all his wealth because he was prodigal and had no foresight of the future. A reckless child, if you will. I think he knew the son would be destitute and back home soon.

Once the impertinent youth ventures from the rural area where life is relatively inexpensive and he goes to a big city, he lives an apparent life of partying and fool-hardiness to satisfy his heart. Soon, the money gone and severe famine bring this young man to his knees. Starving, he accepts a job feeding pigs garbage and refuse, or slop.

If you have ever been around slop, you know how vile it smells, and knowing Jesus is talking to Jews, the lowest form of animal is a pig, we get a sense of just how desperate a situation the prodigal son is in. He soon realizes these animals are eating better than him, even his father's slaves have it better off than him so it is not a hard decision to finally admit in humility the error of his ways and beg forgiveness of his father so he might be a lowly slave.

In other words, the son has NO idea just how much his father loves him, and the depths of his forgiveness for his son.

As the son approaches home from afar, the father sees him and is so overcome with joy that his lost son is now home what does he do? He RUNS to the son.  Again, realizing this is to a Jewish audience, the significance of his running is not lost on Jesus' audience. What it illustrates is the dignity of an elder Jewish man running, like a little boy, to bring his son to comfort and embrace him is an extremely powerful analogy of course to how much our Father rejoices when we turn our back on our prodigal lives and return to His embrace.

The son begs forgiveness and asks to be put to work, but alas, the father will have none of it! A robe is given him, a ring and sandals, and then a calf is sacrificed for a great party in the son's return. Symbolically that means there is a party when a child accepts the Kingdom and the blood of Jesus.

Meanwhile, the elder son is so busy with his works, he does not even notice his own flesh and blood returning. He is so focused doing what he thinks is right he fails to rejoice in this victory of his father. Instead, his pride makes him angry and will not permit him to enter the feast to honor his brother's return.

I must admit, I can certainly identify with this visceral reaction of the flesh. I have been wronged by believer and non-believer alike, and the flesh wants revenge but the Holy Spirit thankfully whispers to me to let it go and love nonetheless. (He is also kind enough to remind me I have offended others) which certainly helps me manage the bitter taste in my mouth.

But what the sons says next is quite revealing to me. He confronts his father and says I have "slaved" here while my brother has partied, yet you never gave me so much as a goat to enjoy with my friends."

REALLY? I'm sorry, sir, but I believe just a few short verses ago you inherited 2/3 of your father's wealth, and have continued to work it. While he may want to use the example of "like a slave" to describe his efforts, I submit that is the responsibility of a landowner. He is sustaining his wealth and livelihood by working. His pride has blinded him, making him feel he is the better son and more deserving of the father's love and adoration. I am so thankful my God does not think that way! It shows the imperfection of our flesh

But as always, there is more. He clearly missed how much HIS father loved him because he felt HE should have been recognized for doing his job! His responsibility as the eldest is to work the land and livestock! He is angry in his heart because his father never thanked him for what he had done or for his loyalty. I wonder, just how many times did he thank his father for the love and comfort he enjoyed?That is to say, the eldest sought recognition for his works!

He was not doing his works for the right reason- he was doing it out of duty and not faith.  This is where I think many of us are prodigal ourselves. We often get mired in a worldly situation and lose control of ourselves and find us behaving, at least in one manner or another, like the prodigal son. Yet the Almighty Father welcomes us with open arms every time we turn our back on the world and look to Him. The sooner we do that and realize the depth of His love for each and everyone of us, the sooner we will realize and experience this love. The eldest son obviously led a life not nearly as fulfilled as God intended, but because he was focused on his efforts and not on the Lord, he missed out on so many blessings.

So I ask in closing, which son was truly lost? How many blessings are waiting for you right now?

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Are you a model for your family to follow to Christ?


Continuing from my last post, during our conversation, Gene mentioned his children had indicated they did not want to go to church. He had taken them for the first 6 months and said that was all they had to do. After that it would be up to them to attend. He was now concerned they did not WANT to go to church any longer.

What immediately occurred to me was perhaps they did not see a substantial change in his persona or how he behaved as the head of the house. There is little doubt God has used many people with various backgrounds as new followers to be the testimony for Him in their circles of friend. When there is a substantial change in the behavior and beliefs of someone who may have been an alcoholic or perhaps into drugs and then a sudden shift in their lives takes them away from that, most people want to know WHAT changed them. These are some of the most powerful testimonies for Christ- the stark contrast from what we are accustomed to from that person to an upstanding person and a leader now. It will either prompt someone to ask what is going on and how do I get that or to condemn the person as being a fake and saying "I know your history."

Whatever the outcome, there are needless to say millions of examples of these amazing transformations. Consider the story of Saul of Tarsus who became the Apostle Paul. Saul was responsible the imprisonment and death of many Christians, and was feared, yet God used him mightily as an Apostle and as an author of much of the New Testament.

So here we were, having a discussion, one father to another, and I so desperately wanted to "pounce" and tell him what I thought.

Notice what I wrote there? TELL HIM WHAT I THOUGHT? That is the LAST thing I should have done. How could that have been conveyed other than a sanctimonious arrogant jerk thinking I am better than him.

Perhaps the better tact is to use examples of Paul and others in later conversations and discuss how those dramatic changes of heart have led many to Christ, or to be able to quote scripture like James 1:19,20 - Be slow to wrath, because the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Anger is often a parent's Achilles's heel. With the stresses we face every day at work, we can sometimes lash out and hurt those we love most.

Perhaps if Gene had been doing this at home and then suddenly changed, I think his kids would be more inclined to follow him to church.

Is that fair of me to insinuate or presume to know what kind of parent he is? No, but I have picked up tidbits here and there and can make an assumption of how he might behave at home, and when taken in context with his concerns about his kids' not wanting to go to church, it makes sense.

The only problem- I am JUDGING him, which is very dangerous. Until we know all the facts, have walked in his steps, we are not able to accurately understand his motivations and therefore cannot and should not judge. This is best left to God and His infinite wisdom to condone/condemn us for our actions.

Now imagine if I had made the comment about his not changing enough at home to make his children want to go to church and he needs to look at himself when he is actually a loving and caring father his sons would do anything for?

That is the danger of presuming to know what is in the heart of your friend and being able to tell them how to live their lives when you are not as perfect as you think you are which I wrote about earlier in Are Your Glasses Clean?. I would have stepped right into the one trap so many Christians are guilty of doing, or at least are perceived to do to non believers. And whether it is true or not, perception IS reality.

Prayer is the only answer for a situation like this unless you are clergy and they are seeking your advice. For the layperson, we must support and pray for Divine wisdom to be given to Gene in his situation which is what I would want if I was in his position: a friend, not a friend judging me.