God'Amazing Grace

I have been studying the prodigal son in Luke 15. I have read this before so many times and heard it preached on so many times. But as I studied it in preparation to preach I am amazed anew at Gods love and grace.

During this sermon I looked at three things. The son. The father. The reception.

The son: his request to his father was completely selfish and humiliating to the father. Essentially he was saying to the father: I wish you were dead! You are in my way and so I want what is coming to me so that I can get on with my life. He then takes what his father has given him and spends it on loose living which apparently included prostitues.  This is an insult added to injury for the father. Not only does the son humiliate and hurt him with his request, but he then spends the money on a lifestyle that the father would never approve of.

The Father: when I think of this father I think of my own dad. He was a rancher and worked so hard to provide for his family. He worked outdoors in the Texas heat for many a long hour to provide for us. I went to Baylor and he paid for all of it without any financial help. My youngest brother was born with Downs Syndrome. Since he would never be able to provide for himself my dad also set aside money to  provide for my brother when my parents were no longer able to provide for him.  My wife and I will probably have my brother when my parents pass on. Yet my dad worked hard enough and long enough to set aside funds to provide for him so that he would not be a financial burden to us. The point is that this man was probably like my dad and worked hard to provide for his family. Suddenly his son now asks for his inheritance. Not to spend it wisely but to spend it foolishly. And on a lifestyle that his father would never approve of. 

 Put yourself in the father’s shoes! All of his hard work! All of his savings! All of his sacrifices! It has all gone to naught as the younger son spends it without regard on whatever sinful pleasures he can find! Imagine his hurt. His own flesh and blood is so selfish that he wished that he (the Father) were dead so that he could get on with his life. But the hurt comes from a love for his child that even though he has been hurt by his son’s callousness he is watching and waiting and hoping for the son to return. 

Someone wrote this about the father: Day after day he gets up and waits and watches. Every time someone appears on the horizon his heart jumps with anticipation and hope only to be disappointed as it is always someone else. Every night he lays down with disappointment, hurt and nostalgia as his bedmates. His dreams are filled with memories of his son and happier times. Times in which they loved each other and sought to bring each other joy rather than hurt. Smiles rather than tears. Laughter rather than sobs. Morning comes and the endless cycle continues until one day there appears on the horizon a young man. This time however, its different. There is something about that walk. Something in the way he moves that is so familiar. It is him! The joy is uncontainable and cannot be held back. He can’t wait for his son to get here. He has to see him and touch him. So rather than waiting, he runs! The run is not easy. His feet, knees and back hurt. His lungs gasp for breath after running only a short distance, yet he continues to run. When he gets closer he sees what his heart has already told him. It is his son! He wraps his arms around him and kisses him. His son is trying to speak. He says something about not being worthy to be called his son! Nonsense! He will always be his son regardless. Nothing that he can ever do will change that! What matters now is that he is home! And even though he has caused significant pain and hurt, that is in the past and he will now be restored to his rightful place as son! And the celebration begins!

The reception: The tendency is to believe the way the Religious leaders of that day believed. They and we would agree that if the son returned that the father should initially refuse to see him. That would be logical. It would help maintain the father’s dignity and honor. The son had hurt him hadn’t he. Give him a cool reception! Give him a cold shoulder! Make him sit outside the gate of the family home or the city gate for awhile. Make him work to restore himself! Make him do menial tasks! Make him do all the chores and the work that no one else wants to do! That makes sense! And after all that, then maybe restore him to a place in the family. But the father doesn't do this. Instead he gives his wayward son a reception that I find incredible.

The run: Having to hike up the robes and run would have been very undignified. For a man of the father's stature this would be very demeaning. He lost his dignity! Yet the father loved his son so much that he was willing to lose that dignity to get to his son. 

The hug and the kiss: The son probably stunk! He had been slopping hogs and had probably traveled a long way on hot and dusty roads. He probably had not bathed in some time. Yet, the father did not stand at a distance, but instead hugged and kissed him. 

The father then gave him his own robe. The robe stood for honor. The best robe would have belonged to the father and worn only on special occasions.  There was about to be a celebration and the robe that the father would have worn, is now going to be worn by the wayward son. 

The father also gave the son his ring which would have been the signet ring which bore the families crest and used to seal documents to authenticate them.  It stood for authority. The father was now giving the son a place of authority when he did not deserve it. It also gave the son authority to commit financial decisions. And he certainly did not make wise financial choices with his inheritance. Yet he is still given the ring.

He is also given sandals: slaves usually did not wear shoes and so it signified a restoration to sonship. The son receives a reception that he never expected and the religious leaders (and us) are shocked by the father’s love and grace. Especially the giving of the ring and the robe which should have gone to the older son. 

The religious leaders and us would have expected that if the son had come back that he would have had to return the way he, himself expected. As a hired hand. They would have expected punishment. They would have expected him to work his way back into the family! They would never have expected the father to throw a party for the son and then return him to his former position.

Of course this is parable showing us how great the Father's love is towards us and all of mankind. To me its a stunning show of how much God loves me and you. Don't ever doubt your worth to God. If you ever do, reread this parable and learn to enjoy your relationship with God. He loves you so much.

But this also is a reminder of how much God loves others! And when we remember how much He loves others, it reminds us that we are to love others like God does. Its hard sometimes. Others treat us in ways that hurt sometimes! Life isn't fair and others contribute to that often. Words and actions by others sometimes sting. Sometimes others actions and words do much more than sting. They can alter you and your loved ones lives forever! I have seen this happen recently and the hurt is enormous! 

But we have to remember God's love for us during these times and at the same time remember Gods love for the ones that hurt us well! His love is unconditional! And He wants is to love unconditionally as well!

We are all special in Gods eyes

I just hooked up with an old classmate in high school on Facebook. He and his family were very low income and were often looked down upon by others in the school. They lived in a house that probably had no running water, central heat or air. They came to school in very worn and tattered clothes. They often looked like they had not bathed in some time. Needless, to say they were outcasts in our school.
As he messaged me on Facebook he expressed deep feelings about being bullied. 30 years later he is still having great difficulty dealing with the fact that he was bullied throughout school. In fact he wrote that he didn't have a family because he didn't want his children bullied. Imagine that! Let that sink in! He didn't want a family, because he didn't want his children to be bullied!!!
I can't imagine the bitterness and hurt that he has suffered for so long. I'm not sure "sad" is even the word that describes the situation. A person's life has been damaged severely by the lack of love and compassion that could have been shared by his classmates and by myself. I carry a load of guilt because I could have been a better friend and at least lessened the feeling of rejection that he felt. Maybe I could have changed his life. Maybe he would have a wife and children if I or someone had reached out and befriend him. Maybe his life would have been so much different.
There is a lesson here for all of us. Not just our children in school but for us also as adults. Everyone wants to feel loved and needed. While bullying is not so commonplace in the adult world it still happens as we have seen in the recent NFL headlines coming out of Miami. But regardless, we, as adults may not bully per se, but we may look down or criticize or ignore others in our life. Often there is a silent bullying that occurs.
What is so important is that we reach out with love and compassion to those in our life. The person in our life that needs to feel loved and appreciated may be the person lying next to us in bed, or just down the hallway. We often overlook our family and assume that they know we love them. But we often take them for granted and we need to show them our love and appreciation everyday. Do they KNOW that we love them and need them? Do they know that we want them? That they are important to us.
But we also need to reach out to those that God brings into the peripheral circles of our life. It may be the person that bags our groceries, the waitress, the check in person at our hotel. For me as a Physical Therapist it may be one of my patients, or one of my wife's students that she evaluates at school.
Regardless we are to love everyone that God brings into our lives. Not just those that are lovable. Sometimes the ones that need love the most are those that are the most unlovable for whatever reason. They may be someone that is not good looking according to the world's standards, they may have few possessions, or have a personality that it irritating to many. But regardless God made them and we are to love them. And when we love them we make a difference in their life. We share God's love with them and help them realize they really are important.
It haunts me that one man felt so unloved that he would not have children because he didn't want his children to be treated the way he was. It motivates me to love more freely and unconditionally. It encourages me to be bold and take the initiative to make sure that those in my life know that they are love and appreciated! How about you?