In Luke's Gospel, chapter 15, Jesus tells three stories of lost things being found.
First a Sheep, then a coin, then a son.
The context?
"Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of the religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people- even eating with them! So Jesus told them this story...."
1) About a shepherd who had 100 sheep but lost one. He recklessly left the 99 to find the one.
2) About a coin. A woman had 10 coins (worth about a day's wage each) yet lost 1 coin. She searched her whole house until she found it.
3) And finally a Son. A rebellious younger son asked for his share of his inheritance. He leaves home. And begins to make a series of bad choices until he was poor, lonely, and feeding pigs.
Then Jesus tells us (remember this is a story) He came to his senses and returned home. His plan was simple.
He would work back the debt he had toward his father. He would beg and plead and hope his dad would let him work for him.
These stories have always amazed me.
Our view of God effects how we live our lives. If we view him as Father, as a loving parent, we will seek intimacy. Yet, if we see him as distant or worst (abusive) we will and should run. Is God offended at my sin? Does God simply tolerate me?
You see, human beings have an evolutionary trait called "Fight or Flight" existent. If your ancestors did not have this trait you would not be alive today. This trait made your ancestors aware of legitimate threats.
It is a good trait! We know to fight against things that could kill us or worst case: Run for our lives!!!
But what would happen if we view someone as a threat that isn't a threat?
What if we believed God to be a threat?
Without a relationship with God through Christ we are alienated from God.
We Fight:
"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior."- Colossians 1:21
Was God my enemy? Yes.
But was he ever mine? No.
When I seek to find pleasure and worth outside of God. When I fight against what I was created for, I am making God to be my enemy.
But when I love, forgive, serve, seek peace. Then I am making God my Friend. I was created for these things.
We Flight:
"All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all."- Isaiah 53:6
But not only do we fight God but we have run away from Him. Isaiah tells us that we are like sheep that have strayed away.
Back to Luke 15
Let's return to the story of the Prodigal Son. A story of Two Sons. If we read it too quickly we miss that not only is the younger son lost but so is the older.
He was lost in his pride. "I have always been with my Father," he declared.
Jesus reminds us that there are two ways to be lost.
Younger Son was considered lost because he did bad things but the older son was prideful for doing the right thing for the wrong reasons.
In this story there are two sons. Jesus is telling this story to two groups of people.
The Sinners and tax collectors represent the Younger Son while The Pharisees and teachers of the law represent The Older Son.
So when the Younger Son returned to the Father, what do you think happened? What would they have thought?
They would have thought the younger son would be lucky if the father would allow the son to work back his debt. The Father could have had his son killed. He could have his revenge.
Is this how we see God?
Does he want revenge? Is He angry with you? Is that even possible?
This is not the Father revealed to us by Christ. The Father doesn't wait for the Son to return. He runs to his son. He greets him. He kisses him. He kills the fated calf for him. He has a party, "for this lost son of mine was dead but is now alive."
As they celebrate inside, the older brother refuses to forgive and celebrate the return of his brother. The Father leaves the party and PLEADS with his son to come inside.
No. He will not. His pride does not allow it.
What a horrible older brother!
Jesus intentionally gives us a Pharisee as an older brother in his story to long for something (or Someone) better.
A good older brother would have left the house to search for his brother. He would have left heaven to get his brother. He would have died for him.
You see where I am going right?
In Lent, we remember Jesus suffered, he was killed. So we might give up chocolate or give up eating meat on Friday. Okay.
Do that if it draws you closer to God.
But we cant miss what this season is truly about.... Jesus wanted to reveal the heart of the father so He left Heaven. Not to appease God. But to demonstrate love.Not because he had to but because he wanted to.
We fight God.
We flight from God.
We think we can do things better our own way.
Yet even when we fight God, God is fighting for our hearts. He is wooing us. He is drawing our hearts to his.
And when we run. God runs to us.
Do you know God loves you? Do you know how much he treasures you.
So what's the catch? There has to be a catch.
Donate money, right?
Say a prayer, right?
Do a crusade, right?
No.
The only thing God wants from you is you. He wants you to stop running and stop fighting. Stop acting like his love isn't enough.
Be a child. Be loved. Be known fully by the God of the universe.
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