I'm Home, Dad

Man.. the thoughts tonight are going wild! It all started a few days ago when my professor told me a new perception he'd had when he read the story about the prodigal son. We've all heard the story; kid says he wants his inheritance. he takes it, he runs with it, he uses it, and he ends up in quite a precarious position. He ends up with nothing left. In fact, he's been feeding the pigs and finds the pig food to look good because he is so hungry. In that day and time, according to Leviticus and Deuteronomy, pigs were unclean animals. They couldn't be eaten (woo.. I'd miss the bacon!), nor could they be used for sacrifice. Jews wouldn't touch them (to protect themselves from defilement). For a Jew to stoop to feeding pigs created an extreme amount of humiliation! What was this kid to do, though? He had taken what had been freely given of him in his arrogance, and he had spent it blindly.

Let's back up a bit. This story is found in Luke 15. There are 2 other stories in that chapter that I'd like to highlight; the parable of the lost sheep, and the parable of the lost coin. In the parable of the lost sheep, a man has 100 sheep but one gets lost. He leaves the 99 others to go find that 1 sheep that has wandered off. Why? Maybe because he knows the other 99 are safer together than the 1 that is lost. Maybe because the 1 is worth looking for; it has value. Regardless, this is what the shepherd does; he goes out and finds that 1 sheep and returns to the 99 that have been safe together and he calls together his friends and rejoices with his friends that he has found his one lost sheep! In the same sense, the lady who lost her coin did the same thing; she was given 10 coins and she lost it. She swept the entire house and searched, carefully, until she found that one silver coin.

One lost sheep.
One silver coin.
One prodigal son.

It doesn't match up, does it? You've got these two stories about these people who lost something valuable; and then you've got this random story about a man who's son took part of his value away from him! What in the world?! Well the son finally decides to go home- he realizes that he can make a better living if he lives as a servant for his father. So while I was reading, a certain verse popped out at me (as I was reading chapter 15 for the 5th time today). Luke 15:20a, "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming."

Did you guys catch that? He returned home to his father... and while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming.

What?!

Sounds to me like his father was looking for him.

Wait?

Again.
This world doesn't make sense!
The father then proceeds to welcome this son that had left, taking his inheritance (only to spend it all), and ended up a hobo. Not only did he welcome him with open arms, but he had his servant bring the finest robe in the house to him, and even killed the fattest calf so that they could have a grand feast that this son, this son that left with the inheritance (only to spend it all), had finally returned home.

Home.

The older brother of this son who left home and took his inheritance (only to spend it all) is angry. Ya know, I'd be the exact same way. I stayed with my father and did what he asked and never took anything from him.. and yet this kid, my kid brother, is the center of a celebration.

What the crap?!
I'd be mad.
Just sayin'.

When the older brother asks his father why this his happening, his father simply says to him, "Look, my son, you have stayed by me and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. Your brother was dead and has come back to life. He was lost, but now he is found!"

The two responses are in contrast; the son, who is extremely angry about the situation- and the father, who is overjoyed at the events of the day! The father forgave because he was full of love.

Love.

The son refused to forgive because he was bitter; because he was angry. I don't blame him- I would have been too! But his resentment rendered him just as lost to the father's love as his younger brother had been.

Isn't that a wonderful feeling; that, just like in all three of these parables, Jesus is always looking for us? That, even when we do wrong, the love won't stop.

And it's not that it won't stop- but it won't decrease either.

The father had love, and the father forgave.

Don't let anything keep you from forgiving others. If you are refusing to forgive people, you are missing a wonderful opportunity to experience joy and share it.

Make your joy grow.

Forgive someone who has hurt you.

Love.