As I sat this afternoon, the lyrics of an old Andrea Crouch song came to mind. Therein lies truth.
Through it all
Through it all
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus
I’ve learned to trust in God
Through it all
Through it all
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word (Through It All 1971)
Luke 15:11-24 (<<click here to read the passage)
A few weeks back Karen and I were able to donate blood with the Red Cross and as I was waiting, who should I see but a retired professor of mine who had just donated blood himself. Through the course of our conversation, he recommended a movie and the book on which it was based. The book was The Rocket Boys (October Sky) written by American engineer Homer Hickam, Jr. It is the story of his pursuit of amateur rocketry while growing up in a small mining town in southern West Virginia.
As I read through this passage of Luke today a couple of incidents came to mind from the book. He was a typical teenage boy and got himself in trouble quite often. When things would blow up (sometimes literally!) he would say he was sorry but, especially when it involved his mom, I often felt that he was sorry that he got caught and to some degree sorry that he destroyed something or hurt her feelings but he didn’t seem to really be sorry for what he had done.
Here is one little quote,
I had a lot of experience dealing with my mother when she got mad at me. The best approach was to throw myself immediately on her mercy. I sought her out, finding her in the kitchen. “Mom, I’m really sorry,” I said, my head bowed. I watched her out of the tops of my eyes to see what impact my declaration had made. (Hickman, Homer, Jr., 1998, Rocket Boys, p.278)
Many of us are guilty of that kind of “sorrow”, not that that is any kind of excuse. But the young prodigal in Jesus’ parable seems to be sorry that he royally messed up his life but realized that he would be better off at the bottom of the heap as a hired man working for his father than feeding swine.
Yes, he said, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son” v21 but, though there is an admission of guilt, he doesn’t really express his sorrow for his selfish ways.
But does it slow down his father? Not one bit! I don’t think the father even heard what the son said. He was just overjoyed that his son was home!
How many of us would expect the erring son to grovel and squirm a bit? How many of us would say, “You bet you’re going to work! I’ll put a roof over your head and feed you, but you’ve already squandered what pay you might have received! You should be grateful that I’ll allow that!” …right?
But aren’t we all glad that our heavenly Father reflects the father in Jesus’ story? The price for our sins has been paid in full. All He wants is for us to come home. He accepts us right where we are. Can you imagine what the son looked like and smelled like? Pee-yew! But this was the father’s reaction.
“…while [the son] was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” v20 NLT (emphasis mine)
Our heavenly Father sees us no differently. If anything, His love and compassion for us are greater by far! His joy is that we have come home. Everything else in our relationship will come in time.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for running to welcome me and taking me in Your arms! I surely did not deserve it but Your love conquers all! I’m glad to be HOME! Have you come home?
Sept 15th, 2020, Tues, 12:58 pm
