Daily Prayer - A tale of two sons

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 

Jesus tells several parables in Chapter 15 of Luke's Gospel.  The most famous of these is the Parable of the Lost (or Prodigal) Son.  Luke first sets the scene by telling us who Jesus' audience was:

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:1-2). 

So there are two groups present: first the tax collectors and other "sinners", and secondly the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, who could not understand why Jesus would even want to associate with this first group.  They were offended that He would rather spend time with "those people" than with them. (Isn't it interesting that the tax collectors were so despised they rated their own category apart from sinners?!). 

 

Jesus speaks to both of these very different groups with this parable.  If you recall, there were two brothers in the story: "There was a man who had two sons." (Luke 15:11).  The tax collectors and sinners, and probably you and I, can relate to the journey of the younger son.  At one time we were separated from God but found grace and mercy when we returned.  The last part of the parable, however, was intended as a message for the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. They are represented by the older brother in the story.  Remember what happened when he returned from the fields where he had been working, and found out his father was throwing a party for his sinful, unworthy brother?

The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

 

"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' (Luke 15:28-32)

The heart of the God is truly revealed here, and we might find it convicting.  I know I do.  The father says to his older son "you are always with me".  THAT is what is most important to Him, not that we have "slaving" for Him, not that we never disobeyed Him, but that we are in a loving relationship with Him, spending time with Him.  Everything He has is ours, He gives it all to us. Why would we ever resent what has been given to someone else?  The longer we are "back home" with God, the easier it is to move from being the younger son to being the older one.  Let us always remember what is truly important: that God is ALWAYS with us, loves us, and has great things in store for us.

 

See yourself today as a son/daughter in your Father's house and hear Him speak to you these powerful words, "You are always with me, and everything I have is yours."

 

I pray your relationship with God is characterized by unity, surrender, and joy. But if you aren't experiencing intimacy with the Lord, He desires to reveal Himself in a personal way to you. Let go of pride, confess your sin and rebellion, and devote yourself to a relationship with Him. David wrote, "In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever" (Ps. 16:11). Only God can satisfy the deepest longings of your heart. Take time to discover the awesome depth of the Father's love through an intimate relationship with Him. (Charles Stanley http://www.intouch.org/you/sermon-outlines/content?topic=our_intimacy_with_god_sermon_outline)

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce

 

 

Lord, help us to remember that it is not what we do for You that brings you pleasure but rather remind us daily that it is an intimate, honest, and loving relationship with us that You desire.

 

Keep us grateful that we were once lost, but now are found.

 

Help us to treat the many around us who are lost with the grace that we were freely given.

 

Amen.