Scripture
We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
~Matthew 15:24, NLT
Quote
The law condemns the best of us but GRACE saves the worst of us.
~Joseph Prince
Some 52 years ago next month, my mother threw me a surprise party on my 16th birthday. I don’t know what I was thinking that Sunday night but a party was the last thing on my mind. I was surprised to the point that I went into shock which explains to this very day why I don’t like surprises. I walked in to a dark room and suddenly the lights came on and teenagers were hollowing ‘surprise.” It overwhelmed me. I was stunned literally. I cannot to this day tell you one person who was there: I remember clearly worked with mother to set me up but after the ‘surprise,’ I don’t remember a thing. The prodigal son made some unwise choices. In order to pursue his lust for pleasure and self-indulgence he gave up some things that millions of kids would give their right to have: A loving father, a beautiful home, servants, plenty of food, a good job and a bright future. His pursuit of sinful pleasure turned into insanity. He ended up broke, hungry and living with pigs. When he came to his senses {literally}, he thought, “I must be crazy; even the hired hands at my fathers’s house have plenty to eat and here I am so hungry I could eat slop.” If you are eating slop with pigs because no one else cares anything about you when you could be having a party with the one who loves you most–You are nuts! The boy changes his mind about sin, his father, home, work and decides to throw himself at the mercy of his father. Wow, was he in for a surprise!
He went home with a confession hoping to get a job and he would have been happy with just a job but his LOVING FATHER overwhelmed him with GRACE. He started his confession but Dad interrupts and bang, bang, bang, the Father gives him gift after gift. The kid had to be overwhelmed by his FATHER’S love, compassion and goodness. I bet this kid was stunned by his FATHER’S kindness and generosity. The kid is not the only one is shock, the Pharisees who are listening to the story are also in shock but for a different reason–there is no justice in this story. The boy deserved a beating not a blessing. Why didn’t the FATHER make the kid earn His favor? I’m going to answer their question: Because it is impossible for we humans to earn our heavenly FATHER’S favor. Do you have a right to breathe? Do you have a right to be forgiven? God loves us with an everlasting love; what have we done to deserve such love? NOTHING, we have done nothing. Every good and perfect gift that comes from our LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER is undeserved: everything, even our breath, is GRACE.
Had someone done interviews with the two sons, their answers would have been radically different:
Interviewer to the Prodigal: “Son, you were gone to the far country for several years and today you are in your FATHER’S house enjoying this wonderful party. How do you explain this?”
Prodigal: “It’s all my FATHER. He gets the credit for everything. I have acted like a fool. I came home hoping for a job and He has given me a robe, ring, shoes and this party. I don’t deserve any of this. The only reason I am here to day is my FATHER. He is a good, good Father, and he deserves all the praise.”
Interviewer to Elder Brother: “Why are you not inside with your FATHER enjoying the celebration?”
Elder Brother: “Because I have nothing to celebrate. I can’t believe my FATHER has forgiven him. He did not deserve to be forgiven and he sure doesn’t deserve a party. I have worked my fingers to the bone. I have slaved just for my FATHER and yet he never even gave me a goat stew so I could celebrate with my friends.”
Do you see the radical difference? Those who understand GRACE are thankful and happy. Those poor fools on the point system always feel like their are victims to injustice. They can’t praise or celebrate for feeling the pain of injustice. They are unhappy and ungrateful. My advice, repent [get over it] and join the party: you are only hurting yourself.
- I had one computer to crash so I am down to my computer in the office building. I’m not sure how we are going to handle this: I usually post from the house.
- Let it rain!