Today being
Thinking about the parable of the prodigal son… You can read
about it in Luke 15:11-31. The son went
to his father and asked for his inheritance so he could go have some fun and
live his life the way he wanted. The
father did as the son asked, even though I am sure the father knew it was not
the best thing for his son, but he had to let him find that out for
himself. After the son burned through
the money with crazy living, he realized what he had given up to enjoy himself
for a season. It is then you can see the
brokenness in the son… his heart had to be broken to seek repentance. A change of life-direction shown by his
hunger for restoration… he could see his life of sin was leading no where; he
longed to be home with his father. He
humbled himself to confess that what he had done violated his love for God and
for others. He cried out for mercy… he
knew he deserved nothing, but he was willing to live as a slave just to be
close to his father again.
Now the forgiveness part of the story… I believe that the
father was ready to forgive his son before he even walked out the door. The father had hopes and dreams for his child
and he knew being angry and disgusted with his son would not help the situation
at all. The father could have tried to
coax his son or cater to his son just to keep him close, but he knew he had to
allow his son the freewill to learn life lessons on his own. That doesn’t mean
that what his son was doing was okay with him, but that no matter he loved him
and was waiting to welcome him home when the time came. The father in this story represents the
unexpected forgiving heart of God… he hopefully anticipated that his son would
repent and be restored to his family. He
courageously humbled himself to receive his son with loving arms… the world may
have seen it as weakness when it was actually the greatest act of love. He gave mercy to his son because of his son’s
repentant heart… he restored his sonship instead of making him grovel as a
slave. And finally, he celebrated that
his son had changed his direction from death and destruction to life and
reconciliation.
And the unforgiving heart… the older son was jealous that
his brother was received back home with open arms after what he had done. What does an unforgiving heart get you? A hard heart… he felt justified in feeling
outrage towards his brother and probably even his father… he would rather be
angry by himself than choose to forgive and celebrate with his family. A vengeful heart… his only focus was to see
his little brother pay for all he had done to hurt the family… rather than show
his brother love and mercy and thankfulness that his brother made it back home
alive. A prideful heart… he refused to
have a relationship with his father and brother… he wanted to sit in his
rightness rather than live in righteousness.
“And whenever you
stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it
go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own]
failings and shortcomings and let them drop. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in
heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.” Mark 11:25-26
I admit, I can be stubborn and rebellious… my pride and my
flesh refuse to forgive, but then I am reminded that I also have received forgiveness
for so much. I came to God in repentance
and drank deeply of His water of grace and mercy from the well of God’s
forgiveness. (Luke 7:47) I have to
remember forgiveness is about my heart condition not the heart of the one I am
forgiving… it is for me not for them.
Our unwillingness to forgive those who have harmed us
reflects our failure to understand God’s love for us. This ability to love and forgive can come
only by first being forgiven by God.
Have you taken that first step?
Rejoicing in Truth!
