Luke 15:11-32- Most of you know the story of the Prodigal son, in short, a son who had a very good life with his family, decided he wanted more, became greedy and asked his father to give him his inheritance early. The father, being loving, but wanting his son to have free choice, gave him his inheritance, the son went, to a city, in my mind, something like that of Vegas (although Ive never been there, just the name, "sin city") that concept is what comes to my mind. He spends all of his money and is forced to have a job in the pig pen feeding livestock and he barely has enough to live on, he goes back to his fathers farm, asking not for his fathers love, but just to be able to be hired as one of his men, the father takes him in his arms and welcomes him home, he actually ran to his son and held him close.
This is an amazing picture of what God does for us....but let me tell you why Im sharing it, lately I have been facinated with this story. I have always liked it, because it reminds me some what of my brother and I. I, being the older son in this story, which is half accurate, except I am the daughter and I am my daddys little princess :) but I digress.....the point is, these boys are so different, much like Bryan and I.
Allow me to take you to our childhood a little bit, I am 2 and 1/2 years old than Bryan, the day he came home from the hospital, I really was not happy, I was happy being the "only pebble on the beach", as my parents say. I loved the attention and really had no desire to share it. However, about a week in, Bryan became my beloved bestfriend, and I became, what I have lovingly been referred to in my family ever since, "the mother hen". I loved to boss Bryan around, I loved to dress him in my little dresses (sorry to embarrass you Bryan, but you have some stories like this about me too:)), but most of all, I just loved to have talks with him. As we grew up our rooms were right across the hall from each other, and we would often talk to each other late at night about things of the day and we became, as I said, bestfriends....but what reminds me of us in the story of the prodigal son goes far deeper. First, I imagine these brothers being close like Bryan and I were, at least I think it would be nice if that were the case.
But as I said, Bryan and I are also very different people. From the day I was born, I have been very clingy to people, and I have HATED to be alone. I still do. When I was a baby, my mom would rock me and I would fall fast asleep, but the minute she laid me down and left the room, I cried, I hated the idea of being in there alone. When it was time to play, I needed someone to play with toys with me, I didnt want to do it alone. My brother on the other hand, very much a low maintence child. He would take his bottle at night, and let mom hold him for a few minutes, for her satisfaction more than his it would seem, and then he wanted to be left alone, lay him in his crib, leave the room, he needed his alone time. When he got older, he loved playing with his toys alone, he loved to entertian himself and he liked his space. TOTAL OPPOSITES the two of us.
As life went on, you see it even more. I am much more of a people pleaser than my brother is. He loves people and cares for them very much, but, he doesnt care about what they think as much as I do. He was able to laugh and let things roll of his back, much easier than I when people would say hurtful things, I only wish I could. and he was able to know that those that did love him, were what mattered. I will never forget the day that I came home just bawling from some hurtful words someone said at school, my mom held me and cried with me, never wanting me to feel this pain, and Bryan, being only 4 at the time, came up to me and said "Sissy, I will always love you, no matter what." I have never forgotten that, because he has always been true to his word. He cared about me, and he wanted his words to mean more to me than the mean ones did.
I was listening to Mark Driscoll talk about the Prodigal Son today, he put this into 2 categories, the rebellious (younger son) and the regious (older son), both having many problems, neither one fully living in the right. You see, this is where Bryan and I differ too, not now, back then. I always wanted to follow the rules, I never even had a desire to try things that were wrong, and I very rarely wanted to do anything that might even remotely be sin. That was my life as a Christian, even up into high school, life as clean as I can, follow all the rules, so that God wont get mad at me and will still love me.
Bryan, was not a bad guy, by any means, and the man that he is today is someone who I am deeply proud of, God has used him and transformed him in ways that I can not even begin to describe to you. But if you were to look at this story, in our high school years, Bryan would have been the younger son.
But as I said, neither one of the sons were right. Much like in our story, and at times in our lives, I think Bryan and I have switched roles, he the religious and I the rebellious. You see, the rebellious son, he out right was sinning, his sin was all over on the outside, you could see it, I picture him as strung out on drugs, his clothes are dirty, he has lost alot of weight, he just looks like the filth he has filled his life with. When people look at him, they see his sin, right out there, no denying it, no hiding it, its there.
Now the religous guy, his sin is on the inside. He may have it all put together on the outside, but on the inside his heart is judgmental, he thinks he is better than those around him, because outwardly he looks the part. He is sething with anger and envy toward his brother. His heart and mind are filled with thoughts of anger and impurity. You see, while he doesnt look fithy on the outside, on the inside, he looks AWFUL! And he, is living in just as much sin as his brother. Both of them equally bad, neither one of them living a life that shows they have been redeemed by grace.
Mark Driscoll put it this way, and Im not sure if I agree, he said that neither one of these sons actually loved their father, they were just using him. I dont know, I wasnt in their hearts, but by looking at them and their story, one could come to this assumption. They did all these hurtful things to their father, and as long as they had something to gain from him, they continued to use him. I wonder, do we do the same thing to our heavenly father?
This week I have had the chance of babysitting, alot, all the kids great kids, all wonderful parents as well. Yesterday, I was with Issac, Sophie, and Zekers (Ezekiel), and we watched the Wonderful World of HA'S, Veggie Tales take on the Wizard of Oz :) The story was all about the prodigal son, as Junior Asparagus realized he had spent all his money and felt his father could never forgive him for all he had done, and he walked back and his father scooped him up in his "arms" (they are vegetables, no arms :)) but as this scene continued, I got a little teary, realizing thats what God does for me.
Living with children now, as my roommate has 2 children of her own, that she shares with her husband, I have been learning alot of lessons lately. But we sat and talked about Easter together and my friend Tiffany looked at her daughter Emily and said, "Emmy, Jesus did all that for you", as we watched a scene of him dying on the cross. Tears streamed down my face, I guess I had never thought about it in those words before, in the way a child can understand it, it was as if God was speaking to me through Tiffany, which I believe he was, as she said this to Emily, Jesus said to me, "Becky, I did that for you, I love you".
You see, being the relgious one, I have know all the right answers for most of my life, I have done the right things alot, I have done alot for Jesus, but what does it all mean? You see, the rebellious son, he had a chance to see it, first hand, his father scooped him up and said, I love you son, Welcome Home!
I want that too! My brother, as I said before has had an amazing transformation in life, and I am so thankful I have had the chance to see it and even get to be a small part of it. I got the chance to see his prodigal son moment. He turned his life back to Christ, after a time of my praying for him and many others too, as I saw it, tears streamed down my face. He knew God loved him and he was accepting it, he has NEVER turned back, God has transformed him, he scooped him up, wiped his tears, and held him close, and now when people look at Bryan, they are able to see Christ. In fact, he is a missionary now, he is living daily to serve the God that changed his life.
I want that too, I want people to see Christ when they look at me, I want to be so affected and transformed by his love that I cant help but share it with those around me. We are all the prodigal son, or the older son, or both, but all of us are sinners in need of saving by grace. Today, will you allow God to scoop you up in his arms and hold you and forgive you and welcome you back to his family? Im thankful I did, and I praise God everyday that my baby brother did and that because of our choices, many more will have the chance to be accepted by these arms as well.
I love you all.
Becky
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