“‘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 15:31-32 NIV)
Last week I looked at the four responses of the older brother (I've always served you, I've never disobeyed you, you've never given me anything and 'but this son of yours'). Today I want to look at how the father in the story responds. He actually treats both his sons in the same way. He goes out to meet them and invites them to come home. The younger son responds but we're not sure what happens to the older son - the end of story is left open. Maybe it's left open to make us think of our own response. Though we don't like to admit it, we're like the older son in many ways and have as much need of a homecoming as the younger son. The father tells him two important things which we would do well to listen to: "You are always with me and everything I have is yours". I believe the Father says the same things to us. In the story, the older son couldn't receive it and my question for us is "can we?". Do you know that the Father is always with you? Everything that is his is yours too. I invite you to let these words of the Father sink into your heart; as they do, the servant-hearted responses of the older brother will begin to fade away. “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!" (Luke 15:28-30 NIV)
When we read the story of the lost sons we tend to concentrate on the younger son with his rebellion and then his homecoming. We identify with him as there is so much that is familiar to our own journey. Whenever we think of the older son we tend to point the finger at other people rather than look at ourselves. For a moment, therefore, I want us to look at our own heart and see how we respond in the same way as the older brother. He too was lost. Although he lived in his father's house he behaved like a servant - he was not home. In these few verses he responds in four ways to the invitation to join the party and welcome his brother home. His responses are: I've always served you, I've never disobeyed you, you've never given me anything and 'but this son of yours'. How telling they are! As we stop and think, we can see how they very often mirror our own response. We may not be so aggressive as the older brother but we often feel justified because we have always tried to do the right thing, as a servant rather than a son. Interestingly, it's the last response that is the most telling. The older brother doesn't see the return of a brother but rather the father's son - he's distancing himself and then proceeds to make assumptions and accusations. How does he know how his brother spent the inheritance? (we're not told in the story). All too often we do the same thing. Our self-righteous servant heart leads us to make judgments and accusations which show that our heart has not found its home. Next week I shall look at how the Father responds to his eldest son, because, he too, needed to come home. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2 NIV)
Last week I looked at the cycle of shame that so easily takes a hold of us. I ended with the powerful antidote to shame “The Father himself loves you”. Our Father wants us to be free, he does not want us to be held in any prison be it shame, unforgiveness, bitterness or sin. Not only does he want us to be free but he made it possible, by providing the way, for us to be really free and to live in freedom. Paul describes it as the ‘glorious freedom of the sons of God’ (Romans 8:21). It was for freedom that we were set free. We are released from the power of shame and therefore those nagging questions do not need to worm their way into our heart. As we walk in our freedom we discover that there is nothing more I must do, nothing more I must have and nothing more I must become. We are in Christ, that is our true home and, for each of us, that is a place of freedom. Freedom, by the way, is not the right to do as we please but rather being totally dependent on our Father as we live by the Spirit of life. Shame’s Destructive Lie
In you, LORD my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause. (Psalm 25:1–3 NIV). We’ve all done things, we do things and no doubt we’ll continue doing things that we immediately regret. All too often, when we feel the first stirring of that regret, there is a little lie that seeks to get inside our heart. It doesn’t really start off as a lie but rather as an innocent question which soon grows into the lie. The question is “why did you do that?” or “there you go again”. Immediately there is an opportunity for condemnation and guilt to land in our heart. Then the question grows: “you did that again”, “look at you, you’re not very good are you?”, “you’ve failed again”, “you’re a failure”, “because you’ve failed, you’re not a good person” Before long it’s grown into “you’re not loveable and therefore you’re not loved”. What started off as doubt soon becomes a blanket of shame that we pull over ourselves and which causes us to hide. Once it grabs us the cycle of shame begins: there is something more I must do, there is something more I must have, there is something more I must become. Rather than letting those regrets sink you, can I encourage you to remind yourself of this powerful truth “The Father himself loves you” (John 16:27) Sometimes when we think about this we wonder how on earth it can be possible. We ask ourselves what we have to do in order to make it happen, it seems an impossible task.
Although it seems an impossible task it is truly possible for us to live in love. It's an impossible task as it doesn't originate in us - we love because he first loved us. Living in love is simply us being the recipients of the love that flows from the Father. God is love. He pours that love into our heart through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). What he does therefore is pour himself into our heart so his nature, character and personality fill us and begins to change us from the inside out. We think it's the other way - that we change ourselves through our own actions or beliefs. Yet it is love which is the biggest transforming power in the universe. As we are transformed by love we will become more like our elder brother, Jesus. In Exodus 33, Moses is having a conversation with God about how he is to lead the people. Firstly he asks who is going to help him, then he wants to learn God's ways and finally he realises it's all about God's presence going with him. When he sees that, he almost breathes an audible sigh of relief "if your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" (Exodus 33:15). Once he knows God's presence is with him he then has the confidence to see his glory. In doing so he gets a glimpse of the nature and character of God (Exodus 34:6-7). When Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations he is clearly not having a very good time. He is miserable and depressed, he has lost hope and everything has become too much for him. How often do we feel like that? It is at his low point that he remembers something, and as he does it gives him hope. His life returns as he remembers the most important thing - he is loved. "I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'the Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him'". (Lamentations 3:20-24 NIV) It is possible to live in love because we are not relying on something that we have to produce. We are relying on the steadfast, unchanging nature of the One who is love. His love never changes nor will it ever let us down. That is what can give you hope today. O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (Psalm 34:8 NASB)
Last week I started a discussion on choosing life. We have a choice and whilst love draws us in one direction we are completely free to decide our own response. Yet, the deeper we go and the more we journey with Father the less it seems like a decision, rather it feels like the obvious thing to do. Our heart longs for home, there is something inside of us that can't help but lean towards home. When we've seen and experienced the goodness of the Lord there is no other place we want to be than in his presence. Yes, we all make mistakes but those mistakes never disqualify us. Yes, we all need a second (and maybe a third) chance but that's ok; there's always a deeper homecoming for us to experience. So let's choose life and begin to walk as Jesus walked. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (John 15:9-11 NASB) I believe we are faced with a daily choice to choose life. It's generally not our default setting nor is it necessarily an automatic one. The choice before us is stark: dependence on our Father will lead us into life whereas our independence will cause something inside of us to die.
See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it…… So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. (Deut 30:15-20 NASB) Every choice we make has consequences. In Psalm 27 the psalmist shows us the decision he makes "this is what I seek, to dwell in the house of the Lord forever" and then records for us the consequence (or blessing) of that choice "I shall look on the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (v 13). One of the greatest expressions of love is the gift of choice, or the freedom to make choices, some of which may be good and some not so good! Love has to give a choice otherwise it becomes controlling, manipulative and automated. Without choice, love would lack its heart; in fact, without choice love would not be love. Not only does love provide us with a choice but it also provides us with a way home. There is always the opportunity for us to return. The cords of eternal love are wrapped around us and, rather than taking us prisoner, they draw us (or woo) us back into the Father's arms and embrace. It's a choice we face, not a command. The Father places a desire in our heart and as we respond to it we discover life (and as Jesus said: Life in all its fulness). That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched —this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3 NIV)
John writes this letter towards the end of his life, as he looks back and reflects he seems to have one overriding emphasis that he wants his readers to understand. He wants us to see that their relationship with God is deeply rooted in love. He is not presenting a theology or theory but rather showing what his own relationship with God has been like. He is the disciple that leant against Jesus at the last supper and the one who more fully understood the walk of love. What he describes for us is a relationship. In many ways he shows us what his relationship with God is like, how he has walked with God over many years. What he describes is something he has heard, seen and touched. He writes about an experience and it is that which he wants us (his readers) to imbibe. The climax of his letter is chapter four, verse sixteen where he makes a simple, three word statement which is probably one of the most powerful statements ever said. In those three words he sums up the nature, personality and character of God and also allows it to define the way we can relate to him. "God is love". Simple, yet powerful. These three words sum up the way in which John has come to know God, the Father. Our relationship is not based on performance, trying to do the right thing, following every aspect of the law. No, we simply become beneficiaries of the love that flows from the Godhead. We are made complete in love, love does not carry any of the fear associated with the law. We can come as children to our Father. John has learned to live like Jesus lived. Embraced in love, living in the love of the Father, relying and trusting in the experience of being loved. His encouragement for us is to live the same way. In fact, he says it is the only way for us to have confidence on the day of judgement, "in this world we are like Jesus" (1 John 4:17). Just as John experienced the love of the Father, he'd heard, seen and touched something; we, too can have the same experience. The love of the Father is not something we understand with our mind, it is something we live in - we experience it. As we do it will transform every area of our lives. We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. (1 John 4:16 The Message).
It is very clear from John 15 that the journey of a Christian is the way of love. Jesus describes this journey as "abiding in love" and this means so much more than simply 'staying put'. It has a sense of permanence, enjoyment, rest and of being at home. When we abide we are truly content and, I believe, able to relax. Abiding, however, is not a static state as it's a journey where we are rooted in sonship which, in turn, enables us to walk as Jesus walked. It enables us to come to the Father in a greater confidence, knowing that it is his desire to lavish good things on us and to see his will being brought to earth through us. The consequence of abiding is fruitfulness, it is not productivity. In his commentary on John's gospel, Stephen Hill writes: "Fruitfulness is not to be confused with productivity. Productivity is what we are engaged in when we are not abiding. Productivity is essentially self-generated whereas fruitfulness is generated from another Source." "The fruit of discipleship is to be a son like Jesus." These words in John's letter are experiential words, the NIV says we know and rely on the love God has for us. Our Father is totally dependable and reliable. His love for us shows us that we don't have to rely on ourselves or our own strength. We don't have to do or be anything in order to be accepted by him. It is his unchanging love for us which draws us into the place of life and the fruit that will inevitably follow. At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:1-5 ESV)
This seems to be a recurring theme with the disciples, somehow they spend a lot of time discussing who was the greatest. When Jesus gives them his answer I bet they wished they hadn't asked the question. But yet, as Jesus answered them, there would have been no judgement or criticism, in fact it would have been said with the gaze of love firmly upon them. There is only one way, Jesus said, and that is to come with a childlike heart. Having a childlike simplicity and dependence on another. In this case, on the Father. This is where the problem arose. For the disciples it was not easy, neither is it for us. We are not used to letting go of our pride and independence, we are not used to letting go of our self-sufficiency. I'm pretty sure Jesus knew all that, and despite the difficulty, it's the only way. There are two keys: turning and humility. We have to turn. Sometimes you'll hear people say it's complete 360° turnaround - well that would leave you facing in your original direction, not a real change. I prefer turning through 180°, that way you're facing the completely opposite direction. That's what Jesus wants us to do - to walk the other way. To have a childlike heart we need to turn round and start a different journey. It also takes humility (something we're not too good at). Humility is taking yourself off the pedestal, it's not self-deprecating but it's actually starting to see yourself for who you really are. True humility is described for us in Philippians 2 - Jesus, being the son of God, did not consider his equality with God something he could use to his own advantage, rather he made himself nothing and humbled himself. What Jesus said to his disciples probably offended them; don't let it offend you! I imagine you're familiar with the account of Jesus' baptism. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are together in physical form for all to witness, maybe for the first time in history. Jesus is baptised, the Holy Spirit descends as a dove and the Father speaks:
Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:10-11 NIV) This is a very personal word of affirmation which the Father speaks over his Son. In Matthew’s account it is a declaration about Jesus to the people listening and watching (“You are my Son….). Mark has chosen to record it as a personal and intimate declaration of a Father affirming his son simply for who he is. The Father affirms Jesus’ identity as a son, he affirms his love for him and finally he affirms the pleasure and delight his son brings him. It’s a deeply personal affirmation. After his baptism, Jesus was led into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan. You may feel like you’re in the wilderness, you may be facing many different struggles and it is in those struggles that you, too, can hear the Father say: “you are my son, you are my daughter, I love you, I delight in you”. These are words we all need to hear on a regular basis. Why not ask the Father to say them to you today! Last week I talked about the importance of a homecoming. The younger son came home, he may have thought it was to be a servant, however the father only had one aim and that was to re-instate him as a son. Sadly, the older brother didn’t have the same experience.
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. “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’” (Luke 15:28-29, 31 NIV) Whilst the sons responded differently, the father responds to both of them in the same way and with the same invitation. He goes out to his older son, just as he had for the younger one, and invites him to come in and join the celebration. The older brother can’t do it. He is so judgemental that his desire for right-ness overrides any desire for relationship. The father pleads with him and all that does is fall on deaf ears. Despite being given his share of the father’s property at the beginning of the story, the older son claims to have nothing. He claims he’s been treated as a slave and has therefore never been able to behave like a son. The father’s response is amazing: “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours”. The Father says the same to us today. We are with him - does your heart know that? Everything of his is ours - do you believe that? It’s an incredible statement and a powerful gift. My question is “can you receive it?” One of the greatest gifts we have is being able to find our true home. God is not only the Lord Almighty, he is also our Father and we can find our home with him.
But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies - make your way straight before me. (Psalm 5:7-8 NIV) Homecomings are very important. One of the things I particularly look forward to when I'm travelling is coming back home. After being away for a few days I begin to think about home. Of course, my wife and family are never far from my thoughts, it's just I begin to miss the familiarity of him. My armchair, my stuff, my 'normal' routine; not having to think about what's next, I can relax and, well, be at home. Jesus makes a very important distinction between a slave and a servant in John 8. A slave does not belong whereas a son belongs to the family; he has a permanent place there. Many people live as slaves not knowing that they belong to the family. This is why a homecoming is so important. We need to know that we belong, that the Father has a place prepared for each one of us, a place that we can call home. Homes are meant to be safe places, places of rest and peace. Sadly, that's not the case for many whose experience has been one of brokenness, chaos and pain. It's understandable why such people want to avoid anything called 'home' or why they prefer an isolated existence with limited interaction with others. The Father has a place for us all. It's a place in his heart that is reserved for you. It's a place where you'll feel secure and know that you're loved. It's a place where you will come to know that you are no longer a slave but a child of God. It's the place called home. Last week I wrote about how constant the plans of the Lord are. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the Lord and he does not change. He is loving us with an everlasting love.
“I myself said, “‘How gladly would I treat you as sons and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me." (Jeremiah 3:19 NIV) This is, I believe, the eternal plan of the Father. In Ephesians 1 Paul writes that, from before the creation of the world, we were meant to be sons and daughters to the Father. Although everything changed for us through the fall, God did not change. His plan remained the same and it does so today, for us. This verse in Jeremiah summarises God's heart for his people: he wants to treat us as sons, he wants us to know that we belong and he wants us to live in the fulness of our inheritance. This is his desire but it seems there is something preventing that desire being fulfilled. What stops the Father's desire being fulfilled is our independence which is founded on rebellion. We do not come to him and call him 'Father'. He is reaching out to us. Can we respond with an 'Abba' cry in our heart? As we turn and acknowledge him as Father so we are able to walk into the affirmation of our identity, our belonging and our inheritance. We do not have to continue to live as orphans, we can come home. There is an open invitation for you to step into the arms of love. There's a lot of chaos and uncertainty in the world and there doesn’t seem to be many answers. It's too easy for us to feed on this and all that does is instil fear in our hearts. Fear paralyses. Fear is the opposite of love; it destroys our peace and takes away our rest. However, there is another way!
The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:10-11 20-22 NIV) We have a choice. Are we going to focus on the chaos and uncertainty or are we going to trust the One whose plans are eternal and unchanging? The news is depressing but it is not something that phases our Father. He is aware of everything that is happening, he is aware of the pain and suffering and he promises to be with us as we inevitably go through it. We do not have to place our trust in the ways of the world. We can turn and put our hope in the Lord; he is the one who saves us, he lifts us up to a safe place, high above the reach of the enemy. He does not create fear or uncertainty for he is LOVE. Fear paralyses, love sets free. Fear robs us of peace and rest, love builds up. Fear is insecure, love is secure. Fear is a house built on sand, love creates the most secure and safe dwelling place for us. Fear punishes, love affirms. There is no fear in love and so today I encourage you to put your hope in the Lord, in the One whose eternal love is always with us. This is our peace and rest. |
Weekly SignpostA Father to YOU is a signpost to the heart of the Perfect Father. When we became Christians we were given the right to become children of God (John 1:12). Sadly, many of us fail to take up that right and instead continue to live as slaves or orphans. But our true destiny is being sons and daughters who have a permanent place in the Father's family. This blog is an encouragement to help you know who God really is and who you really are. Click here to subscribe. |