The Return
Luke 15:22-24 (NIV) —
‘But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.’
Reflecting on my childhood there are not many things I would change; however, the amount of time I spent on the naughty step is definitely up there. For a plethora of reasons, I would often find myself sat on the third lowest step, typically when we had guests over, desperately counting down for my two-minute confinement to end. As soon as my sentence was complete, I would spring from the step and return to the party.
Knowing the outcome of the parable, I can’t help but ask why the son didn’t return straight away? With the ability of hindsight, it seems daft that he’d live with pigs, knowing the welcome that would be held for him should he choose to return. Whilst he didn’t know exactly how it’d unfold, I’m sure a combination of pride, shame and fear kept him away.
Pondering this, I’m grateful that we do know how the story unfolds in our lives. God will always run to us with open wide arms, throwing a party as we return. We’re not waiting on him, he is waiting on us.
Sometimes, we can be aware of the things we are doing wrong, things that create distance between us and God, yet drag our feet in bringing them to the Lord and experiencing the freedom only he can provide. We believe in a Father who will always run towards us as soon as we return to him. I want to be like my younger self, springing from the naughty step to re-join the party, not allowing pride and shame to delay my return.
What are you delaying bringing to the Lord today? Let us be a church that is quick to acknowledge, surrender and repent of our sins; and experience the love and grace that was so preciously bought for us all.
Prayer: Father, thank you that you always have your arms open. I bring before you anything I know that is creating distance between us today.