FOCUS Day Forty-Nine | Luke 15:11-24 by Abigail
DAY FOURTY-NINE | Luke 15:11-24 by Abigail
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“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.
With Open Arms
This is such an amazing passage! In this same chapter Jesus tells the story about the lost sheep and the lost coin. It is so full of His love for us and shows a beautiful picture of the Father’s heart.
When I used to think about these stories I would think about people getting saved. But as I was reading this and asking the Lord, “What do you have to say about this passage?”, God said, “He was already my son when He came home.”
I thought about how Jesus welcomes me back with open arms after I have sinned or not trusted Him. Like the Prodigal Son in the story I used the Fathers good gifts and love for ways they weren’t intended, I have even thought of prayer and relationship for what I could get from it.
Every time I run, sin or hurt Him, the Lord welcomes me home with open arms and celebrates my coming back over and over again. He tells me that He loves me and teaches me how to be like Him.
Even when I know that what I did was wrong when I did it, or sin again and again, Jesus forgives me and loves me no matter what and rejoices after I come home. Even after years of me hurting and sinning against Him, He still doesn’t withhold any of Himself. He forgives us and welcomes us back. The scripture says…
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“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.”
This part of the story I can really relate to but struggle with also. Often after I have sinned, I come up with this great apology and when I come back to God and try to say it, He just stops me and loves me. Sometimes, I interrupt His love to continue to beat myself up.
But Jesus doesn’t really even let me finish, but stops me in the middle of me trying to convince Him of how awful I am. He celebrates me and shows me that He still loves me. Often, I really have a hard time accepting that love and forgiveness from Him. It actually takes me longer to forgive myself then it takes for Him to forgive me.
I still really struggle with this, but I am trying to stop fighting and let Jesus teach me about His forgiveness, who He is and who I am. Even after all of what I have done, my sins are not me and I am still made in His image.
There was one last thing I wanted to write about – Jesus’s correction.
I know that Jesus corrects us after we sin. Proverbs 3:11-12 says, “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” My parents did a really good job of correcting and disciplining me. (Even when I don’t do a good job receiving it.)
They taught me that there is a big difference between punishment and discipline. Often punishment is out of annoyance or anger, but correction and discipline is out of love and for a desire for their child to be set up for success and to know right from wrong. This correction is just as much a gift of love as the welcoming us with open arms.
Correction and discipline are still painful but like my dad said as he corrected and disciplined me, “This hurts me more that it hurts you.” That confused me for a long time, but one day I understood that when it is out of love it hurts, because they don’t want that child to be hurt or sad. But they do it anyway so that they can hopefully learn and not put themselves in a bad place later.
It is the same thing with God. He wants to set us up for success and will correct us even when it hurts. But the enemy wants us to be punished for the sin he wants us to walk in. He even wants us to mistake Jesus’s correction for punishment and forget why Jesus corrects us.
I pray that we can let this revelation of Love wash over us. Let Jesus be the judge and correct us out of His love and accept His forgiveness. Let Jesus teach us how to walk and be like Him. Seek His face, lean into His desires as you surrender your being to Him. I pray that you would be confident that you can live this impossible life, as Jesus releases the power of the Holy Spirit over you, empowering you to live like Him.
