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By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." Their grumbling triggered this story. Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. "That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.' He got right up and went home to his father. When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.' "But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here - given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time. "All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast - barbecued beef! - because he has him home safe and sound.' "The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!' "His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours - but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!'" (Luke 15:1-3, 11B-32 THE MESSAGE)
May this Monday be marvelous and magnificent to you and yours, dear Friend! I'm excited to share with you another new aspect of my ministry. Being retired is no excuse for not trying to reach as many new people as I can for the Lord Jesus Christ. And thanks to the help of our daughter Carli, that ministry is about to take on another way to share the Good News. I have a website called pimplesandwrinkles.org, which is the base of a new podcast by the same name. As you listen to episodes one and two you will understand the name. Please pray for this new ministry that it be accepted on iTunes and other podcasting hosts; for now you can hear it directly from the Media part of the webpage. I thank you for your continued support and prayers for me and my ministry.
I pray you have held steady to your personal Lenten Journey, the intent of which was to draw you nearer to the Lord. I pray you have been "calling home" often as God, as our loving Father, like most fathers and mothers, loves to hear from you! And this parable truly drives that point home. And it comes at a key point of Jesus' ministry; when He was being severely criticized for those who came to Him for love and support. These were, according to the "religious people" of there time, the undesirables; the ones whom others should avoid and not welcome. Older versions name these as "tax collectors and sinners." It made Jesus tell the following story that most of us have already heard, but need to hear it as often as it is shared.
Like all of Jesus' parables, it strikes a nerve with people as they hear it. Everyone listening was a child of a parent or two so these related to the story. The parents in the story also related. And the story may have been more common than we think. As happens with parables, you may identify with one or more of the characters, and it's also common to point fingers at those you know whom you think identify with one or more of the characters as well. For us, on a Lenten Journey, let's be honest and see what jumps out at us and where God would have us be.
The youngest son (isn't it always the youngest? Not necessarily!) can't wait to have "fun" spending Dad's inheritance. From what we have read into the story we believe the man to be rich. Sonny asks Daddy for his share now! He can't wait for however long it was going to take for Dad to kick the bucket. And so, Dad gives in, probably with a broken heart; Sonny packs and leaves. He travels to a distant country (many think Las Vegas or the time-equivalent in that era) where he "wastes" his money. (Some have argued what that really means, as some things are not "wasteful" I have heard it said). In the hearing of this story through the years the loneliness factor was mentioned. "As long as he had money, he had friends; when the money was gone, so were his friends." That may have been true, but isn't in the actual story. Sonny reached the point where he was out of money. As as the story would have it, his bankruptcy comes as a famine has hit the land. Everyone was hurting; he was hurting most. What's a good Jewish boy to do? To make the story really painful, Jesus says the only job this good Kosher boy can get is to work for a pig farmer. You can draw your own parallels, but it was not the ideal job for a Jewish son. Pigs were the worst animals in creation, and to have to feed them, well, you've reached rock bottom. It's pretty bad to desire the corncobs in the pig slop, but that's where he found himself. But then it hit him; Dad's got plenty of ranch hands; they eat three squares and here I'm not even offered slop! He has the great idea of going home and reciting the speech he wrote for his dad. "Dad, I have sinned against God and I have sinned against you. I no longer deserve to be call your son, but please let me be one of your hired hands." Yes, that would work, he thought and he returns home.
What I have come to read into the story is a man who spent every afternoon and evening since Sonny left, sitting on his front porch facing the road leading into his place. It may have a rocking chair or it may have been a bench, but it was there that he sat praying, watching, and hoping for the day that Sonny would come home. We don't know how long the son was gone, but as a parent I can tell you one day was too much. Add to it many days, then months, and Lord forbid, a year or more - but the day came! The Bible says, "When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out (you'd be surprised how fast some dads can run when they have to - I'd be super fast!), embraced him, and kissed him. Does this sound like an angry dad that Sonny expected? No. In fact, as Sonny tries to get his little speech out of the way, Dad is calling for the servants to put together a great party of celebration. "Get Sonny his clean jeans, his best shirt, his clean boots; put the family ring on his finger and let's kill that grain-fed heifer and barbecue it!" And the crowing touch, "My son is here - given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!" And the party began. This is twice in the same chapter that Jesus says there is a great party in Heaven every time a sinner comes to faith, better said, comes back to God. Celebration is a key part of faith. You may have given up chocolate for these forty days, but each time you have gotten a bit closer to God, angels have opened boxes and boxes of Russell Stover chocolates (you can't have any yet! Soon!) and celebrate the progress you are making to where God would have you be!
We can't forget that not everyone was celebrating. This part goes to the first three verses of the chapter and those who were criticizing Jesus for those people who were hanging with Him. The oldest son, Junior, was not too happy with all the ruckus being made over Sonny's return. That's sounds like the Pharisees and scribes and all others in that category, doesn't it? Junior's mad that so much is being made about bad boy's return home. Father simply says, you just don't get it, do you? You've been with me all this time, and everything I have is yours, but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. "This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!" Someone write a hymn!
What a wonderful story of God's great love for all people. Yes, there was change needed in the heart of both sons, but they were still welcomed. And that's part of the Lenten Journey; we walk with God and we reflect, we question, we evaluate our position and actions, and as we discover that in our lives that we know shouldn't be there, we remove it and move towards a closer and deeper relationship with our heavenly Father.
May it be so for me and you today.
PRAYER: Loving Father, thank You for Your unending love. Thank You for wanting us always, but thank You for the mercy You show us when we repent of our sins and draw closer to You. Give us strength to finish the journey; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Remind someone how wanted they are by God!
Eradio Valverde
Listen to the podcasts and share them with those who might need to hear them! Thank you!
