Jump Start # 3935
Luke 15:12 “The young of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.”
Our verse today returns to that familiar parable of the lost sons. We call it the prodigal son, but in many, many ways, both sons were lost. One was lost in the far country and the other was lost at home. Our verse quotes the demands of the younger son. No please. No may I. It’s “give me.”
And, right before us, is yet another powerful lesson. The prodigal wanted the wealth, blessings and goods of the Father, but He did not want the Father. He did not want to dwell in the home with the father. He did not want to live under the same roof as the father. He did not want to be governed by the laws of the father.
And right there is the state of so many today. They want the blessings of God, without having to deal with God. They want God to answer their prayers, but they don’t want to do what God wants. Give me Heaven, they request, but I want it without having to have faith, commitment, obligation and especially obedience. I want Heaven but I don’t want to belong to a church. I want Heaven but I don’t doctrine. I want Heaven but I don’t like being told what to do. I want Heaven, but can I leave God out of it?
We know this story so well. What happened to the prodigal when he got his father’s blessings but didn’t have the father? Without the father’s guidance, without the father’s example, the prodigal abused and destroyed and lost the blessings given to him. And, isn’t that the case even today. Without God, we mess up the blessings of God. We need the direction, the guidance and help from Heaven.
All these years later, this old story is exactly where our culture and the religious community has landed these days.
First, many are wanting a Bible-less church. Many are looking for a church which is based upon what they want. They want a church much like their food—less calories but great flavor. They want less doctrine, and less Bible and more fun.
One cannot separate Jesus from His word. He was even called the “word” in John 1. Without the word, we do not know Jesus. Without the word, Jesus becomes a vague figure of one’s imagination. The Jesus to one person is different from the Jesus of another person. And, neither one will have the right understanding of Jesus without the word of God.
Second, the blessings of Heaven ought to draw us closer to God and make us thankful. How selfish and childish to want God’s blessings but want nothing to do with God. The teenage grandchild wants a birthday check from grandma, but doesn’t want to spend anytime with grandma.
Part of this thinking of the prodigal, give me but I don’t want to be with you, comes from a self-centered culture. But, part of this comes from modern religion that no longer honors, respects and follows the word of God. The Bible is viewed as guidelines or suggestions. Passages are picked apart and explained away and audiences assemble without a Bible in their hands. And, the natural outcome of this is to expect the blessings of Heaven without any of the obligations or the need to follow the Lord.
Third, it is very presumptuous for the prodigal to demand “his share” of the father’s wealth. It was the father who earned the wealth. It was the father who fed, clothed and allowed the prodigal to live under his roof, I expect rent free. It was the father that had taken care of the prodigal all these years. And, now, the prodigal was demanding more. You owe me. It’s mine. Give it to me and give it to me NOW.
Don’t think for a moment that our times would never do that. Go to any funeral, and amazingly everyone expects the departed to be in Heaven. He may not have had a thought about God in his entire life. He may never have opened the Bible or worshipped the Lord, yet, at his death, “He’s gone to Heaven.” It’s almost as if God owes that to us. He has to give us Heaven. Why? Because we want it. Because we demand it. Because we were good people.
The more we count our blessings and name them one by one, the more we ought to be thankful, committed and willing to follow the Lord who treats us better than we deserve. Grace is a gift. It is not expected. It is not something that is owed. Multiple times when diseased people heard of Jesus passing by, they would cry out for MERCY. They knew anything Jesus did would be a gift to them. He did not have to heal them. It’s the same for our forgiveness and salvation. We cry out for MERCY. The compassion of God moves the Lord to offer us forgiveness. We ask. We beg. We pray. What we don’t do is demand. “Give me forgiveness,” won’t go well within Heaven.
So many wonderful lessons flow out of this wonderful prodigal story. In many ways, it’s our story.
Roger