Apicontent

“The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’” —Luke 18:13

Standing at a distance, refusing to life his eyes, and striking his breast as he pleads for mercy, the tax collector presents a picture of acceptable behavior before our God.

I love what Matthew Henry has to say about this verse:

“Here is the tax collector’s address to God, which was the opposite of the Pharisee’s, as full of humility and humiliation as his was of pride and ostentation; as full of repentance for sin, and desire towards God, as his was of confidence in himself.”

I am reminded of King David and his prayer of repentance:

“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love! Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! Wash away my wrongdoing! Cleanse me of my sin! For I am aware of my rebellious acts; I am forever conscious of my sin. Against you – you above all – I have sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. So you are just when you confront me; you are right when you condemn me.” —Psalm 51:1–4

“The message of this psalm is that the vilest offender among God’s people can appeal to God for forgiveness, for moral restoration, and for the resumption of a joyful life of fellowship and service, if he comes with a broken spirit and bases his appeal on God’s compassion and grace.” —Bible Knowledge Commentary

We are never to approach the throne of grace filled with personal confidence or boasting of our own merits, but as broken sinners, appealing to the mercy, graciousness, and compassion of our loving heavenly Father. Remember, God desires a humble:

“The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit—O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.” —Psalm 51:17

As believers we are to be repentant, plain and simple. As the Holy Spirit sheds light on our behavior and convicts us of sin, we are to be ready at all times to acknowledge our failure and confess our sin to God, asking for His mercy and forgiveness:

“But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.” —1 John 1:9

God hates sin. It cost Him the life of His Son. Furthermore, He knows that if we explore our own sin, it will greatly cost us too.

“Sin is the dare of God’s justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love.” —John Bunyan

“Come, let’s consider your options,” says the LORD. “Though your sins have stained you like the color red, you can become white like snow; though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet, you can become white like wool. If you have a willing attitude and obey, then you will again eat the good crops of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” —Isaiah 1:18-20

Become More

“The only ground on which God can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His favor is through the Cross of Christ. There is no other way! Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary. We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification in simple faith, and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours. Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement. The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive—He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross. God’s forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm … Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.” —Oswald Chambers

Further Reflection

“In the gospel we discover that we are far more wicked than we ever dared believe, yet more loved than we ever dared hope.” —Timothy Keller

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.” —Luke 18:10–12

Ever thought about talking “big” before God—trying to give Him an explanation of your greatness, exclaiming that you are far better than other people? Not really a good idea! The Pharisee in today’s parable certainly had a high-minded opinion of himself. As he compared himself with those around him, he developed a distorted view of his own righteousness.

In reality, we all need a good dose of Job’s final analysis of himself after coming face to face with God:

“Therefore I despise myself, and I repent in dust and ashes!” —Job 42:6

You might be thinking how someone whom God called “blameless” could have such a low view of himself. It is because Job understood that each one of us is totally sinful before a Holy God apart from Christ. If we have an elevated opinion of our own righteousness, we must remember that it is only Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross that allows us to come into God’s presence. We can neverstand in our own right before our Holy God. Jesus is our only access to God’s heavenly throne. Jesus himself taught:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” —John 14:6

It is not the blood of animals that gives us entry into God’s presence (as practiced by the Jews for centuries):

“But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” —Hebrews 10:3–4

It is not our acts of “righteousness” and “good works” that save us:

“We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. We all wither like a leaf; our sins carry us away like the wind.” —Isaiah 64:6

Rather, it is Christ’s blood that cleanses us from all sin:

“You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed – not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.” —1 Peter 1:18–19

We are redeemed from the empty way of life through the precious blood of Christ!

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.” —Ephesians 2:8–9

God alone is worthy of our praise! We all fall short of His glory and righteousness.

Become More

“Our nature struggles fiercely against being saved without our works and tries to deceive us with a grand illusion of our own righteousness. So we may find ourselves attracted to a life that merely appears to be righteous. Or because we know we aren’t righteous, we may be frightened by death or sin. Therefore, we must learn that we should have nothing to do with any other way of becoming righteous, except through Christ alone.” —Martin Luther

“‘God be merciful to me a sinner,’ is a prayer easy to be said, but hard to be felt. One eye upon the perfection of God’s laws, and another upon your own heart, may bring you up to it. But the Spirit’s light is also needful, for which you must pray earnestly.” —K. H. Von Bogatzky

Further Reflection

“Humility never pulls rank, never gloats in victory, never demands its rights. Humility accepts responsibility for wrong doing.” —Chuck Swindoll

“Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else.” —Luke 18:9

Luke is setting the stage at the beginning of this story. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is a lesson in humility.

Our position in prayer before our Holy God should always be one of meekness. We are not to approach God’s throne with any confidence of our own righteousness, but with the knowledge of our own sinfulness. The creatures are to come before the Creator in humility, as the recipients of the grace we all so desperately need.

I am reminded of a verse in the book of James:

“But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, ’God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.’” —James 4:6

This is lesson is echoed in other parts of the Bible:

“With arrogant scoffers he is scornful, yet he shows favor to the humble.” —Proverbs 3:34

“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” —Matthew 23:12

“In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.” —1 Peter 5:5–7

Clearly, the way up is down. The correct attire for a child of the King is humility. When God opposes the proud, He causes their actions to boomerang on them. Yet He tells us that the humble will receive His amazing grace. It is the Lord who humbles and it is the Lord who exalts.

Hannah’s prayer in the Old Testament tells us:

“No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one other than you! There is no rock like our God! Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly. Proud talk should not come out of your mouth! For the LORD is a God who knows; he evaluates what people do. The LORD impoverishes and makes wealthy; he humbles and he exalts. He lifts the weak from the dust; he raises the poor from the ash heap to seat them with princes–he bestows on them an honored position. The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord–he placed the world on them.” —1 Samuel 2:2–3, 7–8

“The work of a true convert is not done. He (and she) finds a great work to do and great wants to be supplied. He (and she) still sees himself/herself to be a poor, empty, helpless creature who still stands in great and continual need of God’s help. He/she well knows that without God he/she can do nothing. After a true conversion, the soul is increasingly aware of its own impotence and emptiness. It is still aware of its universal dependence on God for everything. A true convert is aware that his grace is very imperfect and that he/she is very far from having all that he/she desires. Through conversion, new desires are produced in him/her that he/she never had before … So he/she still has plenty of business at the throne of grace: in fact, his/her business there increases rather than diminishes.” —Jonathan Edwards

Become More

Romans 12 is a wonderful chapter in the Bible for a “hands-on” tutorial on humility. It contains practical advice on how we can consider the “everybody else’s” mentioned in our verse for today:

“For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.” (verse 3)

“Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.” (verse 10)

“Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality.” (verse 13)

“Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.” (verse 16)

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people.” (verse18)

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (verse 21)

Further Reflections

“There is no true holiness without humility.” —Thomas Fuller

“Humility is nothing else but a true knowledge and awareness of oneself as one really is.” —The Cloud of Unknowing

“And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! Won’t God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long to help them? I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’” —Luke 18:6–8

As Jesus concludes the Parable of the Persistent Widow, he makes the point that if the unrighteous judge dispenses justice, how much more will God bring about perfect justice. This promise comes from the lips of our Lord as a gift to us as His praying people! God gives justice! God’s people are told to cry out to Him both day and night. This is our privilege, this is our duty, and for this He has promised mercy. We are to wrestle persistently with God in our prayers. Furthermore, we must not become discouraged if His answer seems delayed to us.

Paul tells us in Galatians:

“So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.” —Galatians 6:9–10

God desires for us to believe that He has our best interest at heart. Our Father wants us to approach Him both humbly and boldly with our requests.

David writes:

“I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, because of your loyal love and faithfulness, for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky. When I cried out for help, you answered me. You made me bold and energized me.” —Psalm 138:2–3

While the widow’s persistence was displeasing to the unrighteous judge, our persistence in prayer is pleasing to God. We must not become weary in our waiting or in our weeping. Discouragement and fear display our lack of faith. This is perhaps why Jesus closes the parable as He does:

“I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” —Luke 18:8

Become More

“I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love. For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately.” —2 Peter 1:3–8

“(Why does God) bother to speak to us? The truly staggering answer that the Bible gives to this question is that God’s purpose in revelation is to make friends with us. It was to this end that he created us rational beings, bearing his image, able to think and hear and speak and love; he wanted there to be genuine personal affection and friendship, two-sided, between himself and us–a relation, not like that between a man and his dog, but like that of a father to his child, or a husband to his wife. Loving friendship between two persons has no ulterior motive; it is an end in itself. And this is God’s end in revelation. He speaks to us simply to fulfill the purpose for which we were made; that is, to bring into being a relationship in which he is a friend to us, and we to him, he finding his joy in giving us gifts and we finding ours in giving him thanks.” —J. I. Packer, God Has Spoken

Further Reflection

“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.” —Samuel Chadwick

“Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice against my adversary.” For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.”’” —Luke 18:1–5

In this parable Jesus emphasizes the importance of persistent prayer. We are not to become defeated over our difficulties in life. We are not to be discouraged over our circumstances. We are to avoid anxiety in our hardships by looking to the One who can help us!

Jesus said:

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—I have conquered the world.” —John 16:33

The writer of Hebrews adds:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.” —Hebrews 12:1–3

Peter tell us:

“Dear friends, do not be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad.” —1 Peter 4:12–13

Whenever our spirits are burdened, we must ease them with prayer.

James tells us:

“The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.” —James 5:16

We are reminded by Paul:

“Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” —1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

“Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:6–7

“Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer.” —Romans 12:12

“And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” —Romans 8:28

God takes great delight in the consistency and perseverance of our prayer life. Are we praying against a certain bondage to sin that has been passed from generation to generation? Are we praying for a wayward child to find their way back to the foot of the cross and the light of home? How about all of the prayers for our lost loved ones and others that we know to find salvation through our Lord Jesus? What about our prayers for comfort by the greatest Comforter—emotionally, physically, and mentally? Jesus is telling us in this parable: “Don’t give up!”

“And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.” —1 John 5:14–15

Become More

“So, take a deep breath and recall this deeper secret of the Christian life: when you are in a difficult place, realize that the Lord either placed you there or allowed you to be there, for reasons perhaps known for now only to Himself. The same God who led you in will lead you out.” —Robert J. Morgan

“‘Pray without ceasing’” … and here the word ‘pray’ does not mean to beg or to plead as if God were unwilling to give–but simply to expose by faith every situation as it arises, to the all-sufficiency of the One who indwells you by His life.” —Major W. Ian Thomas

Further Reflections

“There comes a time, in spite of our soft, modern ways, when we must be desperate in prayer, when we must wrestle, when we must be outspoken, shameless and importunate. Many of the prayers recorded in Scripture are ‘cries,’ and the Hebrew and Greek words are very strong. Despite opinions to the contrary, the Bible recognizes such a thing as storming heaven—‘praying through.’ The fervent prayer of a righteous man is mighty in its working.” —Cameron Thompson

“Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us.” —Billy Graham

“No sea is deeper than the ocean of His love. There is no army stronger than His hosts, no force greater than His throne of grace, no enemy who can overcome His direct and indirect work in our lives.” —Robert J. Morgan

“Would any one of you say to your slave who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal?’ Won’t the master instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready to serve me while I eat and drink. Then you may eat and drink?’ He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, will he? So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’” —Luke 17:7–10

Here Jesus teaches His disciples about their responsibility towards service for His kingdom. We are not to expect special praise for doing those things we have been given by God to accomplish! A servant receives no added praise from his master for simply doing his work. He receives his wages for his work. Likewise, as God’s servants, we too have certain responsibilities.

“Sometime after 1950 we forgot what Jesus said to Peter and what was passed on to us. ‘Take care of my sheep’ (John 21:16). There are ferocious wolves (Matthew 7:15). ‘You are to be a witness to the ends of the Earth’ (Acts 1:8). This is a commission that still holds true today. This is a very personal command to each believer, personally, privately. The all-important question is whether you are getting out the work of God, or have you retired?” —Wales Goebel

In Matthew, Jesus makes this same point in the Parable of the Talents:

“But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” —Matthew 25:26–30

We certainly do not want to be a worthless servant thrown out into the darkness! It is God’s desire for us to bring forth fruit from the gifts and talents He has given us. We are held accountable for what we have received.

“Now what is sought in stewards is that one be found faithful.” —1 Corinthians 4:2

“So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.” —2 Corinthians 5:9–10

Paul’s goal was to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” from the lips of the Savior upon his entrance into the heaven.

“This perspective on a day of judgment and the prospect of eternity had a salutary effect on Paul. It enabled him to persevere in the face of hardship (2 Corinthians 4:7–12). And it motivated him to be faithful in discharging his ministry (1 Corinthians 4:2–4).” — The Bible Knowledge Commentary

Take It to Heart

“We must remember that God will never drag us along the path of true-hearted discipleship. This would greatly lack the moral Excellency which characterizes all the ways of God. He does not drag, but draws us along the path which leads to ineffable blessedness in Himself; and if we do see that it is for our real advantage to break through all the barriers of nature, in order to respond to Gods’ call, we forsake our own mercies. But alas! Our hearts little enter into this. We begin to calculate about the sacrifices, the hindrances, and the difficulties, instead of bounding along the path, in eagerness of soul, as knowing and loving the One whose call has sounded in our ears.” —C. H. Macintosh, Notes on Deuteronomy

“The truth and beauty of the gospel expose our idol-myths as feeble substitutes and garish counterfeits. And the power of the gospel enables us to break free from their enslaving and destructive grasp. Indeed, as our deliverer and liberator, Jesus is freeing us for the great adventure of living as characters in and carriers of God’s archetypal Story of all stories. It’s like being taken from starring in your own self produced, 8 mm black and white home movies to playing one of the hobbits in the grand production of The Return of the King.” —Scotty Smith, Restoring Broken Things

Further Reflections

“We are all God’s servants. Our whole strength and our whole time are to be used for him.” —Matthew Henry

“None shall be called to an account for more than they have received; but for what we have, we must all account.” —Matthew Henry

“But the older son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and appealed to him, but he answered his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours. It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’” —Luke 15:28–32

It appears that the “perfect” son at this point in the story had a similar problem to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law of Jesus’ day. They were simply unhappy offering mercy or having someone share in their “kingdom.” Lacking in mercy and selfishly motivated, they were stomping their feet at the inclusion of the repentant. “It’s not fair!” they cried out. What they didn’t realize is that life is not fair! How “unfair” it was for Jesus, who being in very nature God, left His heavenly home to come down to earth, just to live a perfect life and die an excruciating death on the cross. Talk about unfair!

The older brother here is just like Jonah who also was displeased with God’s mercy towards the lost. It was Jonah’s desire for the Ninevites to be wiped away. God had sent him to deliver a message of destruction, and yet God gave them mercy. The Ninevites had been very cruel to the Israelites, and Jonah personally wanted to see their destruction. He wanted to be spared from calamity, but he did not want the Ninevites to be kept from disaster. Jonah, like the older brother, was an object of God’s compassion yet displayed no compassion for those he believed to be unworthy—even when they truly were repentant:

“This displeased Jonah terribly and he became very angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, ‘Oh, LORD, this is just what I thought would happen when I was in my own country. This is what I tried to prevent by attempting to escape to Tarshish!—because I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment. So now, LORD, kill me instead, because I would rather die than live!’ The LORD said, ‘Are you really so very angry?’” —Jonah 4:1–4

As the parable of the lost son comes to a conclusion, we find an unavoidable, urgent, need to celebrate—the rebel returns repentant and there is a great reason for rejoicing! Paul tells us:

“Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.” —Philippians 2:1–4

The Father pleads with the older son to be glad over the return of his lost but now found brother. Yet the older son could not justify in his own mind the mercy his Father was now lavishing on his once wayward brother. How like human nature for us to keep score of our works and to grumble when one who has done less receives more. The older brother was resentful, believing his works outweighed those of his brother’s all the while never realizing how his own actions were weighed and found wanting as well.

Become More

Mercy, we all need it and we all desire to receive it. Yet many find, like the older brother, it is a very difficult blessing to give.

“But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, maintain yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life. And have mercy on those who waver; save others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God, hating even the clothes stained by the flesh.” —Jude 1:20–23

“Can the elder son in me come home? Can I be found as the younger son was found? How can I return when I am lost in resentment, when I am caught in jealousy, when I am imprisoned in obedience and duty lived out as slavery? It is clear that alone, by myself, I cannot find myself. More daunting than healing myself as the younger son, is healing myself as the elder son. Confronted here with the impossibility of self redemption, I now understand Jesus’ words to Nicodemus: ‘Do not be surprised when I say; ‘You must be born from above.’’ Indeed, something has to happen that I myself cannot cause to happen. I cannot be reborn from below; that is, with my own strength, with my own mind with my own psychological insights … I can only be healed from above, from where God reaches down. What is impossible for me is possible for God. ‘With God, everything is possible,’” — Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal

Further Reflections

“You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross!” —Philippians 2:5–8

“Never cease loving a person, and never give up hope for him, for even the Prodigal Son who had fallen most low could still be saved.” —Søren Kierkegaard

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how unfathomable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has first given to God, that God needs to repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.” —Romans 11:33–36

“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him. Then his 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 slaves, ‘Hurry! 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 us eat and celebrate, because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again—he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.” —Luke 15:20–24

Mercy, compassion, and love always await those returning to our heavenly Father! In this story, the father searches the horizon for that tiny speck in the distance indicating the return of the lost son—and then he runs to him. I believe this is the only time in Scripture that we have an illustration of God running. How precious that it is towards the returning, wayward child. Indeed, he rose and ran to meet the returning rebel!

I am reminded of several verses in Scripture:

“For this reason the LORD is ready to show you mercy; he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. Indeed, the LORD is a just God; all who wait for him in faith will be blessed.” —Isaiah 30:18

“He sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit—O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.” —Psalm 51:17

“The LORD is compassionate and merciful; he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love. He does not always accuse, and does not stay angry. He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve. For as the skies are high above the earth, so his loyal love towers over his faithful followers. As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on his faithful followers.” —Psalm 103:8–13

In our verses for today, lavish grace, along with loving forgiveness, mixed with pure joy is displayed by the father who anxiously waits to give his lost son a new life. Just like our heavenly Father waits to give us new life! Jesus tells us:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” —John 10:10

Our cause for joy always rests in our personal relationship with God the Father through Jesus, His Son. We are children of the King through our faith in Christ! Our names are written in heaven. We are His beloved and are His forever.

“From God’s perspective, one hidden act of repentance, one little gesture of selfless love, one moment of true forgiveness is all that is needed to bring God from His throne to run to His returning son and to fill the heavens with sounds of divine joy.” —Henri J. M. Nouwen

Throughout the Gospels, we see that Jesus loved celebrations with feasting and laughter. In this parable we find the father throwing a huge party to celebrate the homecoming of his son. God is a gracious Host providing over-the-top hospitality. Nouwen adds:

“I realize that I am not used to the image of God throwing a big party. It seems to contradict the solemnity and seriousness I have always attached to God. But when I think about the ways in which Jesus describes God’s Kingdom, a joyful banquet is often at its center. Jesus says, ‘Many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.’”

I am reminded of the prophet Isaiah’s words:

“The LORD of Heaven’s Armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain. At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine—tender meat and choicest wine.” —Isaiah 25:6

I don’t believe heaven’s banquet will be a place for plain grilled chicken or butterless biscuits! I think it will be divine dining like we have never experienced dining before. Laughter and joy filling the banquet hall with our Host providing what we are unable to even conceive of as yet. We know not of what awaits us!

Become More

“Because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” —2 Corinthians 4:18

Further Reflection

“He who made man can restore man; He who was at first the Creator of our nature can new create it. If He be God, there can be no limit to His power. Come then with the blind eye of darkened understanding, come with the maimed hand of weak faith, the fever of an angry temper, or the ague of shivering despondency, come just as thou art, for He who is God can certainly restore thee of thy plague. None shall restrain the healing virtue which proceeds from Jesus our Lord.” —C.H. Spurgeon

“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food enough to spare, but here “I am dying from hunger! I will get up and go 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; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’” —Luke 15:17–19

The son is finally beginning to understand! The sense is certainly a welcomed player on the scene. Sometimes our conditions are so desperate that the only direction for us to look is up—and lookup is exactly what the son does.

God always listens to the cry of those in need. The Bible tells us:

“When he responds to the prayer of the destitute, and does not reject their request.” —Psalm 102:17

However, when we are totally full of ourselves, God, like the Father in this story, has the wisdom to show restraint. I am certain the father in this story could have sent his servants with food to fill his son’s growling stomach, but what good would that have done? Certainly, the father would have ended up with a satisfied, but foolish, and perpetually discontented offspring!

God is waiting for us to return to Him. It is the repentant heart that He always welcomes:

“The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit—O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.” —Psalm 51:17

God desires for us to be totally spent of ourselves, in order that we may have room to be filled with His glory through the precious Holy Spirit!

The more there is of us, the less there is of Him. This is not a good thing! In needs to be the other way around! John the Baptist says it so precisely:

“He must become more important while I become less important.” —John 3:30

This is the divine order of things, and it is also the order that is so glorious for us. Like the lost son, we are certainly the big losers when we choose our own way over God’s. Sadly, it seems that we constantly have to repeat the learning of this difficult lesson. The son is now empty, and it is specifically at his moment that he is ready to be reunited with his father. There is a wonderful verse in Jeremiah that speaks so sweetly regarding repentance—which is exactly what this young man is going to do next—turn back to the Father:

“Because of this, the LORD said, ‘You must repent of such words and thoughts! If you do, I will restore you to the privilege of serving me.’” — Jeremiah 15:19

What is so amazing about this verse is that repent and restore are the same words in Hebrew, meaning to turn back, to turn around, to return; it essentially denotes the movement back to the point of departure. God has not moved away from us, we have moved from Him. What I find to be such a wonderful blessing in the verse from Jeremiah is that if I willingly turn to Him, He will willingly bring me home.

Become More

“I have asked you to give, in order that I may bless you more. I have challenged you to pray, so that I may respond and help you. I have asked you to rejoice, in order to keep you from being swallowed up by anxieties. I have asked you to be humble, to protect you from the calamities that fall upon the proud. I have asked you to forgive, in order to make your heart fit to receive My forgiveness. I have asked you not to love the world, for I would have you released from unnecessary entanglements, free to follow Me. Holiness is not a feeling—it is the end product of obedience. Purity is not a gift—it is the result of repentance and serious pursuit of God.” —Frances J. Roberts

Further Reflection

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” —2 Corinthians 3:17–18

“So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.” —Luke 15:15–16

Have you ever been in a situation where “no one gave [you] anything”? A helping hand would have been nice, or perhaps an encouraging word, or even a look of affirmation. Scared, needy, frightened—and the world just keeps passing by. Not a very fun place to find oneself, particularly if the miseries we are encountering are directly related to our own choices and bad decisions. Selfishness and a lack of good judgment fuel for the fire for difficult situations we find ourselves in. But … God gives us the following hope through the promises in His Word!

“Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can people do to me?’” —Hebrews 13:5–6

“No one will be able to resist you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone. Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them.” —Joshua 1:5–6

“I was once young, now I am old. I have never seen a godly man abandoned, or his children forced to search for food. All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, and his children are blessed.”—Psalm 37:25–26

The riches of God’s grace and mercies are of unspeakable value to the sinner in terrible circumstances. When we come face to face with our own foolishness and weakness, God’s grace and mercy are held out to us.

However, just as God allows for those who pursue holiness and righteousness to experience a taste of heaven on earth through the enjoyment of walking with Him and growing in the knowledge of Him, in love, He also allows those who choose to pursue evil and destruction to experience a taste of hell with the desire for them to turn back to Him. 

Matthew Henry writes:

“A sinful state is a state of departure and distance from God. It is the sinfulness of sin that it is an apostasy from God. He set off from his father’s house. Sinners are fled from God. They get as far off him as they can. The world is the distant country in which they take up their residence. It is the misery of sinners that they are far off from God, and are going further and further from him. What is hell itself, but being far off from God?”

The total absence of goodness, the total lack of light, a state of perpetual dissatisfaction; all apt descriptions of hell. We find in Matthew:

“As the poisonous weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen!” —Matthew 13:40–43

God has no desire for any to perish but all to come to repentance. Peter tells us:

“Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day. The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” —2 Peter 3:8–9

Become More

“He who yields a point or two to the world is in fearful peril; he who eats the grapes of Sodom will soon drink the wine of Gomorrah. Worldly conformity, in any degree, is a snare to the soul, and makes it more and more liable to presumptuous sins. Careful walking may involve much self-denial, but it has pleasures of its own which are more than a sufficient recompense.” —C. H. Spurgeon

God is waiting for you to turn back to Him!

Further Reflection

“How sweet the remembrance that inexhaustible mercy is waiting to be gracious to us, to restore our backslidings, and make our broken bones rejoice!” —C. H. Spurgeon