I use to think God the Father was this awesome scary thing that was ready to spite me. I did fear this awesome, jealous God and kept Him at arm's distance. But then, something changed over time and as I learned more about Him and let Him in and started trusting Him, I feared Him less and began to understand how we could ever come to call him "Abba, Father."
Jesus wanted us to understand His Father when He shared in Luke (Chapter 15) about the Parable of the Lost Son:
Jesus continued: v11-12 "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." In this verse, we can see that the younger son is focusing on himself. Traditionally, the younger son would not receive an inheritance at all and secondly, the blessings would be given out near death. The younger son’s heart had already left his father. The Father knew this in his heart, too, but he divided the estate between them and allowed his son to leave.
Jesus said the son went off to a distant country and squandered his wealth. Then a famine came and out of the pit of his need, he realized how hungry he was and wanted to eat the pods that he was feeding the pigs. Jesus says, “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men 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 on of our hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.’” (v17-20a)
When we leave and start living in sin, we, too, must come to the end of ourselves before we are ready to “come to our senses” and turn our hearts back to the Lord. The son only knows if he returns he will eat in abundance. At this moment in his life, his next meal is his greatest need. He views the people working for his father as hired men and determines that he would rather be a hired man for his father than his current employer.
V20b “But while he was 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 Father knows when our heart turns and He will personally meet us right where we are, just as we are, grateful and joyful for our return. For you see, the Father didn't walk, he didn't talk a donkey or a chariot -- he RAN out the moment he saw his son on his way home with all the sweat, stink, dirt, cuts, etc. He didn't hand him any antibacterial wipes to clean himself up first -- he just ran out there and let the son knew his father loved him. Our Father does this for us, too.
V21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” The son, verbally confessing to the Father what he has rehearsed above, is interrupted by the Father before he has a chance to request to be a hired man. For in verse 22 the father says to his servants to bring the best robe and put it on him. He didn’t wait for him to bathe; he simply took him as he was. In verse 23-24 he tells his servants to “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.”
The Father wants us to return to Him. When each of us returns to Him, it is his great joy. Notice how the Father interrupts the son before he has the chance to request to be a hired hand. God wants us to verbally confess our sins, to acknowledge our errors and his sovereignty. God interrupts before He has the chance to request to be his hired hand because God doesn't want hired hands -- we are sons and daughters of God. God wants us to serve him in joy and obedience, working together in the family business through Jesus Christ to bring about the harvest. In return, the Father provides not just our needs, but abundance for all things comes from the Father.
We meet the other son in verse 25-26, “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.” When he finds out that they are celebrating his brother’s return “the older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. (v28)” The son does not understand. He has grown up in the church and has always done what he was asked to do, serving diligently and obediently. He has never gone out into the world and tasted sin like his brother. He has always done what it was he should do. This son represents the law for when you're living under the law, it is difficult to understand grace. God's grace is given freely and without merit.
The Father explains in verse 31-32 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
The Father explains in verse 31-32 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
When one child of God is found and reborn, it can be difficult to watch God bless them and become envious of their blessings by discounting those that have been bestowed upon ourself by His grace. It is important to remember the great capacity of God’s love and to remember that each of us has a special unique purpose. The Father’s great plan is that none of us would be lost but that all would be found. He comes to us at the point of our need if we desire to seek Him. And through that plan, those that are found have the opportunity to join Him in the fields where God's cultivating (planting/watering/harvesting) is already at work. Through joining him, some may be called away from their current activities and instructed by God to minister to other sons and daughters He sees returning their hearts back to Him just as the servants in this parable above who were instructed to bring his returning son a robe and feed him. The Lord said the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few in Matthew 9:37 and Luke 10:2. If your heart is willing to join Him, ask Him to show you where He is at work and then become involved.
Through the power and glory of Jesus Christ, may you be blessed by the reading of His words and have your eyes lifted to His glory so you may see the fulfillment of the Father's purpose.
Through the power and glory of Jesus Christ, may you be blessed by the reading of His words and have your eyes lifted to His glory so you may see the fulfillment of the Father's purpose.
