Luke 15:11-12 (NKJV)
Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.”
I did not include the entire story in the reference but I hope you know it. If you are not familiar with it, please read Luke 15:11-32 in order to get the full picture. This young son thought he was owed something. He thought he was something. He wanted what was his even if it wasn’t really his just yet. Still, the father gave it to him.
After gaining his inheritance and spending it all, he found himself broke, homeless and hungry. He even went so far as to work feeding pigs, which was an affront to his family and the Jewish people.
Then came his epiphany. The Bible says “He came to himself”. He remembered his father and how he cared for his servants. Had he seen his father lately? Had his father changed? Had he been some awful tyrant who changed his ways when his son rebelled? No. The father was the same as he had always been – kind, compassionate and caring. It took hard times for the son to see his father in a different light. It took desperation. But when he remembered his father, he remembered how good his father was and how rebellious he had been. He thought he might stand a chance to, not be restored to sonship, but to become a hired servant. He thought it might be possible because he remembered who his father was.
The young son was restored to sonship and they lived happily ever after, right? Not quite. There’s another son in this story. The older son who stayed and worked and obeyed and was diligent to do all that was required of him. In reality, he didn’t know his father either, at least he didn’t see him for who he was. Does it surprise you that I would suggest that? It is true. Notice how the scripture says that “He divided his property between them”. So BOTH sons received their inheritance that day. Sure, big brother was obedient, but when his brother came home he was enraged. Why? Was he jealous? And what did he say to his father? Basically, “You didn’t throw ME a party!”. Was he really so self-absorbed that he couldn’t see anything except himself?
I feel bad for the father. His younger son was entitled, selfish, ungodly and had zero interest in the Dad or the family. His older son was selfish, jealous, entitled and full of self pity. In the entire story there is the quiet love and goodness of the father, and neither of his sons ever noticed or acknowledged it, except to take advantage of it. Their knowledge of the father was only seen as far as it enhanced or impacted their own desires and goals. I don’t think either son ever really saw him. They saw him but didn’t. Their vision was clouded by selfishness, entitlement, self-pity, etc. It took desperately hard times for the younger son to see clearly enough to allow the father’s love to sink into his being. The hard times facilitated his epiphany. The older son? We don’t know if he ever really saw. Scripture doesn’t tell us what ultimately happened to him or how he responded to the father’s words. We only see the pleading of a loving father.
This story told by Jesus has taken on a new meaning in my life. What might we be missing? I am convinced that we only see the smallest surface of the Kingdom of God. We see God’s love. We see His hand moving in our world. We praise Him and thank Him for His goodness, kindness, mercy and grace. But don’t you want more? Forget the fact that Heaven is waiting… don’t you want to know God more now? Don’t you want who He is to sink down deep into your being? Don’t you want the fellowship and the companionship? Don’t you want Him?
Sometimes I feel like, even as Christians, we’re walking around thinking that we see everything so clearly, when we really don’t. Our perspective on life is all messed up. It’s all about who we can be and what we can get. How often we attend church, how much we drop in the offering plate, how we are being “good Christians” by adhering to all the traditions we have learned. But I believe there is more. There is more because of who the father really is and I hope we don’t miss it. I have asked Him to open my eyes to all the things I am missing. To help me understand His word better. To help me know Him better. I don’t want to miss anything that is possible for me to see this side of heaven. How about you? Will you ask Him for the same? I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to be is someone who is seeing but still blind.
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