Forgiveness

I have been doing quite a bit of reading and pondering the story of the Prodigal Son as of late, as it is one that I keep returning to, so many times in my short spiritual life. Each time I go through it, and see it in my mind, something different stands out to me. I find myself there again this week, as the events of the last few months, in my personal decisions, have mirrored this story once again. I have been that P-Guy...for yet another time. So as I sit here in some free time before another day and full night of work starts I wanted to share what was on my heart...at least simply here, for others to see. It has impacted me.

I am sure you are all familiar with the story, if not check it out in Luke 15:11-32, then come back here...I'll wait for ya...

No really, if you have never read it for yourself, walk away from the computer, grab your Bible and read it...and then come back! :)

Still not going to do it are you? Okay...don't say I didn't encourage you to get in the Word!

Now looking at the story of the Lost Son again we see that P-guy is the younger brother of a family. (as I am in my family and as we are all younger brothers of Jesus Christ) Now being the younger kid, the money, lands and estates that Dad would give him is going to be a smaller portion, at least by how I understand the Hebrew/Middle Eastern culture. Things kind of roll that way here in America too. First come, first served kind of thing. I get it. But P-guy has had enough of this life and goes to his Dad and says he wants it all NOW. (I did not see the word please anywhere in any of the versions I checked out.) Basically, in that day and age (and even really in this one now) he was saying, " Hey Dad, I wish you would just drop dead so I can get what's mine. Hand it over...k?!"

Well, he gets his piece and heads off to live his "own" life. Man, does this sound familiar to me at least. How many different times in my life I have packed my bags, grabbed my money and just ran off to Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Charleston or anywhere else and just lived out my life? Sometimes in the middle of the night, without even a goodbye or a note? I know that in my heart this was what the Navy was all about. I knew it all and had it all. I have taken off on this trail before and man, it is a long and lonely road...but hey, with youth comes all that optimism and what does Dad know about life anyway?

Needless to say, he blows all the money on himself and all these "friends" he makes. I have spent fortunes in my short life trying to find happiness too. So many wasted years and dollars made by someone else. Jesus didn't go into all of the gritty details, but it's pretty easy to figure out the things young men want. Just look at what young men want now. Look what I wanted! People are still people, and guys are still guys, regardless of when and where they lived. I think it is safe to assume the absolute worst here. At least that is how I lived with my freedom.

Well, P-guy burns through it all at which point he is deserted by all those wonderful, loving, close, concerned, deep "friends" Right, huh? Ever seen that happen? Even been one of those friends? Ever been P-guy? I know I have to all three of those. He ends up working for a hog farm, which was some serious crap for a Jewish kid. To make it worse, he lives with the pigs and only food he has is from their trough. Man! What a picture of where our sin, pride and lust take us. It makes us a beast with nothing left that was so freely given. I have been there too. Living the high life costs us so much! Suffice it to say, he is seriously jacked up and unclean now. Spiritually, physically and emotionally ruined. Unclean. At this point in the story he says, "When he came to his senses..."

When he came to his senses.

P-guy realizes that he is a complete shite (as the Irish would say), but he remembers and realizes that his Dad is a very wealthy man. Maybe, just maybe, if he goes back and begs him, his Dad will let him work for him in the family business. He even works up a little speech and story for the occasion. Pitiful, huh? This is where we see that P-guy's motives are questionable at best, but he just wants to survive, have something to eat, a chance to live a bit longer. He was NOT hoping for some big reunion and reconciliation with Dad. He knew full well that he had gone so far beyond disgracing himself, his family, his name. There was serious shame brought on them all because of his actions. I mean, by law and culture, his Dad could have just killed him, to bring honor back to their family.

Man, I completely remember times like this after I got into politics and started doing commercials for gay marriage in my home state, trading on my family name and military service. Talk about disgrace and shame on my family. I never even considered what that would do to them and everyone they knew socially. It is one thing to have a gay son, and quite another to see him on television encouraging voters to change their minds about sin.

(This reminds me suddenly of a time in my life that my own Father told me simply and quietly, " Daemon, change your ways...or change your name.")

So in my mind's eye, I kind of see a large ranch and compound like my Grandfather's place. You know the idea, couple thousand acres off the main highway. Long, dusty drive out to the gates and that long ass trail to the main compound of buildings. In my family, we always like plenty of space to see who is coming, and no one drives out to our properties on accident. Guess we like the privacy and wide open spaces, but anyway. Dad's place was way off the main road and was a safe place he wanted to return to, even just as a hired hand.

When Jesus was telling this story, he said that while this rotten kid was still "a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion..." This means that Dad was not in the main house, the barn, the back forty, the main compound, the feed lot or in the woods. Not at the office, or the bank or working. Not with Mom or the older brother and siblings. He had left it all, the safe areas, his responsibilities. He wasn't even on the outer road or trail to the property.

He was out there watching and waiting for his child to come home.

He certainly could have sent a servant or one of the crew out there to watch and look, but he didn't. He went himself.

He was there...way out there on the main road...waiting and watching for his kid.

What happens next is of extreme importance. Jesus says that after the father's heart was filled with compassion..."HE RAN to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

Think about that for a moment. Think about what that signifies.

His son was a Sinner. Not just was he all jacked up, but I would guess he stunk worse than a Porta-Potty in July at the county fair. I mean, living with hogs, morning breath, rotten and dirty clothes and emaciated physical condition and appearance. If you have ever kissed someone on the lips in the morning, after a night out, before they had a chance to brush their teeth, floss, mouthwash and shower...you get the idea.

But his Father falls on him, give him the biggest bear hug of his life AND a kiss!

But do you know what is missing here? Do you see it? That boy had not even had a chance to say a word!

It was too late!


The Father had been waiting, watching, hoping, praying with an attitude of anticipation and forgiveness the ENTIRE time. Forgiveness PRECEDES repentance!

When P-guy finally gets a chance to give his little speech about becoming a servant, or one of the hired hands, his Dad just ignores him. He does not even respond to what his son has just said. What he DOES do, is basically snap his fingers and say, " Get the tent set up, fire up the kitchen, somebody get me a DJ, we're having a party because you know what?! MY BOY IS BACK! HE IS HOME. MY SON IS HOME!"

Now what this story is really about is the relationship between God and those whom he calls His beloved children. While we often treat God as if he is kind of slow, or dim-witted, the fact of the matter is that He is considerably more clever and intelligent than we could ever know. You see, Jesus KNOWS what a jacked up mess we are inside. He knows we have all sorts of guilty, dark secrets and issues that we struggle with. He knows everything that happened out there while we were living it up and spending cash and life. He also knows that at times we won't just sin, we will also willing walk away from Him for someone or something else...and sometimes for a long, long time.

Now was P-guy ever at some point no longer the son of his Father? Did his DNA, name and parentage ever change? Nope. He had willingly, and actually very cruelly, selfishly and rudely walked away from Dad.

But he was still his kid.

And his Dad was waiting for him to come back the whole time...

God is out on that road waiting for us, whenever we come to our senses.

Daemon's Note... Borrowed liberally from and blatantly stolen from a fellow Christian Blogger! :) His words certainly hit the nail on the head! Check out his sharing of words, time, space and life!

www.trippingstumblingwhilefollowingjesus.blogspot.com