Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
When I first began to receive a revelation of the Father, the parable of the prodigal son exploded off the pages of the Bible into my heart. From that time it is has been a touchstone for all teachings and revelations concerning the Father. The picture painted of the father is one of the high points of revelations of Christ and God the Father in the Scripture.
This is one of the more popular parables as it could serve as a metaphor for anyone who has ever reached a low point in their lives. Most of us can relate to it in one way or another. It has always spoken to my heart, as I have been able to relate to both brothers as I have walked way too far in each of their shoes. I also know too well what it feels like to be a heart broken father.
As I have grown in revelation and personal knowledge of God as my Father my eyes are being opened and I am seeing this parable in fresh ways. There is much we can glean from this exceptionally simple, but profound picture of the Father’s love for all humans. Here are a few of the high points for me.
Fatherhood: The picture painted of the father as compassionate and loving toward both the son who broke all the biblical and cultural laws and the son who kept all those laws outwardly, but inwardly was seething with anger and resentment is a high water mark of revelations of the Father heart of God in the Scripture.
When I keep this image of God foremost in my mind I feel a bit of a paradox in my heart. I feel humbled, but at the same time I have a sense of empowerment to walk comfortably and confidently before all heaven and hell regardless of the state of my life at that moment.
Sonship: Both sons approach the father based on what they believed their relationship with him was, as a servant before a master. The father does not receive the prodigal or older brother on that ground. He offers His unconditional love to both of them. I think that is the ultimate test of walking in a revelation of the Father; am I responding to love and not simply obeying commands?
Freedom: The father granted both sons the freedom to reject him. We are all free to choose our own way even if that way causes much sorry and pain to our heavenly Father’s heart. I believe that is the foundation of true freedom. In the end, I think the two trees in the garden is really the choice between receiving His love and rejecting His love.
Family/Community: We must never minimize the importance of personal relationship between God the Father and the individual believer, yet this story plays out in the context of family and even the larger community. Jesus illustrated the high value of family/community in the Lord’s prayer. It begins as “Our Father” not “My Father”. He was revealing much about the home of His heart in that one simple phrase.
There are so many prodigals “lost” out there in the world and just as many elder brothers and sisters “lost” in His house. My dream is to be able to give them what was given to me, a glimpse of His heart of love and acceptance.
If I had to sum up this story in a sentence or two, I would use this quote by George MacDonald, who was a Scottish author, poet, and a mentor to C.S. Lewis.
“This is and has been the Father’s work from the beginning – to bring us into the home of His heart. This is our destiny.”
Many Blessings, BW