Burning Hearts

And they said one to another,
"Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?
40 Day Journey to knowing Jesus more fully
2012
February 22~Aril 7 The Galilean Ministry
2011
March 9~April 23 The Perean Ministry and Passion Week
It’sbeen said that Lenten season is the Christians' 'Spring Training'. I liked that when I read it years ago and decided to use this time of year to draw closer to the Lord through prayer, fasting, and a closer look at Christs' life and ministry in scripture. "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death." Philippians 3:10

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Lost Son

Luke 15:11-32
For me this is one of those portions of scripture I would rather just skip over because, I admit, the parable of the prodigal son is my least favorite of all the parables.  I was not looking forward to writing about this since I side with where the older son is coming from, and thought the lost son didn't deserve the royal treatment he received.  I mean look at how selfish the lost son is...demanding a fortune he didn't earn, blowing it all on drinking and illicit sex, and then returning for a hand out.  Now I know he didn't ask for the red carpet to roll out for him, it was the Father's mercy that provided for that but come on, it just seems like rewarding the lost son for doing wrong and taking the older Son for granted.  Well, obviously I have to step back, confess my sinful attitude and ask the Lord to help me see and receive this message the way He intended.  What I get is the understanding that I am seeing things from a human perspective not from a spiritual one...not from His perspective.  In the larger sense this is an illustration of the Pharisees response at the prospect of a sinner becoming acceptable to God. On a more practical level for us it may be an unmerciful superior attitude...the one that says, "I can't believe he/she, after being an alcoholic, or homosexual, stealing, or having an abortion can come to Jesus and act like nothing ever happened.  We think, "How can they just be forgiven for all that they have done and act like they did nothing wrong?" "That seems rather convenient", we say to ourselves, "to act like nothing ever happened"! What I think this parable and the last two parables are telling us, is that we have a loving Heavenly Father who seeks for, rejoices over, and runs to embrace us when we have come to our senses and turn to Him. Jesus wants us to see that He is ready to forgive anyone, the wayward lost soul and the self-important, hard-working, loyal, law-abiding legalist; both are in need of salvation. Neither son fully understood mercy, I pray that we can. 
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