The Generous Grace of God

Ultimately, the parable of the prodigal son teaches us about "the generosity of God's grace." This kind of grace often challenges our ideas of fairness and justice. "Where's the justice?" That's what the older son is asking, right? He's saying, 'Hey, I've done everything right. Where's my reward?'

But God's grace isn't about what we deserve. "A life of serving Jesus is good for you and the kingdom, but we haven't earned or deserved anything we receive from God, and we never will."

So how can we put this lesson into practice?

As we think about this amazing example of God's fatherly love, here are some ways we can apply it to our lives:

• Remember that God is always waiting for you with open arms, no matter how far you've gone.
• Show unconditional grace to others, just like God has shown to you.
• Celebrate when others return to God, instead of judging them for their past mistakes.
• Be ready to "run" towards those who are making their way back to God.
• Check your heart for any "older brother" attitudes and ask God to help you see things with more grace.
• Rest in God’s generous grace, knowing that it’s not about what you’ve earned but about His love for you.

Let's use this parable to change how we understand God's love and how we treat both Him and others. After all, we serve a God of amazing compassion and boundless grace—and that's something to celebrate!

A God Who Loves to Celebrate

One of the most joyful parts of this parable is how the father celebrates his son's return. "This is a God who loves to celebrate when lost things come home. God just loves a celebration."

We often think of God as serious and stern, but this parable shows a different side. "God is saying, no, we're having a feast here. We're having the best barbecue, with music... It's a celebration, a party. That's who God is at heart—He loves to celebrate."

I believe this is a beautiful image of God that Jesus shows us so clearly: a God who knows when to be serious, when to be strict, when to be lighthearted, and when to celebrate. If we don't think of heaven as a celebration, then we're not fully understanding God's heart. Without celebration, God might not seem as inviting, and without a sense of joy and celebration, the church can't attract a lost and hurting world.

It's easy to imagine a child celebrating and dancing, but can you picture your heavenly Father celebrating and dancing with joy over your life?

The Unreasonable Compassion and Grace

When the prodigal son finally comes back, the father's reaction is truly remarkable. "The father shows incredible compassion, an overwhelming and almost unbelievable amount of grace, forgiveness, and love for his lost son."

In a culture where the son's behavior would usually lead to rejection, the father does something completely unexpected:

"The father, filled with compassion, welcomed his son with open arms. The story even says that the father ran to him, showing his compassion in such an amazing way that he couldn't wait for his son to reach the house. He just ran to meet him."

Can you imagine your own father running to you and hugging you after a big argument or disagreement, without wanting to settle things first or demand a bunch of apologies? The Father just wants to welcome us back with his grace and compassion.

How often do we show this kind of unreasonable grace to others in our lives? Are we known as people of faith for our grace, or are we more likely to insist that people clean up their lives before we extend grace to them? 

The Father Who Anticipates Our Return Home

One of the most powerful parts of the parable of the prodigal son is how the father eagerly waits for his son to return. "God is a God who looks with anticipation and faith for those who are lost to come home." This isn't just a passive wait; it's an active hope that never fades.

The father in the story was watching with anticipation. We don't know how long he had been waiting—the parable doesn't give us those details—but we do know that the father kept an eye on the road, hoping his son would come back. I have heard stories of people who ran away from God for years and years, yet God was always waiting for them to return.

This makes me wonder if I have stopped believing that those who are lost can come back home. So many people have left the church in the United States that it makes you question if they will ever come to their senses and return to God.

The Unreasonable Love of Our Heavenly Father: Lessons from the Prodigal Son

Have you ever wondered what God's love truly looks like? As a pastor, I have thought about this question a lot, and I believe the parable of the prodigal son gives us a deep insight into the heart of our heavenly Father. Let's explore how this story shows us God's incredible compassion and grace towards us.

The Father We Didn't Expect

When we think about fathers, we often picture our own dads. For some of us, those images are good memories, while for others, they might be more difficult. I remember when I was in 7th grade, my friends and I were confident we could beat our dads in a basketball game. We thought we were faster and better, but boy, were we wrong! We got completely crushed by these "old guys." They ran past us, outplayed us, and scored point after point. It was embarrassing, and it taught us a humbling lesson. I don't blame my dad for teaching me that lesson—I needed it. I realized that even though my dad seemed old to me, he could still play basketball way better than a 7th grader.

Earthly fathers can sometimes be more competitive than compassionate, especially in sports, but there's always something to learn about a father's character. The father in the parable of the prodigal son, found in Luke 15:11-32, gives us a picture of a perfect and holy heavenly Father—one who defies our expectations and goes beyond what society would expect.

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Traditions

Jesus was in Jerusalem and got into a heated argument with the Pharisees about hand washing. The Pharisees emphasized a ritual of hand washing to a priority place in their traditions that if you did not follow procedure they would call you out on it.  And so they asked Jesus why his disciples did not ceremonially wash their hands before they ate.  Jesus goes right after the Pharisees traditions that had become more important than the heart of the Law of God. The disciples are concerned that Jesus offended the Pharisees and ask him to explain his reasoning. 

Matthew 15:  16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

Jesus goes to the heart of the issue which is the heart.  You can clean up the outside all you want for outward appearances but our hearts are the key.  So think with me today what traditions Jesus might confront in our American church culture: 

1. We are very offended by the language of our culture and we say we would never us certain profanities in the church.  But Christians are some of the worst people about talking about other people in ways that are slanderous and hateful but we seldom object. 

2. We are often offended by the inappropriate clothing people wear and we might say I would never wear that in public.  But then we turn around and spend an extraordinary amount of money on clothing that is meant to impress other people.  

3.  Do not even get me started on our Christmas and Easter Traditions...

4. What do you recognize is tradition over heart in our American Christian Culture? 

Guys hear me - I do not want you to wear your Speedo bikini swimming suit to church next Sunday or to come in dropping the F-bomb.  Just like Jesus was not saying washing your hands before you eat was a terrible thing.  Jesus just wants us to look at the heart of what we are doing and why we are doing what we do. The heart is really the battle ground for the enemy to trip us up and defeat us.  

Lent 21- Pure Hearts

I remember the school days when teachers would grade on a scale.  So if there were some students in the class who did not really care about the class they would always drop the scale and help me out.  It was not something that motivated me to improve, but rather it made me a bit lazy.  When I think about the concept of having a pure heart I seem to always have the temptation to think of it as a grade on a scale.  There are always people below me and so I must be okay.  

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.  (Matthew 6:8 NLT) 

Maybe of all the "blessing statements" of Jesus, this one is the one that is so far out of reach that we tend to only be able to manage it with comparison.  I mean I know my heart at times is really good and then there are times when jealousy, prejudice, unforgiveness, impurity, and... well you get the idea.  It makes me feel like I can not live up to a pure heart standard.  

One thing I have learned is to discern where my thoughts are coming from.  The devil is a master of sending temptations our way.  These temptations are often in the form of thoughts to distract us from God and His way.  Just because I have an impure thought does not mean it came from my heart.  I just have to decide what I am going to do with that thought.  Dwell on it?  Act on it?  Tell the devil to get away from me. 

Another thing I have learned is that God does not expect me to not be human.  He loves me in my human form and understands my humanity.  He understands all the brokenness of humanity.  A pure heart is not a desire by God for me to quit being human, but rather to learn to depend more and more on the Holy Spirit of God.  My only shot at a pure heart is the heart of Jesus in me.  Jesus must increase in me as I decrease and that is a daily process of surrender.  Then it is clear, the more Jesus is my pure heart the more clearly I see Him.