Devotional 4-17-11

Scripture: Luke 15:17-24

But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

Part II: The Solution

. . . CONTINUED FROM MARCH 24, 2011

Once upon a time there was a man who had come to realize that he had spent his life trying to avoid sin by doing the right thing (actions) and in doing so, had fallen victim to Sin (estrangement from God). He wanted so bad to fix it, but he did not know how. So he decided to pray. First, he sat in his recliner and laid back and looked up at the ceiling (as if to look toward heaven). He prayed for three whole MINUTES and his prayer focused on how much he loved God. He decided that this prayer was too soft (like his recliner, his prayer was easy and comfortable). He knew that he had not fixed his relationship with God. Second, he climbed to the top of a nearby mountain and kneeled on the hard rock and closed his eyes and bowed his head. He prayed for three HOURS and his prayer focused on all the things that he had done wrong in his life. He decided that this prayer was too hard (the confession hurt as much as his knees did). He knew that he had not fixed his relationship with God. Third, he sat in his car and said “I don’t know what to do. God help me. I just don’t know what to do.” This prayer was (as in all Goldilocks type stories) just right.

Somewhere in the silence following his words, he realized that God loved him despite all his actions (bad or good). He had been loved by God the whole time! It wasn’t up to him to get everything right. The answer to Sin was not some three step prayer or five pronged approach or even some ten step sermon (which tends to be more like my grass in the summer – too long!). The answer to Sin is Grace! And Grace does not depend upon our actions, because Grace is God’s action!

The prodigal had his approach laid out. He would go to his father and say that he had sinned and was not worthy to be the son and surely he would be given a job as a hired hand. But the father didn’t get that memo. The father never stopped loving him as a son. A robe, a ring, sandals, and a fatted calf party were symbols of the even more powerful gift: LOVE!

The man realized that it didn’t matter where he prayed or how he prayed (kneeling or sitting or standing, eyes open or shut, head bowed or not). What mattered is that he shared his life with God (he pictured walking in the door from work and hearing God say to him, “how was your day?”); what mattered is that he his attempts to do what is right were a response to God’s love rather than an attempt to earn it.

. . . TO BE CONCLUDED, through the living of our lives!

Prayer

Gracious God,
you love us, yet while we are still sinners;
you don’t make us earn your love,
because real love can’t be earned!
So we thank you,
and we respond to your love with our love for you
and we ask that you surround us with your love,
so that we will be empowered to love others, the way you love us:
UNCONDITIONALLY!
In the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

David A. Stackpole, M.Div., J.D.