The God Who Comes Out

Last week i blogged about the parable of the prodigal son, and one of the phrases that grabbed my attention the the most was 'when he came to himself.' Sin makes us somehow less than ourselves, it makes us inhuman, but Jesus restores us.

The second phrase, or half-verse that really strikes me is verse 28b, 'his father came out and entreated him.' Whats going here? Well the prodigal son is home and the father is rejoicing. He's given him new shoes, new clothes, a new ring, he's killed the prize animal on the farm for him. But he's just heard some bad news.

'Joseph won't come in.'

'Joseph won't come in?'

'He won't come in sir.'

The older brother, still harboring resentment in his heart about his siblings theft and irresponsibility has come home from a hard day working in the field. By the sweat of his brow his determined to impress his father. His father, who had never given him so much as a young goat that he might celebrate with his friends. Maybe this would be the evening, maybe this would be the weekend. And then the sounds of songs waft towards him on the warm evening air, he sees dancing, what in the world is going on.

'Your brother's home, your father's celebrating.'

He can hardly believe what he's hearing. A hundred times he's played this out in his mind, his brother slinking home, put to work and made to pay back every penny he cost the family. That thought kept Joe going on the hard days where he had to pull double time just to stay above water. But now? It's like his father's lost his mind. Joseph isn't going in.

What does the father do? Send a servant? No, he comes himself. He leaves the crowds, the comfort and the joy, and comes and sits in the dust next to his older son. The father is the victim of a rant. I can't believe you're treating him like this, i can't believe he's getting a better deal than i am. I always obey, i always work hard, and i have nothing. Imagine the temptation of the father here. You always obey? well obey this: get inside. But no. He loves him, he talks to him, he reasons with him.

He goes outside.

The older son doesn't understand his father. he doesn't understand that, by birth, everything that is his dads is also his. He doesn't even understand this when he comes and sits on the ground next to him.

I wonder if we understand. Do we base our relationship with God on our work, or on Jesus work? Do we know that we have a God who comes out, or do we think of God as locked away in his study, waiting to be impressed. Remember who is listening to Jesus? The scribes and pharisees, grumbling that Jesus is talking and eating with sinners.

Friends, Jesus comes out to sinners! To you and me. He comes to get us, comes to invite us in, comes to share the fattened calf with Him. He doesn't want our slaving, He wants us. To misunderstand this is to be consigned to a life time of misery and uncertainty. Stop trying so hard, and come and enjoy everything that Jesus won for you. Everything that's mine is yours.