…. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:4-14 NIV
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’”
Luke 15:28-30 NIV
I wonder how many of us, including myself, have found ourselves in the place of the older brother in this parable. I think it is quite easy to fall into the trap of “doing more and more for God” but not enjoying being with the Father, not enjoying the benefits of being in His presence.
Paul gives a good outline of how he had lived his life until he was blinded on the road to Damascus. Paul’s entire life and world view revolved around who he was in the nation of Israel, the training he had received in the law, and his ability to follow that law to the letter. In other words, he spent his entire life up to that point trying to earn his approval from God. Then he was struck blind and spent the next 17 years or so recalibrating his life and his world view to understand and be able to share with others that it isn’t about what we do, whose house we were born into, or what we have studied. God’s approval is not something any of us could earn no matter how hard we tried. Instead, God’s approval is a free gift given to whoever can see, understand and acknowledge that only in accepting Christ’s sacrifice for our sins do we become righteous before God.
When we read about the older son, his anger toward the father and toward his brother, I can almost hear him say “It’s not fair!” I can see him stamping his foot and even crying tears of hurt and anger. The older son has in his own words “slaved” for his father, and never had a celebration like this feast. How many of us have felt the same? How many of us have watched someone else get recognition or accolades while we have “slaved” and toiled unnoticed, under appreciated or without even a thank you? But perhaps the reason we and the older brother feel so much resentment is that we have worked so hard, “doing the right things” but we have not done them for the right reasons. We have not taken time to rest and simply be in God’s presence. The older son spoke with a servant first, not the father. He refused to celebrate with His father and brother. How many times might we have done the same? Refused to sit at the feet of Jesus, as Mary did, but instead were worried about many preparations, like Martha was? (Luke 10:38-42).
We all have busy lives, jobs, school, family and ministry responsibilities. This week, find time; carve out some space to read Psalm 103 and sit at the feet of the Father — being in His presence. Notice the attributes of God the Father in this Psalm. Think about how this Psalm informs us of the character of God.Think about how the father in this parable exemplifies these characteristics. Praise God for His compassion, unfailing love and mercy toward us.
by Grace Hunter
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