It's Not About What We Do

Jesus told a story in Luke 15 about two brothers. The brothers had a wealthy father who was going to leave them a big inheritance. At the beginning of the story, the younger brother does the unthinkable.

He essentially tells his father that he wishes he was dead.

The younger son asks for his share of the inheritance immediately. Hurt, but not knowing what else to do, the father gives in. The younger son takes his new fortune and travels to a far-away country, where "he squandered his property in reckless living" (Luke 15:13). He spends everything. He goes broke to the point of destitution. It's not until he is fighting pigs for food that he comes to his senses.

The son came up with a plan.

He thought there was no way his dad would take him back.

So he began rehearsing a speech– his apology. His plan was to travel back to his father's house and beg, not for forgiveness, but for a job. The son knew how well his father took care of his servants. He would be much better off as a servant in his father's household than he currently was. So he rehearsed his speech and travelled home.

As the son turned the corner into his family's estate, he saw his father running towards him. "Here we go," he thought. He began his speech with "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son" (Luke 15:21)

But his father interrupted him.

The son had forgotten about his father's love. The most important thing was not what he had done, but how much his father loved him. Instead of allowing his son to begin working off his debt, the father welcomed back his son and threw a party! The boy's bad decisions were overshadowed by his father's love.

This was all very confusing to the older brother. Why should the irresponsible son be rewarded for his foolish decisions? The older brother became angry and said to his father, "Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command" (Luke 15:28). Even though he had always obeyed, he never got a party in his honor.

In the end, both brothers make the same mistake.

They can't look past their own actions. Focusing on everything they have done, they fail to see the great love of their father.

Jesus told this story as a picture of what the Kingdom of God is like. Whether we are obsessed with our righteousness or riddled with guilt, so often we fail to see the love of Jesus because we can't see past our own actions. Either we think we're too sinful for God to love us, or we believe we're good enough to be rewarded. Our fascination with ourselves causes us to lose sight of what God has done for us through Jesus.

Pray this with me today:
God, fill my vision. Take my eyes off of myself. Help me to see your great love shown to me through the sacrifice of Jesus. AMEN.