Lost and Found

When he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!  I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.'"  So he got up and went to his father.  

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  The son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son."  But the father said to his servants, "Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him.  Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it.  Let's have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." 

(Luke 15:17-24)

Many people hold a misconception about the nature of God and, consequently, miss out on the radical nature of God's compassion and grace.  Jesus' parable of the prodigal son (or the loving father, or whatever name one attaches to the incredible story of Luke 15:11-32) communicates the character of God in a way that sheer theological terminology cannot capture.  The parable of the loving father running to embrace the wayward son hits the listener in the gut because Jesus is communicating something that would have been nearly unheard of in the first century Jewish world.

The word that Luke uses for "ran" in the text above is the same word that was used in the ancient world for footraces in a stadium.  In other words, the father is essentially running at a pace that one would run in an athletic competition.  Older Jewish men hardly ever ran because this would have required them to hold up their outer garment and expose their legs.  Kenneth E. Bailey, in his book, The Cross and the Prodigal: Luke 15 Through the Eyes of Middle Eastern Peasants, writes insightfully on the cultural ramifications of the father's actions:

Luke is a well-educated man who chooses his words carefully.  Thus we can translate the phrase, "His father saw him and had compassion and raced."  It is not just a slow shuffle or a fast walk--he races!  In the Middle East a man of his age and position always walks in a slow, dignified fashion.  It is safe to assume that he has not run anywhere for any purpose for forty years.  No villager over the age of twenty-five ever runs.  But now the father races down the road.  To do so, he must take the front edge of his robes in his hand like a teenager.  When he does this, his legs show in what is considered a humiliating posture.  All of this is painfully shameful for him.  The loiterers in the street will be distracted from tormenting the prodigal and will instead run after the father, amazed at seeing this respected village elder shaming himself publicly.

In this parabolic teaching, Jesus is masterfully showing how God takes the shame that was really due the prodigal.  The father's pursuing compassion and grace are so radical that they restore the prodigal's relationship to the father, give the prodigal a new identity (demonstrated by the new wardrobe given to the rebel), and celebrate the fact that the son is no longer lost.  In a powerful way, the father's humility (literally, humiliation) and compassion are a symbol of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who through his humility became "obedient to death--even death on a cross! (see Philippians 2:5-11) so that he could take the sin and shame of humankind upon himself in order to bring about the possibility of reconciliation to God.

What is your view of God?  Do you see God as racing toward you to extend grace to you?  The next time you find yourself questioning God's love or forgiveness, remember Luke 15 and the truth that God runs to embrace sinners, prodigals, rebels....us!

Counting the Cost

In a consumer culture, there is a temptation to avoid thinking about the total cost of an item and simply focus on getting monthly payments that are as low as possible.  The reality of paying large sums of money in interest--and, consequently, overpaying for many items-- does not seem to bother a large percentage of the population.  It's all about easy payment plans.

The easy payment plan in the realm of economics often bleeds over into our theology.  We can tend to cheapen grace by promoting a discipleship that glosses over the hard truth of Scripture and, instead of looking closely at Jesus' definition of discipleship and counting the total cost of following him, we would rather define "following Jesus" in our own terms.  Billy Graham once said, "Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost everything we have."  Graham's statement nicely captures the truth of Luke 14:25-35, a powerful passage that includes Jesus' teaching on what it really means to follow in his footsteps.  Jesus lays out the cost of following him up front; there is no small print or misleading wording.  So, what can we learn about counting the cost of discipleship from the life and teaching of Jesus?  Here are a few things:

1) Jesus never let large crowds lead him to compromise the message of true discipleship.

As Jesus fulfilled his ministry and headed toward Jerusalem, the crowds continued to grow and the number of people around him was probably well into the thousands.  Even though Luke records that "large crowds were traveling with Jesus," it is powerful to look at the teaching Jesus gives to this throng:  If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life--such a person cannot be my disciple (Lk. 14:26).  Notice how Jesus doesn't water down his message just because the crowd is large.  Take note that he does not take a poll and change his teaching to connect with the majority opinion.  Make a mental note that he wasn't afraid speak the truth in love--even if the truth happened to be offensive to some.  Instead of compromising his message, he presents the requirement of loving him above all other people, including one's own family members, if one is going to truly count the cost of discipleship.

In our current political climate, the norm is for the message to change as the audience changes or grows.  To be politically popular is sadly akin to compromising.  As Christ followers, one critical test of spiritual authenticity is the consistency of life and message--no matter the audience, or the size of the audience, or the specific interest of the audience.  Even in the church there is the danger of presenting "Christianity-light," a more palatable, user-friendly version of discipleship that is geared to make people comfortable, not confront them with the truth.

2) When we count the cost of discipleship, we understand that the call of Christ is comprehensive. 

When we heed the call to follow Christ, all areas of our lives are to be surrendered to the authority of God--our family, our jobs, our bank accounts, our sex lives, our personal budgets, our free time.  To count the cost of discipleship is to refuse the compartmentalization of life into separate boxes whereby some boxes are under God's reign and others are still under our control.  God wants the totality of our lives.  Jesus said, "And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Lk. 14:27).  

The cross was a familiar item in the first century, and when Jesus mentions this cruel execution tool it would have undoubtedly sparked much conversation among the people in the crowd because Jesus was telling the would-be followers that their old lives were to die so they could daily experience the Kingdom life.  To count the cost of discipleship is to die to ourselves so we can live fully for Christ.  Desires of the flesh must die.  Selfish ambitions must be crucified.  Lusts of the flesh must be nailed to the tree.  Discipleship is comprehensive in nature and the true follower of Christ even values following Jesus more than life itself.

In his classic book, The Cost of Discipleship, theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes:

The cross is laid on every Christian.  The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world.  It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ.  As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death--we give over our lives to death.  Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ.  When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.

3) When we count the cost of discipleship, we willingly give up worldly security.

"In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciple." (Lk. 14:33)

We all have treasured possessions.  It's not wrong to have things.  It is wrong when things have us.  Jesus desires for us to find our ultimate security in knowing him, not in cherishing deteriorating items that don't have eternal value.   To count the cost of following Christ is to daily place our trust and hope in Him, not in the accumulation of material items.  Jesus said, "those of you who do not give up everything..."  Our hands should never clench possessions as if they are our own.  All the items God entrusts to our care and stewardship are to be held simply in the palms of our hands, as if we are making an offering of worship by lifting our hands heavenward.  Clenched, possessive fists are a sign that we haven't yet truly counted the cost.

Is there anything you're holding on to that is preventing you from following hard after Christ?  Surrender it all to him.  Count the cost.  

The words of the old hymn I Surrender All provide a powerful statement about the nature of discipleship:

1. All to Jesus I surrender;
   All to Him I freely give;
   I will ever love and trust Him,
   In His presence daily live.
   • Refrain:
   • I surrender all,
     I surrender all;
     All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
     I surrender all.
2. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Humbly at His feet I bow,
   Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
   Take me, Jesus, take me now.
3. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
   Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
   Truly know that Thou art mine.
4. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Lord, I give myself to Thee;
   Fill me with Thy love and power;
   Let Thy blessing fall on me.

Valley of Vision

In my studies this morning I stumbled across an old Puritan prayer called the Valley of Vision.  The words are powerful.  Perhaps you are walking through a dark valley today and are in need of strength and encouragement.  May this prayer give you peace for the journey....

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, 
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. 
Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, 
that to be low is to be high, 
that the broken heart is the healed heart, 
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, 
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, 
that to have nothing is to possess all, 
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, 
that to give is to receive, 
that the valley is the place of vision. 

Lord, in the daytime, stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; 
Let me find Thy light in my darkness, 
Thy life in my death, 
Thy joy in my sorrow, 
Thy grace in my sin, 
Thy riches in my poverty, 
Thy glory in my valley.

Amen.

Invitations

When you were a young child, do you remember the exhilarating feeling of being invited to a friend's birthday party?  It is a wonderful thing to be included and deemed special enough to receive a personal invitation.  The Bible tells us that God is an inviting God and he generously invites us into a relationship with him through his grace.   He is hospitable and creates space for us in his Kingdom.  Author Christine D. Pohl, in her book, Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition, writes, "By definition, hospitality involves some space into which people are welcomed, a place where unless the invitation is given, the stranger would not feel free to enter."  

We often become so consumed with our own lives and schedules that we forget the power of
invitation.  Statistics reveal that 82% of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if invited.  Additionally, 73% of people who don't attend church were never invited.  Most people come to faith in Christ simply because of invitations that are given by people who have created relational space for others and have extended hospitality.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus told a powerful parable about a banquet, invitations, and people's reactions to the invitations.  Jesus always wanted people to see how they fit in his parables because he spoke transformational truth and he desired for people's hearts to be radically changed by his life, teaching, and ministry.  In Luke 14, the parable of the great banquet is recorded.  It reveals some important things about God's grace invitation:

We are given an invitation to live under the authority of God's Kingdom.

There are only two ways to live.  We are either under God's Kingdom authority, or we are living under the authority of our own kingdom and pursuing a self-centered life.  Jesus describes the culmination of God's Kingdom as a feast, an image that would have been familiar to Jews in the first century.  He begins the parable with these words: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests" (Luke 14:16).  Notice that the banquet was lavish and the number of guests invited was numerous.  This is a generous feast that resembles the generosity of God.  Jesus goes on to say, "At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready'" (14:17).  Given the large scale of this banquet, one would think that people would be flocking to attend, but Jesus adds a twist to the story by listing some excuses people gave for not attending the banquet:

But they all alike began to make excuses.  The first said, "I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it.  Please excuse me."  Another said, "I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out.  Please excuse me" (Luke 14:18-19).  

Notice how these excuses revolve around possessions, work, and money.  Things haven't changed much in 2,000 years, have they?  We, too, put God's invitation on the back burner because we're so focused on our work schedules and accumulation of possessions.  Jesus reminds us that God's Kingdom takes precedence over jobs and stuff.

There is yet another excuse that Jesus mentions: 

Still another said, "I just got married, so I can't come." (v. 20)

This is the excuse of having too many family responsibilities.  In our busy culture where children are encouraged to be involved in multiple activities, it can be exceptionally challenging to keep God's Kingdom as the priority in the home.  If you are a parent, how are you helping your children understand that God's Kingdom is central to life, not peripheral?  

After Jesus speaks about these excuses, he moves into the portion of the parable where he describes the people who actually respond to the banquet invitation in a positive fashion:

The servant came back and reported this to the master.  Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, "Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame."  "Sir," the servant said, "what you ordered has been done, but there is still room."  Then the master told his servant, "Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full." (Luke 14:21-23) 

God's Kingdom invitation is accepted by broken people who understand their desperate need for a Savior.  The great Kingdom feast table is not filled with self-sufficient, workaholic materialists.  It is filled with those who know they cannot save themselves--the poor, the blind, the crippled, the lame.

What is your response to God's invitation?  Are you too consumed with your own agenda, job, and family to even hear God's loving, graceful, hospitable invitation to the Kingdom life?  Or, is your heart receptive, broken, and soft before Him?

God invites you to a feast!