Jesus by this narrative on the lost son ignites our soul with the awe of God’ abundant mercies.
In this story, Jesus had simply stretched our imagination to glimpse our lives outside the narrow constructs of religious sinfulness to wider themes of wastefulness, unaccountability and the temporal nature of status and wealth.
But in the main Jesus brings to our eyes to see the mindset of those who failed to live up to expectations placed on them by either God or man.
Have you ever failed? And you felt so full of contempt for yourself, so filthy and unworthy to even approach God for a mend?
Some had gone the extreme of taking their own lives, and the prodigal son had no clue that the road did not end just yet for him in the filthy pen of the piggery, there was a path paved in redemptive mercy.
He says: ‘Iam no longer worthy to be called a son’.
How many times I have been there. The soul-wrenching seize of guilt on our life. When you have wandered far from God, lived on your own dictates and spoiled your clean, handsome future in loose living?
This parable was made during the lifetime of Jesus. The full weight of new testament grace had yet to kick in because until Jesus died and rose the law was still in effect.
So His story may have been a contemptuous tale in the eyes of the Judaic codes and laws, which had no place for redemptive grace.
And so Jesus having seen the future and the end of it all crafted this tale even for those who were yet in the unsavoury pit of a shattered life.
This parable is again a resonating voice that speaks even to those who live in wastefulness. And the fact that money and riches don’t stay forever…
You wasted the promise of your own life, even the opportunities and privileges that fell onto your laps, given by God’s grace and love?
Are you wasting precious time, nicknamed, procrastination? And its taking you like 20 odd years to do what God had asked you to do that should have only taken you just one year to accomplish, and you wasted 19 years ?
Have you deployed your talents in full service of the god of self and Satan?
As you read thus does it struck the chord in your soul that all you needed was a second chance from God, if only He could afford you just… just this one chance, and you have made a golden pledge in your heart not to waste this one precious opportunity?
Indeed, if you could pray in your heart at this moment and step towards God a new door would swing open in your direction!
God wants us back to the place of peace, back to His own abode where our sonship and divine entitlements would be fully restored.
Take that step, by first forgiving yourself and then lift up your eyes to spot the path leading you back home. There’s full restoration awaiting everyone who have lived in wasteful mistakes and wants to get back home.
Since it’ still a fresh year, I could wish you another happy new year as you step into a season of restorative grace in Jesus wonderful name, Amen!
Luke 15:11-32
