Leave the Pigs
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“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.'"
Luke 15:11-22
Alright thank you for tuning in to this week’s reach and have a great rest of your day!
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Ok ok I do have a little more to say…but honestly this parable can stand powerfully on its own without more words added to it. The question I want to raise though is do you see the power in these words spoken long ago…written to remember…and guarded for centuries so our hearts can receive them? Do you feel the truth behind each syllable? Do you feel the robes wrapped around you? The robes you don’t deserve but never the less Jesus stretched his arms out on a cross to ensure you would feel the warmth of.
I hope you do. Your beloved Savior shared this story and then removed his own robe so the very fabric of our own could be stitched together. Jesus is the only way to the Father. He is our only way. So when Jesus speaks…hush the world around you. All the plans, the thoughts, the tasks, the fears, the successes, the sounds…quiet them. When Jesus speaks…we can either do a quick devotion and thank him for all he’s done and then dive into the next part of our day OR we can turn and see the robes in our Father’s hands, waiting to be draped on our weary shoulders.
Jesus is the bridge between us and the Father, and oh how he must hope we will choose to cross over.
For most of my life when I heard this parable about the prodigal son, I always resinated with the brother who remained with the father, working hard and never causing much trouble. I tried to make good choices, striving to be a blessing rather than a burden. However, recently I found myself in the shoes of the prodigal son. I had to make a hard decision and I feared if I made the wrong choice…then God would be disappointed in me. And I believed the lie that if He were disappointed in me, His love for me would alter. I assumed that God wouldn’t welcome me into His arms unless I made the perfect choice…and the weight of that wondering nearly broke my shoulders.
Y’all darkness had me in such a place that I actually didn’t know if God would love me still…but…then my Savior spoke two thousand year ago. Jesus put a period at the end of this parable, a story of old that he has preserved in this world so that we can still read it to this day.
I read the story of the prodigal son while being humbled as a prodigal daughter and as I read, the painful weight I bore was removed and replaced with the:
warm truth found in John 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”
and the truth found in 1 John 4:18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love.
and the truth found in Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.
Darkness has been lying since the garden, so it’s had thousands of years to perfect this evil skill set. Don’t fall prey to it for Jesus has already crushed the head of the serpent. But anyone who has seen when a snake is dying - even after its head has been cut off - that wretched thing still has the ability to bite and with dangerous venom. Darkness began to die when Jesus stepped out of the tomb and the venom has been dripping lies and hoping to touch any who come near since. But a snake can’t bite a child standing close to their Father. Run to the Father, cross that beautiful bridge resting on Christ and feel the robes, paid for at a high price, wrap around you.
You are loved.
You are saved.
You have a home that is not of this world.
Jesus has gone ahead of you to prepare a place for you.
Your worth is not based on your ability.
Your worth is not based on your performance.
Your worth has been established by Jesus.
In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
John 14:2-3
Have you been standing in the prodigal’s shoes for a long time?
Are you just now realizing you are in the prodigal’s shoes?
Are you carrying a burden?
Do you fear what the Father thinks of you?
Do you feel unworthy to wear the robes He has for you?
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Walk in the light of truth, my friend. Leave the pigs and step into the unconditional love that awaits you.
