The thought occurred to me this afternoon, perhaps this parable is scandalous because of our inability to perceive properly--and receive!--God's love. God's love might not be enough . . . and yet it might be too much for us.
Reading Henri Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son has forced me to ask the question, Is God's love enough? The elder brother has been with his father, and his father has left the party to find him, to invite him in. The father obviously loves the elder son. But it's not enough. There's something more he desires. Control? Money? Appreciation? All of the above? Who knows? The questions remains, Is God's love enough for us? Is it enough for me?
It if it isn't enough for me, then it's easy to become filled with resentment. I will resent those who have more and who do less, find myself bitter when I'm not acknowledged for the love I give, angry when I do not receive the respect I feel I deserve, unable to rejoice with those who rejoice.
Nouwen believes the elder brother is lost in resentment. God's love is not enough, therefore, he feels cheated. He refuses to be found, resisting God's love.
But on the other hand, perhaps God's love is too much. The elder brother might resist God's love because he's not sure he wants a father who loves rebellious younger brothers with equal passion. This son of the father's has wasted the family's inheritance, weakened their social and economical standing, and yet, he is treated like a faithful prince. This is offensive to common sense morality. It's much like the parable of the workers--at the end of the day everyone received the same amount, those who worked all day and those who only worked the last hour. God's love is too much for some. I mean, honestly, do we want to sit down at a table with immoral losers who stand against all we support and now, by grace, are a part of the kingdom? Many of the Pharisees weren't interested in a such a kingdom. Are we? Is God's grace too great? Is his mercy too wonderful for us? Is his love too much? Are ready and willing to sit down at a table and fellowship with former, or current, enemies who are loved equally by God.
After all, God's grace might take us into the heart of some of our deepest fears. God's grace calls us to relinquish control. We can longer depend upon our own goodness but upon God's mercy. Furthermore, we can't dictate anymore who's in and who's out; this is God's doing. And he might very well call us to people we don't like. It's really hard to believe that God does NOT dispense his love based upon how well people behave. It's not a performance-based love. It's free for all! God's love is often too much.
If any of this is true, how do we respond? If we're still stuck, then what do we do. Nouwen suggests three things. First, let yourself be found. God wants you, let him find you. Recognize that he's been searching for you, stop running, stop working, let yourself be found. Second, trust--trust in the father's love. His love should be enough for us. Third, live with gratitude. We're called to recognize that all is a gift, the call to work early in the day and the ability to work late in the day. It's all a donation from God's love, a response to God's initiating grace.
We return to the theme from The Shack: "Learn to live loved." Easier said than done.
Peace.
8 comments:
Brother David, thank you for really great questions and Spirit filled comments & insight in your posts regarding the Elder Brother. They have provoked this reader to prayerfully consider further God's great gifts of Grace, Love, & Hope for His Creation. Also the Reality of Relationship between God and His Creation.
As I was waking up this morning the prompting I received was focused upon the Scope of God's Presence. His Macrocosmic and Microcosmic Relationship With His Creation.
...and how that might help us to understand what God is trying to teach us regarding the Older Brother and I submit the Younger Brother too.
To be continued.
This Christian claims no divine insight or authority in his own strength. Trusting only in The Word of God who is Christ Jesus and his written scipture The Bible (His Word).
All we like sheep have gone astray. The Elder Brother and The Younger Brother are equal in their fallen condition. The Father who is pure light and holy Loves them equally. Here in is Love not that we love God but that He Loved us.
And sent His Son (The Word of God who is heart, soul, mind, flesh, blood, and will of The Father) The propitiation for our sins. The Full Expiation and Redemption of The Older Brother and Younger Brother equally. For it is written that with God there is no respecter of persons. For we all equally fallen creatures in need of Him fully.
So God has done His Part!
How then is mankind to know of this Love? To be aware that we have a need for God. That our role is clay and God's role is potter? That God is Master Creator of All Things Macro and Micro?
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. All things were made through him and without him was not anything made that has been made. In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines out of darkness and the darkness has not overcome the light. For God (The Father)commanded The Light (Christ Jesus) to shine out of darkness. And hath shined abroad in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ. For God is a consuming fire like unto earths star. For mankind to look directly upon The Father we would be consumed. But, by his grace, we can look directly upon the moon and see the very likeness of The Father reflected from Christ Jesus. Emanuel. The Word became flesh. Touch my hands. Hear my voice in the language I have given you. I am where you are in your need. I Love you. Follow me.
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who lifts not up his soul to what is false and swears not deceitfully. (In him Christ Jesus whom there was no guile.) Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek The Face of the God of Jacob.
None is righteous no not one, save The Only Begotten Son of God. He alone is worthy to ascend the hill of The Lord and stand in his holy Place and be seated at the right hand of God. To recieve Power, Riches, Honor, Glory, and The Kingdom of God, His Inheritance.
The family inheritance the Older Son was waiting for and the Younger Son took an early option on are examples of selfish and ungrateful willfulness with manipulation and cunning and stealthful disregard of and paying lip service to their Fathers Position. The attitude of the Older Brother and the Younger Brother had no regard of Their Fathers Will. The Father, is steadfast in his mercy, love, and counsel extending to his sons 70 X 70 grace hoping for his lads to fear and repent and Hope in his Love, and His Inheritance Eternal. Therefore, I will make him (Christ Jesus)a portion with the great and divide the spoil with the STRONG (The Lord is my light, my strengh,and my salvation who shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid?) because he pourd out his soul unto death and was numberd with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
By Grace ye are saved!
David your sentence "It's really hard to believe that God does NOT dispense his love based upon how well people behave....." I got a big laugh when the image of a Giant PEZ Dispenser came into my mind. For each "good deed" I could get an Atta Boy! PEZ Treat. The problem being, however, is that for even a thousand Atta Boy triumps, it only takes one Aw (explitive)to ruin ones whole life.
Thank God for His Amazing Grace!
The promises of The Lord are promises that are True/Sure like siver refined in a furnace, in the ground, purified seven times.
Hope in The Lord, for his steadfast Love/Mercy/Counsel/Redemption has been forged to unsurpassed purity and strengh in the Life and Passion of Jesus Christ The Lord
How then are the Older and Younger brothers fully restored by God to dwell as one, in closeness of presence, with the Father and at peace with each other?
ISA 60 through 66 The dwelling of the sons with the Father in The Kingdom. It is the duty of the sons to respect their Father. The bride groom, Christ Jesus his anointed servant, who came to Love the brethern (the sons who have an ear to hear) those whom are betrothed, who are to become the bride of Christ, are commanded to Love the Lord with all our heart mind soul in our betrothel. As we move toward the day of marriage with the lamb, we remember his glorious arm of deliverance and his promise of his coming and his vows of marriage to his betrothed where, in His Kingdom, we will fully tabernacle with our Lord as his bride forever.
AMEN.
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