“The Father and I are one.”

Meditations for Ragamuffins

These meditations are inspired by the writings of Brennan Manning, author of The Ragamuffin Gospel, and many other books.

June 23, 2023

To What End?

“The Father and I are one.”

John 10:30

Seeking the life in Christ as our way of life is to open our hearts to Jesus and allow the fullness of God’s love to flow through us. As we learn to love ourselves for God’s sake, we become willing participants in God’s plan to transform our lives. To fully cooperate with God working in us, it is helpful to fully grasp God’s purpose for our lives. To what end is God working in us? Henri Nouwen, in his book, The Return of The Prodigal Son, answers this question by helping us correctly understand Jesus’ parable of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15).

"If the only meaning of the story were that people sin but God forgives, I could easily begin to think of my sins as a fine occasion for God to show me forgiveness. There would be no challenge in such an interpretation. I would resign myself to my weaknesses and keep hoping that eventually God would close his eyes to them and let me come home, whatever I did. Such romanticism is not the message of the Gospels. What I am called to make true is that whether I am the younger or elder son, I am the son of my compassionate Father. I am an heir. . . . as son and heir I am to become successor. I am destined to step into my Father's place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge to become the Father. . . . Being in the Father's house requires that I make the Father's life my own and become transformed in his image." (Emphasis mine)

My Takeaway: It is God’s work to form Christ within me. It is my work to accept my acceptance and to become a successor, to step into my Father's place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. This is seeking the life in Christ as my way of life.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.