To Make the Father's Life My Own

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 20, 2023

To Make the Father's Life My Own 

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”

Luke 15:20 

Henri Nouwen, in his book, The Return of The Prodigal Son, says, "If the only meaning of the story (Luke 15, The Prodigal Son) 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."

How many times do you think his disciples disappointed Jesus? Just about every day they did something or said something that revealed they were yet to grasp that Jesus was the Messiah. Sometimes their transgressions were absurd, such as wanting to rain down judgment on others, or seeking places of honor at Jesus’ right hand. Sometimes their transgressions were heart-breaking, such as sleeping instead of praying for Jesus, or their abandonment of Jesus in his hour of need. Even so, it was to these disciples that Jesus went immediately after his resurrection. Despite his many disappointments, Jesus never lost hope in his disciples.

My Takeaway: Henri Nouwen’s insight into the parable of the Prodigal Son, and Jesus’ relationship with his disciples helps us discern what it means to become the Father, to make the Father's life our own and become transformed in His image. Those who we love and care for may well disappoint us as often as Jesus’ disciples disappointed him, and in ways like the father’s prodigal son disappointed him. Even so, through the power of Christ flowing within us, we can be ever ready, with love and compassion, to run to our prodigals and embrace them.

 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.