Respond to God’s Call to Forgive and Celebrate
OPENING PRAYER:
Dear Father, open my eyes to the truth of your word and the acceptance of these truths to what I decide and do, or say, today.
READ:
“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. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So, they began to celebrate. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So, his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Luke 15:11-32 (NIV)
“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7 (NIV)
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Isaiah 43:25 (NIV)
REFLECT:
Many of us can remember a favorite teacher, coach, youth leader, or other mentor in our life. Some of those memories include the belief that this person expected us to make the right decision, speak a kind word, make, or achieve something good in our life or the life of another. My wife, an elementary grade teacher of over 30 years, has used the phrase “self-fulfilling prophesy”. By that she meant that having and conveying positive expectations of others created a better chance that this would help influence these outcomes. A sociological experiment in the 60’s by the team of Rosenthal and Jacobsen provided evidence for this idea. Teachers were told that a certain group of elementary schoolchildren had been tested and identified to be “growth-spurters”. These students had great potential and would likely outperform the “ordinary” students in the class. These researchers discovered that the students the teachers expected to outperform actually did show greater improvement than their peers. Since the children were never told of this experiment, the only explanation was attributed to the teachers’ expectations. There is power in the spoken word. There is power in affirmation. There is power in positive expectations of others.
I am not sure, but it seems likely that the father of the younger son in our story believed in the younger son, even while that younger son was making bad decisions. He gave the son his inheritance early, something very unusual in that day and culture. He waited and watched down the road for his younger son’s return. He was even ready with the robe and ring and fatted calf to celebrate when the younger son repented and came home. The father even encouraged the older son with affirmation that “you are always with me and everything I have is yours. But we have to celebrate and be glad…” Repentance is always worth celebrating. That is always to be the understanding and expectation we set in our children. We want them to know that we will always expect, hope, watch, and wait for their repentance and will be ready and anxious to forgive.
APPLY:
What if this week you communicated to your kids the things that you believe about them and their capabilities and future? What if you left no doubt in their minds that God has for them “plans to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11b)? What if you have a party when they come expressing sorrow for wrong and asking forgiveness? Our kids need to know how God desires and reacts to their doing what it takes to restore relationship with him.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord, I pray that you will help me to parent, encourage, and forgive my children as you do to me. Amen
WORSHIP: