Midweek: The Prodigal Son (Part One)

Who doesn't know the story? Maybe some of us know someone who has lived it. The son (or daughter) who chooses to go their own way, leaving home and giving a big fat filthy gesture to parents. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. Let's start with some context.

In Luke 15:11-24, Jesus tells a story, a parable, meant to teach truth. This parable is Jesus' response to the snide comments whispered by hypocrites: they'd been carefully watching, looking to accuse this new, popular, authoritative Rabbi. He receives sinners and eats with them, they murmured (Luke 15:2). Jesus then tells of the lengths to which His Heavenly Father will go to rescue even one lost soul. But this specific parable, The Prodigal Son, ends with something of a twist; a brother who does not know the lavish mercy of his father, blind to all he has been granted and begrudging his own bother of favor. A twist that exposed an additional truth about the hypocrites themselves. For now, however, let's look at some of the details of the parable itself.

The youngest son demands his share of his inheritance. I've heard some pastors point out, inheritance is shared when the benefactor is dead, and by reason of logic, this son was "wishing" his father dead or stamping his father "DECEASED." I don't know ancient Hebrew culture; that may be the case; but I do know self-centeredness and addiction. All the egoist sees is what he wants, what he believes will ease the pain or longing. It's not that he (or she) wishes evil on anyone or hurts others with malice aforethought, but when faced with the choice to self-medicate or do the right thing, they will choose self-medication at any cost; obvious and severe consequences (even to themselves) will be ignored. Instant gratification over and above what could be a lifetime of outcomes. Thus was "the prodigal" in Jesus' story. 

So, too, was Esau, son of Isaac, brother of Jacob. Esau was dealing with a growling belly and a weary spirit. A blessing on some far-off day was of little use to filling empty places in that very moment. It had to be converted into physical currency if it was to satisfy the lust of the flesh. In Esau's case, it had to be exchanged for stew; in the prodigal's case, we are told that after his father divided his living between his sons (both sons, by the way), days later, the younger son left. Why not immediately? Esau made the trade and ate the stew. Why, after he received his due, did the prodigal not immediately take flight? The Complete Jewish Bible says, As soon as he could convert his share into cash, the younger son left home (v.13). Interesting detail. His share, most likely, would have been given to him in the form of land and livestock. What could he do with that but stay right where he was? That wasn't his plan. Or was it? We assume he wanted to leave because that's what he winds up doing; but was it? Jesus never says the young man's intent was to venture off. Jesus says the young man wanted his blessing right then and there. Period. 

And that's where we'll stop today. So many of God's children find life in this world to be difficult, even unbearable. We want our bellies filled, our houses comfortable, our clothing modern, our lives exciting, and our ears tickled. We have pain. We have longings. And we want them met. Right here, right now. We cast our gaze across the horizon to the lives of others and the expectations of culture, and we cry out, Why not me, God? Why not now? The promise of blessing on some far-off day is of little use in filling our present empty spaces. So, we seek gratification in things that God has been graciously, mercifully withholding; we take the blessing rather than receive it. Or, we manufacture our own "blessing" in the things of this world. Before you know it, we are far from home. That may never have been out intent; we simply wanted an easier, less painful life. But a passable substitute has come, if only for a time, and it has carried us away from our Father and away from where we genuinely belong. God, in His wisdom, is drawing us to Himself even as He is granting us the things which will lead us away. He knows that without Him, we will never be truly satisfied, and He keeps His eyes peeled, awaiting our return. 

See you next week!

Save Me from Myself!

We've all seen those sappy love stories where the guy is just so into the girl, he knows her every idiosyncrasy and the deep meaning behind each one. Women, especially, long to find that partner who is so perfectly tuned to thoughts and feelings. The husband who recognizes his wife is stressed the minute she heads to the snack cabinet --but doesn't dare respond to it with Didn't you just have a snack? (Note to my male readers: NEVER, I mean NEVER say that!) Do men crave the same intimacy? Maybe a wife who has that "sixth sense" something is wrong. She calls her husband only to have his phone answered by paramedics at the accident scene. He's okay, by the way. Or maybe, men simply appreciate having lemon meringue pie for dessert and a wife who lets him watch football in peace. Either way, close relationships are important; partners who have the ability to and are willing to save us from ourselves. But is there any human being who can anticipate our every need, sense every fear or misgiving? Is there any human being who can always be there to save us from ourselves?

In my struggles with addiction, and in working The Fourth Step (a searching and moral inventory) of a Twelve Step program, I discovered my compulsive behavior came in part because I wanted so desperately to be seen. I wanted someone --anyone --to notice my brokenness and save me from it all. A fearsome warrior bearing me away on his horse, carrying me far from my past and my pain; making all things new. I needed to be rescued. Even from myself. But how to change? How to get saved? If I couldn't help myself, there had to be someone out there who could. My husband? My children? I craved validation and sympathy; I thought someday I'd have enough to make the hurt stop hurting. If I could find just the right person... The unfair and unrealistic expectations I'd placed on those around me took their toll, and relationships suffered. And while I acknowledge it is important we have those in our lives who know us well, who seek to understand us and build intimacy, the level of difficulty involved in saving someone from themselves can be mastered by only One. Yes, those closest to us can act as vessels for God's wisdom and comfort; they can hold us to account and answer the phone in our hour of deepest need. But the saving, the renewal, the rebirth can only be the work of One. And here is the unspeakable hope: He completes our salvation!

At Creation, God made His will clearly known. No pain, no toil, no separation from Him, no self-awareness, no hierarchy within humanity, no unmet intimacy, no sickness unto death. Did man's fall alter God's infinite will? Of course not! His will is still as it was then, but sin is the barrier; the Fall of Man has its consequences. There are conditions in this world from which God will save us. How many times have you recovered from a cold? How many times has someone who has hurt you offered a sincere apology? How many times have you slammed on your brakes just in time? There are also conditions He will use. The courageous battle of a loved one with ALS and the gift of time you were given to sit with them. The accident that required a CT scan, a CT scan that revealed a tumor growing unperceived. The season of poverty that drew you to His presence again and again throughout each day. And there are conditions which may cause us to think healing and peace are not His will. But certainly they are! His Word assures us! Read Psalm 37 and count the number of times He promises good things for those who humbly obey Him.

However, we are seeing the completion of our salvation from a tiny, tiny window, from a dot on the timeline of all eternity. In order for our salvation to be made perfect, other things must first occur. Yes, He can and will save us from ourselves, from our addictions, our past hurts, our offenses and misguidedness, our character flaws, even our financial poverty and our diseases. But His timing is perfect; and while we may wonder why He doesn't immediately restore the relationship with our parents or say a word and open blind eyes or make the law firm hire us, He does nothing in part. He will save us from ourselves in full! He knows us better than we know ourselves --intimacy --but it is an intimacy that, coupled with His perfection sometimes baffles us and frustrates us. We don't always know what events must occur before the need is met. We don't always know why the winter is so long. But be assured, He is working in full to save us from ourselves, a self of which we may be completely unaware, but a self He knows intimately.   

An Eternal Decision

My husband and I like crime shows --maybe a bit too much. We like to hear people's stories, see the bad guys get what they deserve, and celebrate when families are able to take the first steps toward healing. Sadly, some of those "bad guys" are barely more than children; they are seventeen, eighteen, in their early twenties. They are sentenced to twenty-five years --a sentence longer than they have been alive; some are sentenced to life. Young adulthood will be lived as time in the yard or working the prison's laundry. Years when thirty-somethings are typically raising families, saving for their first home, or griping about coworkers, these prisoners will lie on cots dreaming of campfire smells or the sound of waves crashing on the shore. It's agonizing to witness a decision made in haste now being served for life.

A similar event took place about two thousand years ago. A man to whom we usually refer as The Thief on the Cross --even Scripture gives him no other name but "criminal." Actually, we are told there were two thieves on crosses that day. Both sentenced to death. Both mocked Jesus. But only one remained The Thief on the Cross. He is the one who did not stop long enough to seek forgiveness. The other is now a brother, a man of wisdom and action. Action?! you say. He was hanging on a cross! How was he a man of action? Because even in his condemned state, even as time ticked away and his body failed, even as the very moment of his death came more clearly into view --perhaps because all of these are true --he chose to seek reconciliation.

It might be more comfortable to assume he'd stolen out of necessity. Perhaps he'd been framed or been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Better to think some deep-seated tenderness of heart caused him to respond to the punishment he was receiving and the injustice Jesus received. We may not like to think that, when we get to heaven, the man we will embrace --not as The Thief on the Cross, but as a brother --that man was rotten to the core. This one who spoke his petition to the King he cursed a short time before, this one may have knocked down an old man, stolen his money clip and beaten his stooped little wife with her cane to keep her from crying out. Maybe he left a young mother for dead as he stripped her of her jewelry and set her house ablaze. His own words betray him:

Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.
Luke 23:40, 41

The due reward. Death. This thief was indeed a man of action --those heinous and holy, at least on this blessed day. Though fixed to a cross, destined to remain there until he breathed his last, he had value, he knew wisdom, and he took action. A decision made in wisdom is now immortalized for life to the glory of God! 

He saw the time winding down. He saw what was happening. By God's grace, He saw Jesus for who He is. Wisdom. And he took action! He took seriously what the Holy Spirit was saying to him. For what was maybe the first time in his life, he saw reality: he was a sinner, deserving of all he was receiving (and more); the only One who could show him any real sort of mercy was hanging on a cross beside him. The Thief on the Cross mocked, What can He possibly do for you? Don't you see He is in worse shape than you are? But this brother chose to act on what he saw with spiritual eyes. Truth. And he would not allow the thief to take it from him.

We too have our sins. We gossip. We condemn. We hold grudges. Maybe we too, steal. The Holy Spirit is not not speaking; perhaps we're just not taking it seriously. While hours before, Jesus' own disciples had felt the weight of heavy eyelids made from full bellies, sleeping when they should have been praying, the two men on crosses flanking the Savior of the world felt the weight of fear and death. One chose to mock that weight, to power through it in his own strength --The Thief --a sentence served for life. The other chose to conquer that weight through the power of Jesus Christ --our brother, a man of wisdom and action.

When we feel the weight, may we consider carefully our decision and choose with eternity in mind.

Midweek: Connecting the Dots

It's been a good while since I've introduced a person or a project to the blog, but today I'd like to give a big shout out to Twyla Simpkins and all her fabulous volunteers. Twyla (Ms. T, as she is affectionately known) is a teacher. She says she's a retired teacher, but I can't say I believe that for a minute. Number one, good teachers never retire. They can't: it's in their DNA. Number two, in the fifteen minutes I spent with Ms. T and her sister, Maxine, I got quite an education. That's how I know she is a good teacher. She says it began years ago when she was trying to reach her students. She realized that memorizing names and dates wasn't cutting it: she needed to connect some dots. She believed her students would learn and would desire to learn if they became invested --in their education, in their history, in their future, in their community. Ms. T, already a curator of information combined with that her talents as a curator of items to bring history to life for her students. From that was born the Proof of Truth Museum and other projects designed to champion the achievements of the African American people of Chester, Pennsylvania.

As I visited the museum, currently located on the second floor of the CAAT Center (2300 W. 4th St., Chester), I was more than impressed by the number of items Ms. Simpkins has collected and her attention to detail. She has taken what some might call mere memorabilia and transformed it into history, the story of people and their city. Each display is artfully crafted, recounting the deeds of Ruth L. Bennett or Clipper Pride or authors who called Chester "home." Together they tell the proud black history of the oldest city in Pennsylvania's history.

And that's how this devoted teacher is connecting the dots. Not merely from one display to the next or from the actors of the past to the students of today, but she is connecting us all to the future. Without an appreciation for the blood, sweat, and tears of its past champions, the people taking part in Chester's future will always lack a point of reference. Ms. T and her folks are the link between past and future, telling the old stories and encouraging others as they create new ones. She is one of many visionaries in this life who work passionately and tirelessly but often unnoticed; those who believe change is possible when ideas are given the space to bloom. And while she has temporarily filled this space with history, she is all about creating spaces for others. She has produced several documentaries to inform and inspire, is CEOO of the Yes We Can Achievement and Cultural Arts center, is involved with cemetery research, and has even offered a summer camp program to develop young curators. 

I encourage you, if you are in the Chester, PA, area to stop in this week. This portion of her collections and her wealth of information will be present at the CAAT Center (2300 W. 4th St.) through Saturday, February 21st from 11AM to 6PM, everyday but Thursday. If you are unable to attend, I would recommend looking up her work at Twyla Simpkins - Documentaries, Chester Made Archaeology & Identity: Connecting People and Things, and www.yescenterchester.org. Chester has a bright future; it is tied to its rich past and those who share it with others!