HH, Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div
My brothers and sisters in the Lord and the power of His might. I praise You my God for the witness you have given us. We need You more than ever and this is what we are asking You this morning.
Who among us would dare to identify with the father in the story? My beloved brethren in the Lord nothing is wrong to put yourself in the place of this father. It will give you the understanding of the scripture as I try to break it down to you.
Despite the pain and shame inflicted on him by his son … he is so full of unconditional love for his sons that when the younger one finally comes to his senses and decides to come home, all that is in the father’s heart towards him is LOVE.
His love is so beautiful – it has patiently waited all this time, longing and looking for the lost son. Now, given a glimmer of hope, the father’s love runs to meet the son … embraces him, kisses him, honours him with a robe, and a ring, and a feast of a fattened calf! Not a hint of making the son grovel … not a hint of “I could have told you so” … not a hint of trying to make the son feel worse than he already did … no demand for an explanation … no inquisition … no cold-shouldered, begrudging hospitality. This is an open-armed, open-hearted, open-house … an unconditionally loving and accepting welcome home!
And yet, there are indeed among us those who have found it in their heart to be like the father in this story. There are those who embody grace … out of whose very eyes seep the unconditional love of God. I won’t embarrass them by saying who they are. You may know one of them … they may have treated you with love and grace when others were spurning you and turning from you … they may have been the ones to welcome you with love when others were looking down their noses at you. When others backbite and ridicule you to others without thinking.
Indeed it is probably right that we are loathed to believe that we are like this … because when we should ever be like this, we would be like God … we would be like the God who walked among us … we would be like Jesus.
Let us ponder on what we have received and wait in earnest for the conclusion on this message. God bless you all.
