Monday, 02 November 2009

• Hired Servant or Beloved Son?

  " O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.  I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

    This is the end of the recorded conversation Jesus had with His Father just before the betrayal of Judas.  He and the Father had brought events to the climax.  The plan of God to make His family one - those who believe becoming the sons of God, though already settled in heaven was about to be enacted on earth.

  Earlier, Jesus had told the story that we all know as the "Parable of the Lost Son:"

  “There was a man who had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.  Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.  And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.  And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

  “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him....

  The son's plan to forfeit his sonship and become as a hired servant to his father was futile.  The father could no more listen to that speech than cut off his own arm.  Though his son had sinned (as the son admitted to himself) the father knows that this is his son and still an heir and still very much loved... he "kissed him."

  "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.  And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”  So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."  (Galatians 4: 4-7)

  Henri Nouwen, in his book "The Return of the Prodigal Son," (Doubleday, 1992, p.53) says:
  
  "One of the greatest challenges of the spiritual life is to receive God's forgiveness. There is something in us humans that keeps us clinging to our sins and prevents us from letting God erase our past and offer us a completely new beginning. Sometimes it even seems as though I want to prove to God that my darkness is too great to overcome. While God wants to restore me to the full dignity of sonship, I keep insisting that I will settle for being a hired servant. But do I truly want to be restored to the full responsibility of the son? Do I truly want to be so totally forgiven that a completely new way of living becomes possible? Do I trust myself and such a radical reclamation? Do I want to break away from my deep-rooted rebellion against God and surrender myself so absolutely to God's love that a new person can emerge? Receiving forgiveness requires a total willingness to let God be God and do all the healing, restoring, and renewing. As long as I want to do even a part of that myself, I end up with partial solutions, such as becoming a hired servant. As a hired servant, I can still keep my distance, still revolt, reject, strike, run away, or complain about my pay. As the beloved son, I have to claim my full dignity..."

  There is an insight in this paragraph as to why the legalists - in fact all of us find some comfort in retaining some "control" over the process of our salvation, sanctification, and glorification. It is not about gratitude to God for saving us that is the underlying motive. It's about MY sovereignty, MY free will, MY autonomy. It's plain UGLY!! What we are willing to settle for is "filthy rags" instead of the robe of His righteousness, a cheap paste imitation jewel instead of the ring of Sonship, a mess of pottage instead of the rich food of the wedding feast!

  Is God having that?  Is he leaving it all up to us to determine what shall be the result of His work?  No!  Read on: 

  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.  And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  

  But the father said to his servants,  ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.  And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

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