Come

Luke 15:11-32

If you’re a parent or work in education, you’ve probably had to confront unacceptable behavior at some point. Ideally, the child accepts the given discipline and takes steps to change that behavior, though it may take a few reminders here and there for the desired behavior to stick. Unfortunately, there are times when despite your best efforts, the behavior doesn’t change and may even get worse. At that point you usually have to sit down with a kid and have a heart-to-heart conversation about the reality that they are running out of opportunities to change the unacceptable behavior in question and that the next step will not be pleasant for anyone involved. In my job as a bus monitor, I have had more of these conversations than I would like. This happens when they have earned enough office referrals that the next step is losing the privilege of riding the bus. This is the point where I ask them how their parents are going to feel about having to drive them to school every morning. This kind of uncomfortable conversation is often, colloquially, referred to as a “come to Jesus” moment.

In this week’s scripture Jesus shares one of his best-known parables. It involves two sons and their father. The younger son, the so-called “bad” son, is selfish, wasteful, and shallow. The older son considers himself the “good” son because he has stayed at home, been obedient to his father, and hasn’t strayed from expectations. The father is loving, patient, and gracious. The younger son’s selfish and wasteful actions eventually cost him everything and forced him to reevaluate his choices and turn from his wickedness, which eventually led him back to the loving arms of his father. His return home and the acceptance and love he is shown by his father exposes his older brother’s true feelings. It’s revealed that the older brother sees his own relationship with his father as transactional. His obedience to his father is not based on love, but rather on what he believes that obedience should entitle him to.

Both brothers have their own “come to Jesus” moments. One brother must face the consequences of his sinful behavior and the other is shown his own hard-heartedness. The father responds to each of his sons with unconditional love and healing grace. The story calls each of us to examine our own actions and motives. Do we reject Jesus and seek our own agendas, like the younger son? Or perhaps we are like the older son, believing that there are just some people beyond the forgiveness he bought with his blood. Those kinds of questions can truly help us to come to Jesus.

With joy,

Mike