Luke 15:11-24
“Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the wealth that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant region, and there he squandered his wealth in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that region, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that region, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up 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 like one of your hired hands.” ’So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then 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 slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.”
After reading Luke 15:11-14, I’m relating to the prodigal son. I’m thinking about how easy it is to squander resources (for me, time and opportunity) and feel unworthy afterwards. I’m a proud father of three. For me, one unexpected thing that’s come with fatherhood is a sense that I’m squandering the opportunity to teach my kids how to be excellent at one particular sport or one particular musical instrument, for example. I’ve been blessed with this chance to care for Simon, Enoch, and Nate, and I want to make the most of it. It’s my job to teach them and give them tools for life, but it feels impossible to teach them all I’d like to. Here comes that sense of unworthiness. God has found a way to show me compassion and grace through the words of my wife, Katie. She reminds me that being a good parent is within my reach. It’s about being in the moment, being patient, listening, developing a loving rapport, and allowing for God’s plan to take root. Acknowledging that I can’t control every aspect of my kids’ development is the key for me. I’m thankful to have truly compassionate people in my life and a community like The Gathering Church in my life that can remind me: the Lord is my shepherd.
Take a moment to think of times when your community and loved ones have shown compassion for you when you felt unworthy. Think about how this is a reflection of God’s grace.