The Father’s Love

July 13

(Luke 15:20-24, 31-32 NIV) ““But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. {21} "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' {22} "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. {23} Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. {24} For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. {31} 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. {32} But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'""

(Psalm 103:8-14 NIV) “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. {9} He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; {10} he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. {11} For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; {12} as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. {13} As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; {14} for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust."

(Joel 2:13 NIV)  "Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."

The father in this parable represents our Father in Heaven: “slow to anger and abounding in love”. He is a peacemaker, always doing His part in the process of reconciliation. He allows us to exercise our free wills and even make bad decisions. His hope is that after we have tasted the rotten fruit of sin, we will see the wisdom in coming home. The Father feels our absence every day. He is not sitting at the pearly gates with a big stick, ready to beat His children who get in late. He patiently waits, and watches the horizon for our return. When He sees us coming, He comes out to meet us and welcomes us home with open arms. “He is gracious and compassionate, and does not treat us as our sins deserve.” God’s fathomless grace endures the folly of His stubborn children, and rejoices at their homecoming. This is the God we serve. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day  

Out of Tune

July 12

(Luke 15:22-30 NIV)  "…. the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. {23} Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. {24} For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. {25} "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. {26} So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. {27} 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' {28} "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. {29} But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. {30} But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!””

Today we discover that the prodigal son had an older brother who was the “good kid”. But even though this older son stayed home and lived a “good life”, his heart was still out of tune with his father’s heart. The younger brother may have sang flat, but the older brother was singing sharp -- and it doesn’t really matter if our notes are sharp or flat, when we are out of tune we will not reflect the songwriter well. These two young men were out of tune with both their earthly father and their heavenly Father. They were just different kinds of prodigals. The older brother was trying to ride on the “high horse” and sit on the “pity pot” at the same time, and that is not a pretty picture. He represents many religious people today who do not truly understand the heart of God. We must learn that there is more than one way to squander an inheritance. Get in tune with God. Learn to love who God loves. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Coming to Our Senses

July 11

(Luke 15:11-20 NIV) ““Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. {12} The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. {13} "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. {14} After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. {15} So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. {16} He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. {17} "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! {18} I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. {19} I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' {20} So he got up and went to his father.””

Being a prodigal is not as easy as it looks. You must be willing to engage in “deficit living” in a distant country until you have squandered your entire inheritance and end up starving in a filthy pigsty. You must accept that you will eventually find yourself penniless and friendless and living in a slop hole. Sounds like fun, right? Prodigals start out wanting fun and freedom, but most end up in pain and bondage. Sin will always take you further than you wanted to go, keep you there longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay. Hitting bottom is an unpleasant experience, but tends to get your attention. This is what it did to the prodigal. He came to his senses and decided to head home to his father. That’s still a wise choice for anyone who has squandered their life and ended up in a pigsty. Come to your senses and head home to your heavenly Father. Do it today! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Choose Repentance - Choose Life

July 10

(Luke 15:8-10 NIV) ““Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? {9} And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' {10} In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.””

(Matthew 4:12-17 NIV) ““When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. {13} Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- {14} to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: {15} "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- {16} the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." {17} From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.””

(Matthew 11:20-24 NIV) ““Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. {21} "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. {22} But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. {23} And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. {24} But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.””

Repentance is a dirty word in much of our culture, and sadly, even in much of the church. Repentance starts with the realization that one has sinned and offended our holy God. It starts with feeling bad, and many people will spend their whole life avoiding bad feelings, living in the stupor of denial and addiction. As a result, they never reach repentance. They remain lost. Jesus is searching for those lost in the darkness of this world. We are not like the inanimate coin in today’s parable. We can choose to be found. Repentance lights us up. It lets God know we want a life with Him. It means we are done hiding and are ready to be found. When Christ walked among us, He embodied God’s love -- but He also did not hesitate to denounce those with prideful spirits, arrogant minds, cruel intentions, and unrepentant hearts. Do not be found among them. Repent! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day