Quick
Hi!
We had a great Sunday yesterday! It was just one of those days when it all worked, when the presence of God in all meetings took my breath away, when the love and unity expressed among each other was real and when the word and the Spirit combined to reach and touch many souls….including mine.
I think the ‘thought of the day’ prize went to Jeff Lucas for a powerful point made in our evening service. Speaking from Luke 15 and what we call the ‘Parable of the prodigal son’, Jeff referred to the point in the story where the father cries, “ ‘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.”
Jeff described a tradition at that time whereby an individual who had brought disgrace or shame upon his/her family or family name would be met on the outskirts of a the town or on the boundary lines of the homestead by a group of people whose sole purpose was to express to the returning son or daughter the fact that they did not want anything to do with that person ever again. That ‘sinner’ and ‘shamer’ was dead to the family, the town and the community. They did not want him/her in their area ever again!
The parable from Jesus though, paints an utterly different picture. It expresses the joy of a Father at the return of a lost son. It expresses sheer loving abandon as he runs to welcome his son and, the story, expresses immense urgency as the father cries “QUICK!” Why? Because the father wanted to make sure that grace reached his returning son before judgment! Wow! The father wanted grace to win the race. As ever, grace won! Isn’t it amazing!
You know, if you turn toward home tonight and come back to trusting Jesus the Christ, the Father will make sure that grace gets to you before judgment comes to cut you off and send you away! The Father wants you to hear one word tonight: “QUICK!”
Luv Seán
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Amen . Isnt great to know that Jesus runs that race knowing we are the prize!
11.18.09 on 1:52 amWhat am image, the Saviour running towards us with the wrapped gift of grace with our names on it. The urgency of His love expressed in the father is something to ponder and accept for ourselves and share with others.
We have been living in a culture that is instant but isn’t it funny during a recession things slow down a bit. This gives us time to appreciate the important things in life like God’s grace.
There is an urgency in this story but it isn’t the ‘instant culture’ type of urgency that can be motivated by selfish ambition but it is a holy urgency that is motivated to protect a son who needs to be restored regardless of his failings. Ah, just stop a while and think of that.
Thanks for sharing this with us Sean.
Blessings,
11.22.09 on 3:12 pmDar
Amen Sean! Amen Rob! Amen Daragh! (Amen the men, at 5am! =) I’m up since before the birds started singing!! shockin’!
11.23.09 on 10:20 pmI was telling a friend earlier what Jeff also said how much he loved St Mark’s for being “messy”.. in the right way. May we always welcome the messed up and show them God’s love, forgiveness, salvation and embrace.
May we always show love, mercy and grace to each other when we mess up.
Thank God grace did win the race.. & all because of the Cross.. because enough was enough, “It is finished!” when it came to sin & death’s power..
I was even just thinking there that Jesus received no grace throughout the torturous ordeal of crucifixion that He endured- the first thing He spoke was “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”.. He endured the Cross without grace so that we could receive unmerited grace without doing a thing (except choosing to receive it), without deserving it… all because the Father loves… every single one of us.
stunning.. I’m speechless (& that ain’t easy =’