Brennan Manning’s riveting three minute and forty-three second talk about the character and heart of the God of Scripture revealed in and through Jesus Christ sounds too good to be true at times. He challenges us–right now, in this moment, to believe that Jesus comes to you and me and says “I dare you to trust that I love you, just as you are and not as you should be, because you are never going to be as you should be.” He goes on to say that so often our condition keeps us from this awareness or reality. Our gloom, pessimism, self-hatred and despair keep us from knowing this Jesus, this God, this Father.
My priest just finished teaching a series called “Prodigal” based on the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-32). The teaching was amazing. He noted that we tend to focus on the younger son in this parable or story and suggested, instead, to turn our attention to the Father. He went on to point out that our tendency is to focus on what is familiar to us. I must agree with this–I have almost exclusively focused on the younger son in this story–because I relate to the younger son. In fact, it may be too easy for me to relate to the younger son–as I have come to see myself and name myself this way over the years. One character that I certainly need to continue to focus on, press in to and even worship, however, is the Father.
Rembrandt’s famous painting captures this compelling scene. This painting hangs in The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia and was painted in 1668/69. Here is part of the Scripture:
Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). A man divided his estate between his two sons. The younger went off, squandered his portion in riotous living and was finally, in poverty, reduced to tending a farmer’s pigs. He returned home penitently and was joyfully received by his father who said “My boy, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31).
“My son you are always with me and everything I have is yours.” Does this sound too good to be true to you? Is this your experience of the Father’s Heart? Do you walk around with this kind of mantle or awareness in your own life? Have you ever had a taste of this kind of heart toward you? From your father, mother, spouse, friend? Have you yourself purposed to love others by giving them a taste of this truly awesome Father’s heart? Your answer is probably the same as mine–not really. There is something about this truth and story that we desperately want to believe but cannot hardly fathom–this kind of love is a super-natural kind of love. It is only by God the Father’s grace in our lives and experience that we can or have had a taste of this love.
This tends to beg the question–can we trust our heavenly Father? That even in the midst of our experience and hardship in this world–that he loves us this much? I know I struggle to believe and keep believing this day after day. It seems to be much easier to believe that I am on my own and life is entirely up to me to deal with. It feels more true that I am an orphan often times than a son who is found and loved even in my lost-ness.
In order for me and for us to have this kind of experience we must be healed and restored by the One who is Father over all. We must as fathers, give of ourselves to our own children and learn to love them as we receive love from the prodigal God and father who lavishly loves and forgives us. The Father who intervenes in our lives and shows up full of grace and truth. We must come to accept by faith that we are more screwed up than we realize, and yet more loved than we could possibly imagine.(Miller)
Who else but the Trinity could perform this heart surgery on us? May we all rest in the love of the father today and everyday. God have mercy on your sons and daughters, continue to welcome the wayward, self righteous and sufficient ones home to yourself.
Getting back to Brennan’s challenge–Jesus is telling us through the Holy Spirit “I dare you to trust that I love you, just as you are and not as you should be, because you are never going to be as you should be.”
Check out Brennan’s exhortation to us:
