It’s Friday…It’s Just His Nature

The God of the Christian faith is really, really different. In fact, no other religion pictures its deity like this. No other faith can claim a God who zealously pursues His children. All other deities are distant and elusive, demanding that their disciples come to them, usually on a long and arduous path, often with arbitrary rituals of appeasement. But not the Father Jesus described.

“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.” (Luke 15:20)

The God Jesus highlights is a Father who runs after His children. Never mind the child’s past. All of his rebellious arrogance is no longer an issue. Neither are the rags and the odor he brings with him when he returns. The return is all that matters, and the Father enthusiastically runs to His child and escorts him back into his household.

Why does Jesus give us such a picture? It seems too good to be true, doesn’t it? We all know we are not worthy of such attention from the Father we’ve deeply offended. We know He has every right to close His door to us. We know this because, if we were in His position, that is exactly what most of us would do.

Jesus’ portrayal of the Father is contrary to human nature; this is no human father. He is contrary to our expectations, contrary to the man-made-gods of this world, and contrary to the interpretations with which we and Jesus’ hearers have understood God. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, we hide from Him. Your heart and mine instinctively know His anger should rightfully burn against us. We don’t think He’ll be glad to see us.

But the God Jesus portrays runs to us. In spite of our rags, the lingering stench of the pigsty, the empty pockets, and the embarrassment that colors our faces, He still throws His arms around us and kisses us. There is nothing appealing about us that compels Him to do so; It’s Just His Nature. 

May we daily, moment-by-moment, give thanks for such a Father in Heaven – and wholeheartedly invest our lives in the knowledge that we are irrevocably His.

All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.

Have a pleasant weekend. Make it better by worshiping The LORD with those who are intimately familiar with His hugs and kisses; and live to model His grace and forgiveness on others just the same.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see, to Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16)