I've become convinced that to know Jesus better is the path to being a better human. Both in how Jesus is the icon, the perfect image of God in solidarity and unity with humanity, and how Jesus' ideas, because they are the ideas and precepts of God, are the path to true human thriving and cohesive community.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
In Luke 15, Jesus tells his followers the parable of the Good Father. Its also known as the parable of the Prodigal Son, or sometimes the Rebellious Son.
The son asked his father for his part of the family inheritance prior to his father's death, in essence telling his father "you're dead to me" in the ethics of the time. He wanted to go live life his own way, and be set loose from what he perceived as the bondage of his father's household and way of life.
The son set out on his own. He felt freed. He lived the high life for a time, partying and eating and spending money to his heart's content, not having to consider the rules of his old life at home, under the guidance and tutelage of his father.
Finally, of course, the money ran out. The son, unaccustomed to having to provide for all of his own needs, realized with some disdain that he needed to get a job, but no one was hiring. No one would hire a spoiled, entitled rich kid who'd fallen on hard times.
Finally, in desperation, he took the only job he could find. He
endured what was an absolute disgrace for a wealthy, important Hebrew man, and fed pigs at a pig farm.
The son got so desperate and hungry that he began to think about taking some of the pig slop home for dinner. He had fallen as low, or maybe even lower, than he'd ever imagined possible. He was, in effect, hopeless.
Then, again in desperation, he began to consider his options. He had few, if any. He was going to die soon if he didn't do something.
And finally he remembered his father.
He remembered how his father treated his workers and servants with decency and dignity. He provided them plenty to eat, and decent places to sleep. The son realized that life as a servant in his father's house, even if he had to endure the embarrassment and indignity of crawling back to his father, was better than this.
So the son reconsidered his plight, changed his mind about how he wanted to live, swallowed his pride, got up and began his journey home.
On the way, he began to practice and rehearse the speech that he'd say to his father. "I'm really sorry, dad. I was dumb and impetuous, and I blew it. I was really mean to you, and you were kind to me. I'm so sorry. Will you let me live here, maybe put me to work as a servant? I have no place to go, I lost everything you gave me, and was hoping maybe you'd give me a break, even after how badly I treated you. "
But before he was even able to get to the gate of his father's farm, his father saw him, and ran to him. The father lifted the skirt of robe, tucked it up over his belt, and set off at a dead run down the road to greet his boy who'd come home. He ran because he loved his son. He'd always loved his son. There was never a day that he didn't love and miss his son, and was joyful his son was coming home.
Before the son was even able to begin his speech that he'd practiced so long, before he was even able to ASK for his father's forgiveness, the father wrapped his arms around his son, kissed him and "Welcome home, my boy!!! Ah, I feared you were lost for dead, but I never gave up hope that one day I'd see you walking down that road, coming home! Today, is that day! Tonight, we party! I feared you were dead, but here you are, alive!"
*************************************
You see, God is like the father.
He always loved his son.
Even after his son insulted him, took his money, and essentially shook the sand of his father's life from his shoes, and left forever.......the father loved his son.
He never stopped loving his son.
He never stopped watching for his son to come home, return from his self-imposed exile.
And even before the son had had a chance to ask forgiveness, the father had forgiven his son, because love, the Love that is God, keeps no record of wrongs. It is patient, kind, endures all things, believes all things, and hopes all things.
This is the heart of the Good Father. A God who loves always and without condition. A God who waits for you and I to realize we don't need to live in exile, but is patiently watching the road for you and I to return. And He runs to us, with open arms.
This is the Father that Jesus knew. This is the Father that loved Jesus, and Jesus loves us the way his Father loves him. It's all very beautiful, and the Gospel of John chapter 17 says it in a very Gospel-y way.....
Jesus prayed, "I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me."
I don't always know what to think about God. But I'm learning better how to think about Jesus. Jesus tells us that this is the heart of the Creator God, what God is like, because Jesus and the Creator God are one. So, I'm learning to trust Jesus, and thereby, learning to trust God better.
You can too. That's my prayer for you this Lenten season.