Tuesday, January 27, 2015

I Told You So!

“Jesus continued: ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the estate.” So he divided his property between them. 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.  After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.  He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

‘When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!  I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.”  So he got up and went to his father.  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.  The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

‘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.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.

‘Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. “Your brother has come,” he replied, “and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.”

‘The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.  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. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!”

‘”My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 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.” (Luke 15:11-32 NIV)

This is my favorite of all Jesus’ parables; so much so that I included the entire story because I didn’t want to leave out any part of it!  

I was thinking the other day about how, as we get older, we see life more clearly.  Most of us, in turn, want to pass along this insight to the generation coming behind us, whether they be our children, or young people we know.  We know what it’s like to be their age and see the potential pitfalls in the choices they are facing.  We want to tell them so they can avoid the mistakes we made.  

Yet, the reality we face is many times they will ignore our counsel.  They will go do what they decide to do.  And like one with an aerial view of a narrow mountain road on which two vehicles are coming around a blind curve, we can see the inevitable crash coming.  

Then when they come back to us, bruised and battered, we have a choice to make: We can remind them of our counsel, or we can just wrap our arms around them and comfort them in the midst of their hurt and shame.  Of course, the typical, and may I add the natural, response is to say, “I told you so.”  We were right all along and the desire of our flesh is to be acknowledged as being right.  So we say it, “I told you so,” or something to that effect.  

Isn’t that what the younger son expected?  Isn’t that what we expect from those above us, or dear to us whom we have deeply disappointed by our choices?  Isn’t that why it is so hard to face them, even in humility?  We dread hearing “I told you so!”

In this story, the desperate son admits his stupidity of choice, demands nothing, and asks his father only to be taken back as his lowly servant. But my sense is he still expects to hear, “I told you so!”  Instead, what he gets is a bear hug, a kiss, and a party.  The joy of his return overwhelms any sense of self-righteousness on the part of the father. He’s just glad to have his son back.

Jesus tells this parable to illustrate how God’s love is different from what we would normally expect and experience (i.e., from the elder brother).  Although He gives us wise counsel and knows the consequences that await when we fail to follow it, when we come to our senses and return to Him, we need not fear hearing that dreaded phrase.  For the joy of our return to Him far outweighs the sin of our disobedience.

Today, if you are in the midst of the consequences of your disobedience, know that if you humbly return to the Lord, what awaits you is not more shame, but One who will be overjoyed by your return to Him.  How can you be sure of this?  Jesus told you so.  

© Jim Musser 2015

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