Billionaires’ kids know that their parents are powerful, smart, and rich. However, not all of them know how to manage their parents’ wealth. Some took it for granted and were never able to appreciate what they have. Some squandered and partied all month/year. Yet others destroyed their life and family. This brought to mind the story Jesus told (cf. Luke 15:11–32) about the father and two sons. Both of them know that their father is rich. The elder seemed to be obedient (didn’t know his heart/motive at the time) and helped the father’s business. The younger asked for his shares of inheritance of the property. So the dad gave the younger son what he thought belongs to him. Little did he know that what he received was soon gone with the wind by his wild living. Then he came to his senses after spending all he had; experiencing hunger/starvation ; facing humiliation; missing the presence of his father whose richness is overflowing, and took all his courage and returned home, thinking of the best case scenario, that is, he is to be hired as one of the father’s servants. What he did not expect was the father’s “out-of-this-earth” reactions toward him. The father was filled with compassion; ran to see him; threw his arms around him; kissed him; gave him the best robes/clothing; put a ring on his finger; sandals on his feet; and organized a feast to celebrate. But wait! To celebrate what, asked the older son who just got back from taking the father’s business in the field. The older son was furious with what he saw, heard, and refused the father’s rationales and did not join the celebration. His outward obedience, in his own words, had an inward motive. He expected the father’s reward — just even a young goat to celebrate with his friends! The irony, at this point, seems to be that both of them know his father’s richness, but the younger wanted it now and squandered it and the older waited for so long and hoped for one party like the younger just received. Both are sons, but they did not fully fathom that the richness of the father is not based on what they can have in this world, but who they are with. The father said to the older son (likely with the younger son’s presence), “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 15:31–32).”
God’s children — Christ’s followers may know in their head, but not always in their heart or spirit that God is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (present-everywhere at the same time). Well, it will take one’s lifetime to fathom God’s greatness, experience His goodness, and enjoy His abundant richness. Many Christians, whose mind were ‘brainwashed’ by consumerism, demand God’s richness/blessing which must be monetary ones. This perhaps led some- who took what God the Father gave them, that is an abundant life (in/through Jesus Christ) with the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit- to squander them by all sorts of sinful thoughts or foolish habits or (spiritually/emotionally /physically) unhealthy lifestyle and others who “tolerated” trying to be good Christians in the Father’s house, showing an outward obedience (but with an inward grumbling or fearful spirit), and sinfully thinking that the Father is so strict and stingy with His richness/blessing, thinking like why He did not give me a big house; a nice car, a good job; and a nice life like others who seemed to have a better life than me.
The mind of the flesh (sinful nature) will never be able to fathom the richness of God, because it focuses on the earthly things (we are not talking about being a good steward of earthly things). And in fact, biblically speaking, those whose minds are set on the things of the flesh will never be able to live as sons and daughters of God. Meaning, although they are, by faith in Jesus Christ, truly children of God, their mind of the flesh drive them to places where they experience starvation of the soul, humiliation of the flesh, and “the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.” (cf. Romans 8:15)
On the contrary, the mind of the spirit will experience life and peace in Christ, and be able to understand the richness of God the Father, for they have received the Spirit of adoption as sons/daughters, by whom they cry, “Abba! Father!” This is not an illusion. It is because “the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that they are children of God. And if they are children, then heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided they suffer with Him in order that they may also be glorified with Him (cf. Romans 8:15–17). At this point, we must understand and have empathy/sympathy with those whose relationship with their earthly dads were broken and haven’t been able to have reconciliation (due to million reasons). But this is exactly the point that we all need God to be our Father, the perfect One, because our earthly (Christian or non-Christian) dads were/are not perfect. They did what they know was best at the time. Even if they did not give or leave us any possession or anything valuable, it does not matter- for our (intrinsic) values are not be based on what we have or gained in this life, but on what God the Father had done through God the Son and is still doing through God the Holy Spirit for us as His heirs and fellow heirs with His Son — Jesus Christ.
If we now just pause for moment and digest this truth, we will be enriched and joyful the rest of our life regardless of how monetarily poor we might be or how gloomy our situation is. The triune God of this universe is our Father whose richness has no limit . Thus, our inheritance is beyond our wild imagination. I don’t think if anyone who can understand this simple truth will settle for less. But I also understand the sad reality that some will still foolishly have demands like “the elder and younger sons” (in the above parable). May the Lord continue to extend His mercy to them. As for those who now have begun to understand this powerful truth, may they live as God’s children, rejoice as being God’s heirs; and tell others that they can be the same.
In His richness,
— Pastor Lap
Comments