When I was 14 years old, I witnessed something that should have left a profound impact on my young mind. I had been attending services in a church area with my parents and was impressed with the friendly and loving people in our congregation. To me, these brethren were wonderful examples of what true, caring Christians should be. One Sabbath however, this impression was challenged as a middle-aged man arrived at church for the first time. This man had apparently attended with our fellowship ten years earlier. I watched him enter the building, excitement and apprehension oozing from his smile and warm handshake. He was happy to be returning to the fold, but obviously uncertain about how he would be received.
Sadly, as I watched this man enter the building, a number of long-time members approached the minister and asked if he would be allowed to stay for the church service. They were obviously uneasy and perturbed by his presence. Apparently, the man had left the church years earlier on a sour note, having caused some type of problem. At this particular time, though, the man was returning to church, desirous of a fresh start.
I remember clearly, as a young teenager, wondering how loving, long-time church members could want this sincere man to leave their fellowship once again, after being gone for so long. I felt like they were turning away someone who truly wanted to be there. Why were they not elated at his return and his apparent change of heart? It seemed to me at the time, hypocritical for these apparently spiritually mature adults to profess love and outgoing concern, while practicing something altogether different.
Fifteen years later, as I sat proudly in the newly formed Global Church of God, I found myself expressing a similar attitude toward people who found their way to this fellowship months after I had. I wondered how some of these individuals could dare attend church again with people whom they had so recently criticized, offended, and in some cases even betrayed. Although my opinions were not vocalized, I still viewed these individuals with distrust and contempt. And then... I remembered my experience as a young teenager and began to understand more deeply the lesson taught by Jesus Christ to His disciples in the parable of the prodigal son.
In Luke 15:11–32, Jesus Christ shares the story of a young man who asked his father for an advance on his inheritance. After receiving the money, this young man left home in search of his destiny, squandering his inheritance on whatever his heart desired. Soon he was so poor and hungry that he was reduced to caring for pigs just to survive. At this very low point in his life, the son came to the realization that he would be better off working as a servant in his own father’s house than working for a pig farmer. He began to display a repentant attitude, realizing that he had sinned not only against his flesh and blood father, but also against God. As the son returned home to beg his father’s forgiveness, his father saw him coming from very far off. The father ran to his son, embraced him, and ordered his servants to prepare a feast in honor of his lost son’s return.
Meanwhile, we learn that the father had another, faithful and obedient son, who was enraged by the royal treatment given to his long lost foolish brother. This righteous brother saw the rewards bestowed upon his foolish brother by an elated father and was jealous because his righteousness and honor of his father had not been equally rewarded. The righteous son could not understand why a brother, who had been given his inheritance, and then squandering it, would be honored upon his return home. Ultimately, the father was forced to impart a piece of wisdom unseen by the righteous son. The father had rejoiced at the return of his son who was lost and now found (v. 32), because this son had thrown away his future, yet realized his mistake, repented, and begged for forgiveness. What true father or parent could tell a child to hit the road after such a display of humility and lessons learned? What loving parent could tell a changed and repentant child that his or her past mistakes are unforgivable?
Have you ever felt like the self-righteous son in the parable? Have you ever asked yourself: “Why is this person coming back after all the trouble that he/she caused?” Have you ever found it difficult, if not impossible, to forget the past actions of someone? In retrospect, I can see that my own thoughts and actions resembled those of the self-righteous son. I conveniently forgot that I, too, can be lost or asleep, as all of the saints can be at one time or another, as noted in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:5). When I should have taken the view of the loving father, excited to see the return of a long lost son (or in my case long lost brother and sister in Christ), I instead took the view of the unjust, unforgiving, and jealous son. Instead of being happy to see people who were excited to return to the fold, I was upset and bothered by past actions that I am certain God already forgave.
We have recently gone through another great trial in the Church of God. Many of us have made comments and done things that fall short of being righteous actions. God, on the other hand, promises to never leave or forsake us as long as we cling to Him (Joshua 1:5–6). He promises to forgive us as long as we approach Him with a repentant spirit (Matthew 6:14–15; Acts 2:38; Psalm 51). As we move through the winter months and begin to prepare for the Passover season of reflection and introspection once again, we should ask ourselves “how much do I really love?” Paul told the Corinthians that love rejoices in truth, it does not behave rudely, it is patient and kind, and ultimately it never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4–8). In John 15:12, 17, we are admonished to love each other as Jesus Christ loves each of us—verses that we read at the Passover service every year.
God has allowed yet another opportunity for our true Christian love to be tested through recent church trials. We will all likely have the opportunity to once again test the parable of the prodigal son, as God calls more people to return to our fellowship. The question is, will we demonstrate the love of the forgiving father, or will we exemplify the negative and selfish qualities of the self-righteous son?
I hope and pray that, next time I can display the type of spirit that is excited by the return of my temporarily lost brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that God will grant me the character and the patience to welcome these people back with eager anticipation and true Christian love. As Passover rapidly approaches, I hope that we can all ask ourselves how we should and will act when faced with a future situation like the one mentioned above.
I am now in the same position that those long-time church members were in when I was 14 years old, and that gentleman walked through the church doors after being gone for many years. I pray that, should God allow me to be faced with a similar experience in the future, I will be able to set an example and react, not like the self-righteous son in the parable, but like the excited and loving father, glad to see the return of his long lost son.
Jesus Christ loves everyone so much that He was willing to die an unimaginable death for us all (John 3:16). In doing so, He granted all of us a second chance. Over the next few weeks and months perhaps we should ask ourselves what we will do when long lost brothers or sisters return to our fellowship, even if they might have set a poor example and caused offense. Ask yourself, “if so and so (you fill in the name) walked through the church door next Sabbath, how would I react?” Our Father in heaven has forgiven and forgotten our faults and has welcomed us to Him with open arms. Do we have the strength of character to do the same? Will we learn the lesson from the parable of the prodigal son?
What is your answer to the question, how much do I really love?