While washing dishes I
noticed a really bad smell, or as my nephews would put it, “something is
smelling in my nose!” For the past few
days I smelled a musty odor coming from under the house. My husband wrote it off to all the rain we’ve
been having. Frankly, I don’t care what caused it, I want that smell gone.
It reminded me of a scene from the movie
Facing the Giants, where the wife told the husband about “the awful smell”. When her husband walked into the room and
complained about it she admitted she didn’t know what it was, but after a while
he would get used to it. Well, I don’t
want to “get used” to something that is stinking up my life. Do you?
What's Smelling in God's Nose?
Have you ever thought that there
are things God smells about us that
He isn’t pleased with in our Christian walk?
Sometimes we know that we aren’t doing what is right, but keep doing it
anyway – that stinks to God.
There are times when I know that
my attitude must have stunk as a believer, but the Lord had a way to bring it
to the surface so I could adjust my way of thinking to His.
That’s what parents do you know.
Sometimes they handle our stinky behavior in ways we just can’t
understand. You may be able to relate to
what I mean. If not, let me share a passage
in the Bible from Luke 15: 10-32, that deals with a rebellious stinky personality
and how grace and mercy was applied.
Rebellion from
Favor
I took a survey this week and one
of the questions on it was. “What is the one thing you would most like to
change about the world? My answer … the
selfishness of “greed.”
It seems that the more advanced
we become in society, the more greedy we become. This isn’t something new either. If you have been in church services for any
length of time or have read the New Testament of the Bible, you are familiar
with the passage in Luke referred to as the Prodigal Son. While in my studies this week my focus kept
going back and forth from Genesis to Luke and the key things I found between
the two. One word or behavior was
dominant – rebellion. So many people
rebelled against God, their family or country out of greed. Oftentimes these individuals were so called
“faith” people.
Obviously the father in this
passage was a believer and had a heart for God, but that didn’t stop his sons
from sinning. The Bible doesn’t tell us
how old the brothers were, but they were old enough to be on their own and hold
jobs.
Can you picture two sons in a
family business? One was the serious type who had business on his mind, work –
work – work. The younger son, well he wasn’t much for pitching in on the
farm. You can tell that the two must
have had disagreements about how things should be run.
What happened at home between the
brothers? How is it that the younger son had the courage to openly disrespect
his father by asking for his inheritance then?
Something began to smell a
little funny around the farm and it wasn’t the animals. Jesus begins sharing this account with the
disciples.
“Then He (Jesus) said: “A certain
man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me
the portion of goods that falls to me.”
So he (the father) divided to them
(both) his livelihood.” (Luke 15:11-12 NKJV)
From scripture, we know that the
father had a good portion to give to the son, so much that people crowded
around him because of his money. There
were three portions, two for the oldest son and the remaining third for the
younger one. By law the eldest always
received a larger amount, because he was responsible to carry on the family
business and take care of the mother or siblings. The younger brother knew that and still wanted
out of the family to go “do his own thing”.
Sound familiar?
How the father must have felt
when his son demanded his portion, rebelling against the one who showed him favor
and blessings. He didn’t even ask for a
part of it or a loan, but demanded it all now. What did the father have to do or sell in order to grant his son's request?
I think it broke his father’s heart as he watched his son leave, not
knowing if he would ever see him again or if he would get into trouble with his
rebellious spirit.
By declaring, “Give me my
inheritance,” the son showed great disrespect for authority and denounced his
family. Shame fell on the family and the
father’s integrity must have been questioned by the community.
The servants were aware of what
he did, and so were the town’s people (that’s why they rejected him later).
Basically, what he was saying was that he wished his father were deceased
so he could have his inheritance. Such
greedy behavior meant that the father would have to disinherit the son as if he
were dead, or no longer part of the family.
We can’t find our
way back home without God.
His father could have said no,
but didn’t. Sometimes parents let us walk out our problems, knowing it is the
only way to learn the lesson and appreciate what we have. The son was driven by money, lust and
greed. These same things would break
him and bring him home.
Along our journey we’re going to
mess up. The very things that drive us
away from God will bring us back when we realize they did not fulfill our need.
Repentance to Favor
Off to an exotic foreign land,
wining, dining and sowing as many wild oats as he could, the not so happy son
realized he made a big mistake.
When all
his money had disappeared, so did his greedy friends. No one gave him the time of day or even
wanted anything to do with him. His own selfishness, greed and unkindness cost
him everything, and scripture was fulfilled with his reaping what he had sown.
Was this son really sorry for his
actions or was he trying to snow people with his sob story? Would he turn from rebellion to repentance? Just when his money ran out a famine hit the
land. The man who refused to work the
farm he would own one day had to swallow his pride and beg for work. The only job he could get was slopping the
pigs and maybe keep a bit of food for himself.
For a Jewish man to have anything to do with pigs was a disgrace in
their culture. He had reached rock
bottom.
“But when he had spent all, there
arose a severe famine in that land and he began to be in want. The he went and
joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to
feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the
swine ate, and no one gave him anything.” (Luke 15:14-16 NKJV)
But he came to
himself …
Did you ever get that “aha”
moment when you realize that what you had wasn’t so bad after all? That’s what happened to this wayward
son. It’s like a light bulb went off in
his head and was trying to practice what he was going to say when he saw his
father.
“But when he came to himself (his
senses), he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and
to spare, and I perish with hunger! I
will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned
against Heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your
son. Make me like one of your hired
servants.” (Luke 15:17-19 NKJV)
“But when he came
to himself” was that “aha”
moment when he knew he had sinned. Maybe
it was more like an “oh! What have I done?” sort of experience. Either way, he made plans to return home not
knowing if he would even be accepted. He
was willing to live as a servant, not a son and do whatever he had to do even
if it meant being humiliated.
Going home after you have messed
up in life is really hard. You know that you cannot escape all the questions,
sneers, snickers and gossip that are waiting at the gate upon your
arrival. A truly repentant person
understands that their sinful behavior comes with consequences and they are
willing to accept whatever it may be.
When God sees that a heart has
really changed, He is willing to receive us back into the fold. His grace and mercy awaits us.
Stink, what stink?
Hoping to be forgiven, the soul
searcher sets out on his journey home.
He is dirty from traveling, bare foot, wearing filthy worn-torn clothes,
tired, hungry and smelling like a pig.
This is how he would return to the land he walked away from because of
selfishness, greed and pride. The only
thing he had to offer now was his life; to sacrifice all and become a servant
instead of a son.
“And he (the prodigal son) arose
and came to his father. But when he was
still a great way off, his father saw him and had (great) compassion, and ran and fell
on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20 NKJV)
You can be sure that he didn’t
expect that kind of welcome and from his Dad no less. Nor did his father say, “Boy, do you
stink. What do you want? You have some nerve coming back after what
you did?”
The exact opposite happened. I
can see him trying to spout off his forgiveness speech as his father is
squeezing him and practically lifting him off his feet with joy. “But Dad … listen…”
“And the son said to him,
“Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in your sight, and am no longer
worthy to be called your son.” (Luke 15: 21 NKJV)
With Open Arms He
Received Him
The father totally disregarded
what his lost son was saying as he continued with his confession.
Parents who have been hurt by their children
know that nothing a child does can remove the love they have in their heart for
that child.
Instead of being greeted with a
fortress of guards with weapons, the young soul came home and was greeted with
open arms from his father. He did not
ask him where he was, what he had been doing with the money or why he came back
home. Grace and mercy (the unmerited
favor of love from a father) met and fell upon a child who came home. He received forgiveness and was received unto
his own.
“But the father said to his
servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his
hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf her and kill it, and
let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was
lost and is found.” And they began to be merry.” (Luke 15:22-24 NKJV)
Does this take you back to the
account with Joseph and his robe of many colors as told to us in Genesis? A father’s robe and his ring were signs that
authority has been passed down to that individual. It signifies that favor has come to that
person and all who meet him will know it by the clothes that he wears. Something huge happened, and for a man to
have shoes, well, only the rich had them.
Servants or low income families did not have sandals. Perhaps you can understand why the washing of
feet was such an important message Jesus tried to get across to the disciples.
In place of an inquisition, the
father threw a party. He didn’t have to sacrifice himself or anything, because
the sacrifice was being prepared. What a
home coming. The Bible tells us that
Heaven has the same kind of response every time a wayward child of God’s repents.
“Likewise, I say to you, there is
joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke
15:10 NKJV).
Heaven and earth rejoice together
when someone repents. It’s like the two
collide with sounds of praise, singing and joy squishing out the devil in the
middle.
Hey, what’s going
on here?
“Now his older son was in the
field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come,
and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the
fatted calf.” (Luke 15:25-26 NKJV)
Surprised probably isn’t the best
word I could use to describe how mad the older sibling was to hear this report. Not only was “he that shall be nameless”
back, now Dad is giving him part of my inheritance, and even throwing a celebration
for him.
There is no way he would show his
face at that festivity. In fact, he made
it clear he wasn’t attending, so the father pleaded for him to welcome his
brother back home. In my mind the
conversation might sound a little like this (remember to add the stinky
attitude):
“Are you kidding me? Dad, I don’t get it. I’ve worked for you for years and have done everything you have asked me to do, and without complaining I might add.
You have never given me anything, let alone a goat so I could have a party with my friends. No, but as soon as the spoiled one is back, the one who spent all your life savings on partying and girls, you roll out the red carpet for him with all the bells and whistles.
I can’t believe you are doing this. He spent all his money and has brought so much turmoil to us, what are you thinking? How can you show him favor and give him anything? He doesn’t deserve any of this.” (Para-phrasing of Luke 15: 28-30)
He might have a good point, none of
us deserve forgiveness. Is he right in feeling or responding the way he did? As children of God, we have to say – no.
Repentance to favor and blessings
caused jealousy among the brothers, just like it does in the Body of
Christ. The older brother wasn’t willing
to forgive or forget what the boy did to the family, and the father did
something that made him really angry.
Instead of punishing his son, the father gave him a position of
authority by placing his ring and robe on the run-away. This was an honor that was reserved for the
oldest son.
There is something that people
miss here. The older son didn’t say
anything about the ring or robe, but was really mad about the fatted calf for
the barbecue. Having so many animals was
a sign of wealth. So in reality, the one who remained behind was just as greedy
as the one who left, because his younger brother was now tapping into his
inheritance.
Instead of being glad and
thankful that the younger brother was safe, he threw his own pity party.
Restoration of
Favor
God knows that we are going to
mess up in life, even big time what seem to be unforgivable mess ups. What Jesus was teaching the disciples is that
it doesn’t matter what you have done, there is no sin that grace and mercy
won’t forgive when it comes from a broken, repentant heart.
That young man royally ruined his
life and the reputation of his family, yet the father still looked for his
return. There will be people in your
life that want to throw the sin(s) you’ve committed in your face and remind others of
what you did. Don't listen to them.
Let me remind you of what
this father did, he forgave and restored favor to his child. Jesus was telling all those who listened that
the father He was referring to is the Heavenly Father, and He is waiting for
the return of His children. God is not
waiting to scold you or cut you off from His everlasting Will, but is waiting
for you to come home with outstretched arms.
“And he said to him (the older
child), ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.” (Luke
15:31 NKJV)
What the older son failed to
realize is that he could have had anything he wanted, because the inheritance
was already his to do with as he pleased.
He already had what the father had, but failed to use the power that was
given to him. The real problem was that
he didn’t want to forgive his brother or let him back into the family. He was still jealous, angry and bitter over
the whole matter.
“It was right that we should make
merry and be glad, for your brother (or sister in Christ) was dead and is alive
again, and was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:32 NKJV)
When we become sons and daughters
of God, He gives us the power to use His name and what is His in order to bring
lost souls home. We are to use that
power against the enemy, not one another. That son had within his power to do
what was right all along, yet he didn’t do anything.
How do you respond when you see a
loved one or another fellow believer go off and stink up their lives with
worldly things? Do you try and bring
them back into the family or do you let them go? It’s hard to decide what we should do in each
situation, and sometimes we have to let them go and pray them back. The father let the son go and didn’t try to
stop him, knowing it would bring heartache to both of them.
We cannot make decisions for
other people; only guide them in the things of the Lord. The son knew he was wrong, because he
admitted he had sinned against God and his father. How did he know this? The son repented. The father taught his
sons about sin, but he also taught them about hope and what it means to
forgive.
Blessings are Bestowed
Favor
The son came home not expecting
to be restored to the family, but hoped to gain favor in becoming a
servant. When we are forgiven of our
sins and restored to righteousness by Christ Jesus, we have the blessing and hope
of an eternity in Heaven.
Our
restoration doesn’t stop there. God
restores His favor through blessings on our life on earth, because of the grace He showed
us as forgiven children. If a child sins
and asks to be forgiven, we forgive them and carry on with life. New blessings come as they grow in grace
with us, not because they deserve it, but because we love them.
It’s time to come
home ...
God can look beyond our stinky
smell when it comes to the physical aspects of life, but he cannot look on a
stinky heart. In this case, both sons
messed up and were wrong. Scripture only
tells us that one asked for forgiveness.
If things aren’t right in your
life, don’t write it off as nothing. There
is hope, because Jesus was the sacrifice for any sin we commit against God. All
we need to do is repent and come home to Him. Get rid of the sin that is
stinking up your life and relationships. Stop running away from God’s grace and mercy.
It’s not too late to be restored to His favor.
Come Home by Luminate
Until next time, restore someone to Favor today!
Maybe
you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of
favor in your life also. Click on the
above tab “Tell Me” for
more information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and Image Copyright from
Favored1. Do not copy.
Image credit if not listed by Google Images Creative Common License
Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provide by Gateway Bible
Image credit if not listed by Google Images Creative Common License
Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provide by Gateway Bible
