HIS FATHER’S SON

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 30 March 2013

Hi all,

C S Lewis

One of the greatest Christian writers of the 20^th century was C S Lewis. The following paragraph is quoted verbatim from the page on Amazon advertising Lewis’ book entitled, “Surprised by Joy”

This book is not an autobiography. It is not a confession. It is, however, certainly one of the most beautiful and insightful accounts of a person coming to faith. Here, C.S. Lewis takes us from his childhood in Belfast through the loss of his mother, to boarding school and a youthful atheism in England, to the trenches of World War I, and then to Oxford, where he studied, read and, ultimately, reasoned his way back to God. It is perhaps this aspect of C S Lewis that we - believers and nonbelievers - find most compelling and meaningful; Lewis was searching for joy, for an elusive and momentary sensation of glorious yearning, but he found it, and spiritual life, through the use of reason.

Jim & Phyllida at the Trevi Fountain in Rome

The paragraph is quoted because it was the experience of the Prodigal Son when he returned home to his father. In like manner, it was my experience when I returned home to my parents in England in April 1960.

Phyllida and I have found that most people who come to Jesus Christ, have their own experience of finding the love of Jesus in a personal way. The prodigal son discovered that he was still his father’s son in spite of what he had done. I found the same. We were “Surprised by Joy”!

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland 

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Saturday, 30 March 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	His Father’s Son
According to Mark Twain in His autobiography, “Truth is stranger than fiction; but it isn’t because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.” In the light of this statement, what do we do with Jesus’ parables? Were they real stories about real people, or were they merely teachings used as illustrations to demonstrate truth by the greatest mind Who has ever lived? It’s difficult thinking that Jesus would tell stories that were not true in real life. So were these parables the product of His fertile imagination or things that He had seen and known? We are inclined to think that they were just stories. But the fact is, what He spoke about had actually taken place somewhere. As the TV shows state, “Names have been changed to protect the identity of individuals.” We don’t have to be Jewish or Christian in order to follow His parables. Some are so well known that people are surprised they are Jesus’ parables. The Good Samaritan is a case in point. Regardless of our “religious” views, the story grips the imagination and can leave us feeling rather uncomfortable! One of the best known parables is the Prodigal Son. The word prodigal has two interconnected meanings: One is Profligate and wasteful. The other is extravagant. In this instance, the younger son was profligate and wasteful. Regardless the size of his inheritance, he wasted it on riotous living in that far country. His father was extravagant. He gave his youngest son his inheritance while still alive. It should never have happened. I suspect that if you check with a lawyer, you will be told that you can only receive an inheritance after the person dies. A “settlement” before death would be a gift or donation. Was this parable a story or something that actually happened? By way of answer, if we look back over Christianity for the past two thousand years, we see it repeated regularly by men and women in every generation. The details may not be identical, but the truth comes shining through in the lives of many Christians. Men like William Wilberforce and John Newton. Women like Florence Nightingale. Hundreds, dare I say hundreds of thousands, of Christians throughout the generations? It’s true of me. What does a young man do when the bottom has fallen out of his world? It happened to me. It’s true to say that I’m a 20th century prodigal son. What we can say is that Jesus had something in mind which prompted the parable. Truth or fiction is irrelevant. What we do know is Jesus understands human nature. Our meditation this morning contains a part of my own testimony to what God regularly does in the lives of people. I’m only one of them Jim & Phyllida Strickland			For the choir director; a psalm by David. 1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I make decisions alone with sorrow in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Psalm 13:1-2 GW 17 Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. James 1:17 MSG 14 But the city of Zion said, "The LORD has deserted me. The Lord has forgotten me." 15 The LORD answers, "Can a mother forget the baby who is nursing at her breast? Can she stop showing her tender love to the child who was born to her? She might forget her child. But I will not forget you. Isaiah 49:14-15 NIrV 21 Remember these things, Jacob: You are my servant, Israel. I formed you; you are my servant. Israel, I will not forget you. 22 I made your rebellious acts disappear like a thick cloud and your sins like the morning mist. Come back to me, because I have reclaimed you. Isaiah 44:21-22 GW 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 But after he heard Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. 7 Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." 8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short time ago the Jews tried to kill you with stones. Are you still going back there?" 9 Jesus answered, "Aren't there 12 hours of daylight? A person who walks during the day won't trip and fall. He can see because of this world's light John 11:5-9 NIrV 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to Him, pleading, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely." 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then His disciples urged Him to send her away. "Tell her to go away," they said. "She is bothering us with all her begging." 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, "I was sent only to help God's lost sheep--the people of Israel Mat 15:22-24 NLT 6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT	He sat down in the corner with his hands across his face. The thing he’d done was silly and he was in disgrace. His parents were so far away and he had let them down. How could he ever tell them in that far off distant town? He trembled with anxiety. He knew his foes were near. With each and every passing hour he trembled in his fear. Could he find forgiveness? How would things all turn out? And every time he thought of it, his mind was filled with doubt. He felt alone and desolate. He couldn’t face the truth. And life forever changed for him, that moment in his youth. There still was so much more to learn. He thought he knew it all. He’d heard about the Prodigal; about his rise and fall. He knew he had gone home again, disgraced and wearing rags. He knew that in the pig pen how much his heart could sag. But he was far too hungry. A servant of his dad, Was given food and clothing; a lot more than he had. And so he set out homeward. No sandals on his feet; Hoping that his father would give him food to eat. He didn’t know his father. At least not how he should. Perhaps the only thing he knew; his father was so good. And when his father greeted him, the thing that he had done, Was suddenly forgotten; he was his father’ son. That young man in the corner I have to say was me. What would my father ever say and just how would he be? And so I went back home again, “my tail between my legs”. I had received the poisoned cup and drained it to the dregs. My father didn’t mention it. Just, “welcome home my lad”. I felt I had been gob smacked!  To hear this from my dad! It’s not what I expected. I thought He’d rant and rave. Instead, he just accepted me. I thought he was so brave. A few short months thereafter I heard about the Lord. I went to Him in penitence and out to Him I poured; The truth of what had happened. But He already knew. He said I was forgiven and told me what to do. Learn about my Saviour and put Him in control. He would give direction, a purpose and a goal. And since that very moment the thing which I had done Was swallowed up by Jesus. Now I’m His Father’s son. Jim Strickland Written 30th March 2012.