In Chapter 6 (“Redefining Hope”) of The Prodigal God, Timothy Keller suggests that we should read the Parable of the Two Lost Sons in the context of the Bible’s “sweeping theme of exile and homecoming.” Doing so will help us to understand that Jesus’s parable is more than “a moving account of individual redemption. Jesus is promising hope for the world.”
As the author notes, “home” exercises a powerful influence over our lives. Yet we usually are disappointed when we have the opportunity to get back to places we remember so fondly. For example, when my parents moved from my boyhood home in Evergreen Park (IL) to a condo in Des Plaines, only one original neighbor remained on the block. Recreating the past was impossible. But the strong feelings evoked by “home” reveal a deep longing within us for a place, Pastor Keller states, “that absolutely suits us, where we can be, or perhaps find, our true selves.” He adds that powerful memories of home only arouse a desire they cannot fulfill:
“We may work hard to re-create the home we have lost, but, says the Bible, it only exists in the presence of the heavenly father from which we have fled.”
Today’s question: How much do you miss your former ministry or vocation “home”? How can you find your true self in Jesus? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The Father’s feast- Part 1