“And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Once we’ve walked a path of evil-hearted foolishness, experienced the pain of God-delivered justice, come to a moment of humbly-righteous repentance, what comes next? Well, that depends. On what, you ask? It depends on to whom it is we’ve repented.
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“And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Every comedy featuring kids facing off against some adult villain has a moment when the adult gets it somehow. Perhaps the most famous is the original Home Alone. The Sticky Bandits, Harry and Marv, hilariously work through Kevin’s house of horrors getting hit in the head with irons, paint cans, stepping on upended nails, glass ornaments, getting glued and feathered, having their heads and hands burnt, and finally getting whacked with a snow shovel before they are finally arrested. That’s called justice, and if we pursue a path of evil-hearted foolishness like the younger son in the parable of the prodigal son, we will eventually experience that moment ourselves.
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“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
The favor of the Lord is a wonderful thing. After all, He’s the creator of the world and everything in it. If He takes a special interest in your success, there’s no way you can possibly fail. The favor of the Lord is better than pulling the winning lottery numbers. Twice. But, what exactly does the favor of the Lord look like? We’d like to think it’s all butterflies and rainbows, but Joseph’s story rips that theory to pieces.
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“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” (CSB – Read the chapter)
When Jesus had been arrested and tried by the Jewish religious authorities, they handed Him over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, because they wanted Him crucified and they didn’t have the authority to impose such a sentence. Pilate was an interesting guy, but one we’ll have to talk about another time. What’s of interest right now is that as Pilate questions Jesus to get a sense of who this man was that so enraged the members of the Sanhedrin, he asks a question that rings far more loudly today than it did then: What is truth?
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“So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.” (CSB – Read the chapter)
Have you ever tried to worship with an angry heart? That’s no small task. In fact, I dare say it is an impossible one. Worshiping the Lord is something that should happen primarily between us and the Lord. Worshiping angry, like doing just about anything angry, is a recipe for not doing it very well. Jesus here offers us a solution. But hold on tight because it sounds pretty radical.
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The Nexus 