CELEBRATE THE TOUGH RECONCILIATIONS
Jenna Worsham
Today’s Scripture: “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:24, ESV
Theme: Have grace for the wayward and celebrate when the lost are found!
HAVE GRACE
Sometimes a family member or friend hurts me and mine. Often that hurt is expressed as rejection, lack of contact, or blocked family plans. To cope, I have too often built a wall against affection for that person. In one situation, there was a family emergency, and suddenly past rejection was forgotten, me and mine were asked to contribute, step up with support, and sacrifice on behalf of the person who I felt had wronged us. It’s complicated when the dead come back to life. Unsettling when the “lost are found” if the lost hurt us on the way out.
REUNION
Hospital bedsides can become reunion sites. They can also be battlefields. We feel like we have a right to fight for our loved ones and yet, what cause is there to celebrate if everyone is arguing? Is a win even worth the backlash? Even death or convalescence can be an opportunity to seek peace. Sometimes pain opens the door for reconciliation. In the most difficult moments, sometimes empathy and understanding allow an opportunity for a soft answer to an audacious request. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1, ESV). A relationship that was once dead returns to life. And yet, sometimes it is hard to celebrate.
“AND THEY BEGAN TO CELEBRATE”
I can see why the father in the parable was ready to celebrate. We ache when our children wander away and are so thankful when they come home – literally and figuratively. However, if the wayward one is not our own child but a sibling (with years of experience tormenting or excluding us), a stepparent we always resented, or an abuser looking for absolution, it’s hard.
Make It Personal: Who are the “lost” to you? What wayward people are you able to have grace for? Who can you not imagine forgiving and celebrating with? Which of your relationships are dead but could be brought to life?
Pray: Father, You are faithful. You restore the lost and call gently to the wayward. Help me to support and forgive people as You do. Give me the strength and grace to celebrate, even in hard times. You have all the power and resources. I know you can do this even though it is hard for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: Luke 19:10; Matthew 18:10-14
Weekly Memory Verse: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8, ESV