TUESDAY, AUGUST 20
“Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
Luke 15:30 (NLT)
LIES THE OLDER SON BELIEVED: MY FATHER’S GRACE MUST HAVE LIMITS
Two little brothers, Harry and James, had finished supper and were playing until bedtime. Somehow, Harry hit James with a stick, and tears and bitter words followed. Charges and accusations were still being exchanged as their mother prepared them for bed. She said, “Now boys, what would happen if either of you died tonight and you never had the opportunity again for forgive one another?” James spoke up, “Well, OK, I’ll forgive him tonight, but if we’re both alive in the morning, he’d better look out.”
In the story of the prodigal son the older son believed that there should be a limit to the father’s grace. He was bothered that his father would celebrate the return of a son who wasted his money on prostitutes. We learned on Sunday how the older son represented the beliefs of the religious leaders of the day. These leaders were bothered that Jesus spent time with sinners and tax collectors and they didn’t believe God should forgive that type of sin.
There are still people today who believe that there are some sins that God should forgive and some sins and people that don’t deserve to be forgiven. Some of us may think we’ve sin too bad or strayed too far that God would never want to forgive us. There is no limit to God’s grace and God’s forgiveness. If you have never asked God for forgiveness through His Son Jesus, do it today.
