Six years ago, I was teaching tennis in Laguna Beach during the week, but living in a condominium I had purchased in Palm Springs on weekends. Though God, church and family had been important to me in my childhood, I had walked far away from all three, pursuing my own selfish desires. Easter was at hand, and I decided to see the Mel Gibson movie, “Passion of the Christ,” which graphically depicted the life, persecution and crucifixion of Jesus. I sobbed throughout the movie, and though the depiction was certainly not perfect, it had me imagine the events in a different light than I ever had before. Somehow, I started to realize the personal aspect of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. He did it for me! I felt like God was telling me, “Come back to Me. It’s now or never.”
When I left the theater, I went and purchased a Bible. I wanted to read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to see if the crucifixion was as brutal as depicted, not knowing that Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 show many more specific aspects of the death of Jesus. Unhappy in my life, I felt the door was open. That day I prayed, “Lord, I have done it my way for the last 25 years and it hasn’t given me any peace or happiness. Now, I want to do it Your way. Will you take me back, God?”
Jesus tells us of the “prodigal son” in Luke 15. “Prodigal” is the Greek word asotos (ἀσώτως), meaning wasteful or with riotous living. A man had two sons and one asked for his inheritance before his father had died. The young man spent the inheritance with riotous living in brothels and bars. Upon finding himself destitute, he decided to return to his father and offer to work as a servant.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. Luke 15:17-24
In the last six years, the Lord has robed me in His finest, given me His ring, put sandals on my feet and even killed the fatted calf in celebration of my lost life that now is found. Walking in His ways has been an enormous blessing, with God’s forgiveness removing the weighty burden of my sin. Today, I had a lengthy phone call with another prodigal son, who has decided he is exhausted from the weight of the world, doing it his own way. He has decided to follow Jesus again, just as he did in his youth. All of the angels in heaven are celebrating with me right now, and there are people in this young man’s life who will see very shortly the love of our Father who answers prayers! God saves some on their death beds, like the thief on the cross, who Jesus promised would meet the Lord in paradise that same day. Yet some of us get the blessing to walk with Jesus and give something back to His Kingdom. Join with me in some delicious “carne asada” in honor of a good friend, who has come home!
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