Sermon "Love That Releases"
Rev. Lonnie Richardson
Sunday September 21, 1997
Luke 15:1-32
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Love That Releases
If God is all powerful then why does he treat the world likehe treats it? Why doesn't God do something about the spot we arein? Doesn't God understand, grasp or have compassion with humanhurt and loss. The parables of the lost sheep, coin and son offerhelpful insight to these questions. Let's look at what was lostand the action taken in these situations.
A sheep is lost, shepherd goes out and at the risk of his ownwell being brings it back. A lost coin, a lady searches for ituntil she finds it and puts it where it belongs. A boy is lostand the father stays home. Is a lost sheep of more value than ason? Is a lost coin of more value than a son? I think not. Thenwhy, when a boy is lost you let him be lost and when a sheep orcoin is lost you go to find it? I think the answer to thatquestion is a larger idea and is probably something that'spracticed by every parent in this room. How assertive does one goin parenting? Too much pressure on a child and he may react andyou lose him. If you exert too little pressure will thatcontribute to his delinquency?
There is a difference between a sheep, a coin and a boy. Aninanimate object like a coin has no will towards its destiny.Sheep is an animal. By definition I could say an animal issomething that is pawned to its environment. But a human beingmanipulates his environment towards social ends and personal endsbut an animal can't do that. So that when a boy is lost a fatherknows there's certain limitations to what he could actually do.
This picture is a figure of the relation of God to us. Godmade the heavens and earth. What do you suppose God will do tosomeone who says "I'll do what I want to do because I wantto do it. God leave me alone and quit picking on me." Whatdoes God do? He leaves us alone!
A difference between a sheep a coin and a person is the waysGod is glorified. The creative world glorifies God. Rain hits theground then enters a trees root system and leaves. Trees aredoing photosynthesis and the carbon dioxide cycle...The sun comesup in the east and goes down in the west... Summer, fall, winter,and spring, the seasons glorify God. The human body glorifiesGod, the laws of physics glorify God. Nature reveals the beautyof creative design. But in God's creation there's a group of twolegged creatures who are able to stand in the midst of it all andsay, "I'll do what I want to do because I want to doit." Now why do they get to do that? A tree doesn't say, I'mtired of the carbon dioxide cycle and will not participate in itany longer. A tree cannot refuse to do this. If we were like thisthen the distinction would be blurred between sheep, coins and aperson.
God has created us in his own image and has taken a fantasticrisk in that he has voluntarily limited himself in directproportion to how much freedom he has given to us. Voluntaryallegiance is of greater value than compulsory allegiance. Loveis voluntary. No human pain is like offering it and having itrejected. You cannot force it onto someone. It is a love thatreleases.
In this we have the glimpse that God is carrying on in thehuman project a value system that cannot be carried on withinanimate objects and animals but only with equals. People whoare made in the image of God and can reciprocate voluntarilytheir love. We are told in a metaphor that he "stands at thedoor and knocks." God does not force his way in but seeksentrance by our permission.
Jesus says the father ran. Now running is regarded as cool inour culture, but in Jesus' day men just didn't run; to run was asure sign you had lost all dignity. But this father, who lethimself be taken advantage of, cares more for the boy than forhis own dignity. He could have given the boy a thrashing,required heavy penance, sackcloth, fasting, ashes. But he ran.
The story is told of a Chinese artist who undertook to paintthe parable of the prodigal son. His first attempt showed thefather standing, waiting at the gate for his son who was seenapproaching at the distance. When the artist showed his pictureto a friend, his friend exclaimed, "Oh, no, you don't haveit right. The father shouldn't be standing, waiting. He should berunning to meet his son." "But no Chinese father coulddo than." said the artist. "That is just thepoint," replied his friend, "No human father would, butthis is the astonishing story of a father that tells us aboutGod's amazing mercy - he loves us like that!" "Isee," replied the artist. The next picture he painted showedthe father running to meet his son, and, in his hurry, he had puton shoes that didn't match.
The father's releasing love, welcoming us home, to becomeco-participants in the most challenging, thrilling, demanding,rewarding, fulfilling activity possible. He love us like that,where are you going?
Prayer
Our Father, how grateful we are that through the difficultiesof our lives and through the clarity of scripture you areteaching us that we have choices: either to be the slave of onemaster, or the child of another. We pray that in each moment ofdecision we may choose to be the child of a father's love. We arenot made to stand alone. We are dependent upon you, Lord. We askyou to break the back of rebellion within us, and help us tochoose your plan and your program. To learn to wait when you askus to, and learn to trust, and know that "freedom,now," means slavery; but freedom when you give it meansliberty in the fullest sense of the word. We thank you for thislesson, in Jesus' name, amen.
