Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 15:4-6, 31-32 "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost." "And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."
As I was reading the parable of the lost sheep I kept thinking about the 99 left behind. Who was protecting those sheep? Then as I read the parable of the prodigal son I saw how they went hand in hand. The 99 and the faithful son are the same, they were true and ever faithful. They may for a moment hesitate to see such rejoicing and feasting over the lost, but the Father has not forgotten them. We are to learn to rejoice for the lost sheep returning in stead of feeling forgotten. The reward is to be with the Father again.
"Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness."
That just made me really sad. Does a child ever make their way back when they not only curse God but their parents too? Laman and Lemuel never did, neither did Cain. There is the story of the prodigal son and he came back. I read the story again in Luke 15. The one thing I noticed is that the son never cursed or wished death upon his father. It seems the 5th commandment "Honour thy father and thy mother" was broken symbolically by leaving but not expressed in words. The words could be the curse, which drives them into obscure darkness.
"If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear."
This is the law that gives meaning to the parable of the prodigal son given by Jesus..
"And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."
(Luke 15:13, 20)
The father runs to his son, thus preventing him from being stoned to death. We no longer hold dishonoring parents as a capital crime. Yet the commandment to honor our father and mother has never been revoked by the Lord.
Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 15:17, 20
"And when he came to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."
I know the pain of being the mother of a prodigal child. All I could do is turn them over to the Lord for safe keeping until they would come to themselves. The Lord told me they would not be happy to see me if I chased after them, and he was right. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. It was also one of the greatest period of my life, because the Lord taught me so many things, and prepared me. My child has come home, and is still a far away off from the gospel and the Lord. But, I am grateful they are home and will wait upon the Lord, for he knows more about wayward children then I do.
Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."
I have been reflecting a lot lately on the phrase "Be still, and know that I am God." I have witnessed a miracle and the healing of hearts. I am the "prodigal son's" mother and my child has come home. God told me to leave my child in His arms and let them fail. Then I had to stand still, and leave them alone. They would not want to hear from me until they were ready. I had to let God take care of them and do his work and not interfere. Three years later they were ready for me to love them once again. I have reflected on the reunion and how much my heart has changed while I learned to be still. Being still does not mean I do nothing. What I needed to do was know God. I had to seek His face, and trust him. Coming to know God has made me the mother my child needs. One day I hope they too seek God.
Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 21:18, 20-21
"If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice, he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear."
This chapter had some serious punishment. I think this one topped it all for me. To see parents turn their child over to be stoned to death for being rebellious. I thought how could they do that? I also reflected that it is a good thing we don't practice this today, because there is so little respect for parents or people in authority in our society, there wouldn't be many children left. Then I realized this had something to do with the fifth command to honor our father and mother. This commandment has not been done a way with. There is implication today for me in this. Then the story of the prodigal son came to my mind. I sat and read it and then watched "The Prodigal Son" video in the "The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos" by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The part of the son coming to himself and returning home touched my heart.
"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (Luke 15:20)
I understood now why that father had compassion and ran to his son, while he was a great ways off. If he hadn't done that the elders of the city could have stoned him to death. For he was a glutton and a drunkard with his riotous living, and had not honored his mother and father. Under the mosaic law he was worthy of death.
So I reflected on this act of stoning, and turning the child over to the elders of the church. I felt impressed to look at the elders of the church as representing Christ. I have experienced turning a rebellious child over to the Lord, and this fits. Though my child may have spiritual died, I needed to turn them over to the Lord for his keeping. I have left them in his hands to do as he see's fit. He knows what they must past through in order to "come to themselves". For I know they will have no desire to see me until they have been made clean. Then I can run to them and throw our arms around them and kiss them, and rejoice. Until that day the Lord has sustained and carried me, and replaced my sorrow with peace in this matter.
