Come Home To Love
The Gospel of Luke states, “John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by all her children” (Luke 7:33–35).
Jesus was speaking to religious leaders and telling them that they were never satisfied but always critical. John the Baptist lived as an ascetic and they found him too fanatical, Jesus lived in town and spent time in the synagogue and went to weddings and was readily among the people. They in turn criticized him for being too “worldly”. Jesus’ point was they always found something to criticize, as long as it meant they didn’t have to examine themselves.
The proverb that wisdom is proved right by her children is another way of saying, by their fruits you will know them. We reproduce who we are, for good or bad. We may cover up who we are, but in reality our life will reflect our heart. Dishonest people reproduce problems for themselves and others by their lies. Angry people reproduce more anger in their life.
On the positive side, people that love much reproduce love in their life in relationships and joy and in giving to others.
Each of us has the power to choose what we will create in our life by the seeds we sow. If we sow patience then we will find our life taking on a peacefulness. If we are givers then we will receive love in return. And if we are not where we want to be, we can change that in a moment.
Before he was a bestselling author, Max Lucado was a missionary in Brazil. He shared a beautiful story about a mother named Maria who discovered her daughter had run away. Knowing a young teenage girl in the big city could only survive by selling her body, Maria decided to take immediate action. She took a photo of herself, made several copies, wrote a note on the back of each picture, then went to the sleaziest parts of town and into the scummiest establishments and hung her pictures around the city.
Soon her daughter tearfully came home after finding one of the photos hung up downtown. On the back of the photos Maria had written a simple but profound promise that her daughter gratefully read. The note was simply, “Whatever you’ve done, whatever you have become, it doesn’t matter. Please come home.”
Grace is like that. The best part is, the same message calls to us. Not reproducing what you want in your life? Whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn’t matter. The invitation is an open one to come home, all you have to do is make a step towards God and he promises that he will take countless steps your way to close the gap.
In the story of the Prodigal Son, when the son is going home to apologize to his father, the father sees the son a long way off and runs to welcome him home. It is a beautiful story of grace. It can be your story as well, if you want it.
