Ambassadors of the Reconciling Father
I have just finished the book, The Return of the
Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. He brought out another character in the story for
us to identify with. Many of us identify with either the younger rebellious son
or the older responsible son in the parable. Nouwen, however, brings up the
character of the forgiving father and how we need to become like him.
Our Corinthians 5 passage tells us how we have been
made new in Christ – reconciled to God through Christ’s work on the cross. The
father in the Prodigal Son represents God the Father who welcomes home and not
only forgives the younger son but the bitter, angry older son. Whatever son we
feel represents us, God forgives and welcomes us home.
As ambassadors for Christ, we have been given the
ministry of reconciliation. As God forgave us and accepted us back home – no
matter what, we are to do the same to others. We are to be like God who hasn’t counted
the trespasses against us. God is making his appeal through us as his
ambassadors. We are to show God’s love and forgiveness in being like the Father
in the parable welcoming others home no matter if they are the good, stay at
home son or the prodigal.
During this Lenten time let us consider how Jesus who
took on the sins of the world became a prodigal son who paid the price for our
sins. As God gave Jesus new life, we have been given new life. In Him we might
become the righteousness of God.
Let us become then like the welcoming father in this
parable – not holding sins against those in our lives but forgiving them –
being ambassadors of reconciliation for Christ.
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