WEBVTT 00:00:00.270 --> 00:00:04.750 Well, howdy Well, apparently now I'm middle -aged 00:00:04.750 --> 00:00:10.589 so Yeah, ended up turning 45 this last week So 00:00:10.589 --> 00:00:14.929 I swear as soon as that happened I I saw extra 00:00:14.929 --> 00:00:18.390 gray hairs popping up right there They just instantly 00:00:18.390 --> 00:00:22.570 just grew out of nowhere. So I don't know I could 00:00:22.570 --> 00:00:24.269 swear my right hip is starting to hurt a little 00:00:24.269 --> 00:00:27.480 bit more. So No idea, but you know the thing 00:00:27.480 --> 00:00:30.980 is with that is with birthdays is that there's 00:00:30.980 --> 00:00:33.000 always this little part that my sister loves 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:35.659 to tease me a little bit because she's always 00:00:35.659 --> 00:00:37.679 she's younger well she's always younger that's 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:40.420 how it works but you know she's going to be like 00:00:40.420 --> 00:00:42.880 well well the good thing I'm not middle -aged 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:45.399 yet or anything like that you know or good thing 00:00:45.399 --> 00:00:47.420 I don't have all those gray hairs or anything 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:50.000 like that and the thing with it though is that 00:00:50.109 --> 00:00:52.649 She still likes to act like the older sibling 00:00:52.649 --> 00:00:55.490 to try to boss me around though So it somehow 00:00:55.490 --> 00:00:58.070 doesn't seem to work out the way that she expects, 00:00:58.070 --> 00:01:01.729 but still you know being the older brother You 00:01:01.729 --> 00:01:03.929 know that's the thing with this though is there's 00:01:03.929 --> 00:01:06.530 a certain role a certain place that you end up 00:01:06.530 --> 00:01:10.329 having in the family But because of that it's 00:01:10.329 --> 00:01:14.010 sometimes hard to read a story like the prodigal 00:01:14.010 --> 00:01:16.829 son It's hard to read something like this where 00:01:16.829 --> 00:01:20.079 you end up seeing what happens with the older 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:22.859 brother. But the thing is, is that as we're looking 00:01:22.859 --> 00:01:25.560 at this, it ends up helping us to understand 00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:30.400 and unpack the story even more. You see, to realize 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:34.519 that the prodigal son, it's a parable, not a 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:37.659 story. Okay, a parable, not a story. And what 00:01:37.659 --> 00:01:40.920 do I mean by that? Because a parable, it's meant 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:44.680 to communicate an image. It's meant to try to 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:47.519 communicate a message. through it. You see the 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:50.700 thing is that what happens in parables, these 00:01:50.700 --> 00:01:52.879 are things that are supposed to be a little different 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:56.040 than reality, a little different than what you 00:01:56.040 --> 00:01:58.900 would normally expect. So with this is that the 00:01:58.900 --> 00:02:01.359 parables, they're supposed to be something that 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:04.260 goes beyond what you would literally experience. 00:02:05.060 --> 00:02:08.580 So as we see it though, the reactions that we 00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:12.159 have, the way that we approach it, it allows 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:15.860 us to unpack our own feelings. not just with 00:02:15.860 --> 00:02:18.259 the things that we've experienced in our families, 00:02:19.060 --> 00:02:22.180 but also through that, to see what it is that 00:02:22.180 --> 00:02:25.620 we're experiencing with the world around us as 00:02:25.620 --> 00:02:30.180 well. But where do we start? Well, as we look 00:02:30.180 --> 00:02:32.919 through it, well, let's go ahead and start where 00:02:32.919 --> 00:02:35.680 it is that we see Jesus starting. Let's go ahead 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:39.740 and start off with the younger son. Now, what 00:02:39.740 --> 00:02:43.069 we have to remember here, is that Jesus is showing 00:02:43.069 --> 00:02:45.849 us what I've always known is that younger siblings 00:02:45.849 --> 00:02:49.229 are always troubled. Just always. Younger siblings 00:02:49.229 --> 00:02:51.590 are always troubled. Always making things difficult 00:02:51.590 --> 00:02:55.229 somehow, right? But, you know, honestly, all 00:02:55.229 --> 00:02:59.389 kidding aside though, in this story, we don't 00:02:59.389 --> 00:03:01.870 see an actual issue between older and younger 00:03:01.870 --> 00:03:06.449 as much as the younger son really shows something 00:03:06.449 --> 00:03:09.689 that we can all associate with at some point. 00:03:10.430 --> 00:03:14.039 Now, What's difficult in this part though, is 00:03:14.039 --> 00:03:18.180 that this particular son is the worst version 00:03:18.180 --> 00:03:22.139 of what you could imagine. Because not just that 00:03:22.139 --> 00:03:25.080 the younger son wants to go off and have as much 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:28.180 fun as he can, is that in reality the younger 00:03:28.180 --> 00:03:33.259 son actually wants the dad to be dead. What do 00:03:33.259 --> 00:03:37.080 I mean by that? What we see is that as soon as 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:40.139 it starts, what does he want the father to do? 00:03:40.379 --> 00:03:44.900 divide the property up among us. Now that should 00:03:44.900 --> 00:03:48.759 be strange. It is strange because you don't divide 00:03:48.759 --> 00:03:51.960 up property when the parents are still alive. 00:03:52.379 --> 00:03:55.539 You only divide up the property when the parents 00:03:55.539 --> 00:03:59.180 have passed. And with that then, what we end 00:03:59.180 --> 00:04:03.120 up seeing is that this son betrays what it is 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:07.560 that he truly feels inside. He has no use for 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:11.819 that father. No real desire, no real interest 00:04:11.819 --> 00:04:14.639 in that relationship. What does he want? He wants 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:18.300 what's coming to him. Which is funny, since in 00:04:18.300 --> 00:04:21.839 reality an inheritance is a gift, not really 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:24.920 something that you're necessarily owed per se. 00:04:25.819 --> 00:04:30.259 But when we see this, we not only end up discovering 00:04:30.259 --> 00:04:33.199 how he feels about his father, but also how he 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:36.620 feels about the world around him. The world is 00:04:36.620 --> 00:04:38.959 just meant to try to get the most out of it that 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:42.620 you can, and then just walk away when you don't 00:04:42.620 --> 00:04:47.259 feel like staying. But as we end up seeing this 00:04:47.259 --> 00:04:51.740 sun, this prodigal sun, prodigal does not end 00:04:51.740 --> 00:04:56.339 up focusing on the idea of wandering. Prodigal 00:04:56.339 --> 00:05:01.019 focuses on the idea of reckless. It comes from 00:05:01.019 --> 00:05:05.500 the idea it's a sotos. From the Greek and it's 00:05:05.500 --> 00:05:09.459 this combination of ah for not and sozo from 00:05:09.459 --> 00:05:13.019 save or preserve So the one who does not preserve 00:05:13.019 --> 00:05:16.680 the one who does not save and so therefore what 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:20.240 we end up seeing is that this son is reckless 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:24.639 But as he has now gone up and spent everything 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:27.019 he had he didn't even worry what was going to 00:05:27.019 --> 00:05:30.100 happen next He left home. He apparently doesn't 00:05:30.100 --> 00:05:34.060 have any real job skills And so then all of a 00:05:34.060 --> 00:05:38.579 sudden, life happens. And whenever the famine 00:05:38.579 --> 00:05:41.620 comes through and there's hardly anything left, 00:05:42.660 --> 00:05:45.720 what does he end up discovering? He has no one 00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:50.560 and nothing. Well, as he is there, he ends up 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:54.459 pursuing what is very clearly offensive to the 00:05:54.459 --> 00:05:59.620 audience for Jesus at that time. See, the Jewish 00:05:59.620 --> 00:06:03.060 people... would not be keeping pigs. They were 00:06:03.060 --> 00:06:05.000 unclean. There's no reason why you would have 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:09.399 them. So, where was this young man? He was out 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:13.199 with the Gentiles. He was out working among them, 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:16.879 but not only that, serving them. And now he's 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:21.139 feeding the very pigs that make the people unclean, 00:06:21.459 --> 00:06:25.540 in a sense, showing what's on the inside on the 00:06:25.540 --> 00:06:29.639 outside. But even that he's so desperate. He's 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:32.339 trying to eat with even the pigs are trying to 00:06:32.339 --> 00:06:37.600 eat themselves How sad how desperate must this 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:41.680 be? But the thing with this is that we end up 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:44.899 seeing him coming up with a great idea I'm gonna 00:06:44.899 --> 00:06:47.699 go back to my father. I'm gonna try to be a hired 00:06:47.699 --> 00:06:52.500 hand notice this this isn't hey Dad, I'm really 00:06:52.500 --> 00:06:55.920 sorry. Would you welcome me back? this is would 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:59.019 you bring me on as a hired hand? I'll work for 00:06:59.019 --> 00:07:03.560 it. I will go ahead and try to earn a living 00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:08.860 and earn back some place in this family. Now, 00:07:09.160 --> 00:07:12.899 this would have been fully acceptable to the 00:07:12.899 --> 00:07:15.959 people listening, especially the teachers, the 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:19.060 Pharisees, the others. Why? Because if you want 00:07:19.060 --> 00:07:22.079 God to forgive and to love and to welcome you 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:24.889 back, then you better deserve it, right? Isn't 00:07:24.889 --> 00:07:28.389 that what we constantly think of in our society 00:07:28.389 --> 00:07:30.870 is whether or not people have somehow deserved 00:07:30.870 --> 00:07:34.910 or earned what they are given? Doesn't matter 00:07:34.910 --> 00:07:37.089 that most all of us would pretty much give everything 00:07:37.089 --> 00:07:39.769 to our own children, but in society as a whole, 00:07:40.490 --> 00:07:44.029 people have to somehow prove and earn that they 00:07:44.029 --> 00:07:47.649 are worthwhile. And so this part would have made 00:07:47.649 --> 00:07:49.610 a lot of sense to those Pharisees listening. 00:07:50.189 --> 00:07:55.680 Yes, you go and you earn it. Well, he does go 00:07:55.680 --> 00:08:00.160 to the father But when it's time for him to say 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:04.040 father, I want to reconcile myself I want to 00:08:04.040 --> 00:08:07.279 somehow prove to you that I am worth it I need 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:10.600 to somehow get myself back in there. We might 00:08:10.600 --> 00:08:14.199 be expecting that the father is gonna be Maybe 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:16.560 I'll let you maybe you can prove this to me. 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:20.439 I guess maybe I'll let you do something here 00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:24.470 But what do we see? See, I think that we as Christians, 00:08:24.629 --> 00:08:27.750 we've gotten so used to the prodigal son story 00:08:27.750 --> 00:08:32.870 that we don't get just how drastic this is. The 00:08:32.870 --> 00:08:37.190 father comes running out to him. The son who 00:08:37.190 --> 00:08:40.669 wanted him dead, the son who never wanted to 00:08:40.669 --> 00:08:42.970 see him again, the son who just took what he 00:08:42.970 --> 00:08:46.809 had. Remember, he's taking a third of the property, 00:08:47.070 --> 00:08:49.870 even though the older son gets a double portion. 00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:54.629 That's still a third. of everything, land, property, 00:08:54.870 --> 00:08:58.070 possessions that had to be sold right away so 00:08:58.070 --> 00:09:00.309 that this son could go out and have his good 00:09:00.309 --> 00:09:04.909 time. Not only was he rejecting the father, but 00:09:04.909 --> 00:09:07.669 also rejecting everything he stood for. And what 00:09:07.669 --> 00:09:12.370 does the father do? He comes running out. He 00:09:12.370 --> 00:09:14.049 wraps his arm around him. He doesn't even let 00:09:14.049 --> 00:09:18.330 him get to the idea of, could I have a job? No, 00:09:18.490 --> 00:09:23.679 this is my son. He was dead, but now he's alive. 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:27.539 He is so excited. And that's the thing about 00:09:27.539 --> 00:09:29.759 this is that that's what we end up discovering 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:34.139 about love. This son had been the most terrible 00:09:34.139 --> 00:09:36.799 of anything that people would be picturing. And 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:39.220 then what does Jesus go and do and surprises 00:09:39.220 --> 00:09:42.100 everyone by showing that he is welcomed back 00:09:42.100 --> 00:09:48.539 with open arms and loved. This isn't about practicality. 00:09:49.299 --> 00:09:52.539 I mean, yes. I mean, the son ended up spending 00:09:52.539 --> 00:09:54.639 everything that he has. He doesn't really have 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:57.220 a bunch of inheritance to go from then forward. 00:09:57.379 --> 00:10:00.039 He's not going to now be able to say, oh, I have 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:03.840 all these parties to throw. But that doesn't 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:07.659 change the fact that his father has now called 00:10:07.659 --> 00:10:13.059 him back as a son. This ends up going beyond 00:10:13.059 --> 00:10:16.299 the fact that our world does have consequences 00:10:16.299 --> 00:10:23.730 to sin. But even so, Grace gives us the joy of 00:10:23.730 --> 00:10:30.289 being welcomed back But now what about the other 00:10:30.289 --> 00:10:33.690 son and and as we're doing so is that I have 00:10:33.690 --> 00:10:40.269 to admit I struggle with this I'm the older son 00:10:40.269 --> 00:10:43.269 I'm the one looking at this. I still remember 00:10:43.269 --> 00:10:46.210 there was this one point in elementary school 00:10:46.210 --> 00:10:50.610 Where my dad had an idea? That he was going to 00:10:50.610 --> 00:10:53.250 take me and a bunch of the other boys from my 00:10:53.250 --> 00:10:56.149 class and we were gonna go play video games this 00:10:56.149 --> 00:11:01.330 one day now Doesn't that sound like a great thing? 00:11:02.110 --> 00:11:04.789 but you see here's the problem a bunch of those 00:11:04.789 --> 00:11:07.509 boys that he was inviting had been a bit mean 00:11:07.509 --> 00:11:11.250 to me and Had not made life very difficult very 00:11:11.250 --> 00:11:14.730 easy And so there it was that we were about to 00:11:14.730 --> 00:11:18.059 go to this place that I had never been to I've 00:11:18.059 --> 00:11:21.100 never played video games there before I had absolutely 00:11:21.100 --> 00:11:24.100 no idea what even inspired this but all of a 00:11:24.100 --> 00:11:26.519 sudden we're gonna go to this place and my dad 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:28.759 is going to bring all of these young people with 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:35.120 us and I was angry oh my word spent the whole 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:37.519 time just like okay well if I have to play video 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:42.460 games I guess but man There was just this part 00:11:42.460 --> 00:11:45.259 of me that was just seething Why is it that we 00:11:45.259 --> 00:11:47.919 had to do this with all these other kids that 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:50.460 I don't even really like? That haven't really 00:11:50.460 --> 00:11:53.700 been nice to me But now we have to bring them 00:11:53.700 --> 00:12:00.059 along But in seeing this it also then begs this 00:12:00.059 --> 00:12:05.360 question of Why does the older son not also realize 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:10.220 how blessed he is? and that's the thing about 00:12:10.250 --> 00:12:12.850 the older son is that in many ways he doesn't 00:12:12.850 --> 00:12:16.210 really have a use for the father. If you notice, 00:12:16.690 --> 00:12:19.250 whenever the younger son is wanting to go ahead 00:12:19.250 --> 00:12:22.090 and do all this and take what's there, the older 00:12:22.090 --> 00:12:25.129 son doesn't really stop them. He doesn't really 00:12:25.129 --> 00:12:27.889 intervene in any way. He's not trying to play 00:12:27.889 --> 00:12:31.070 the intercessor. I mean, isn't that what a good 00:12:31.070 --> 00:12:34.710 older son should do? Try to make things better. 00:12:36.110 --> 00:12:40.720 But even more than that, this son has been the 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:44.960 good son. Done everything right and therefore 00:12:44.960 --> 00:12:50.179 has a feeling of what he deserves. I'll be honest, 00:12:50.379 --> 00:12:53.059 I know what that's like to try to do everything 00:12:53.059 --> 00:12:54.720 right because then you think that you're going 00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:58.000 to get something good out of it. But that's the 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:02.919 funny thing is that life is not about the reward 00:13:02.919 --> 00:13:07.759 but rather is a question of the person and their 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:11.019 character. because what we end up discovering 00:13:11.019 --> 00:13:15.919 is that this older son doesn't appreciate who 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:19.240 he is and where he's at. You see with all this 00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:23.419 is that he now has this feeling of entitlement 00:13:23.419 --> 00:13:26.980 even though everything he has is still a gift. 00:13:28.100 --> 00:13:31.059 And even beyond that is if you really notice 00:13:31.059 --> 00:13:33.639 as we get to the end as his father is trying 00:13:33.639 --> 00:13:37.200 to bring him in he reminds him everything I have 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:41.899 belongs to you. But even though all this food 00:13:41.899 --> 00:13:45.779 all this fun everything else could still be something 00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:50.419 that the older brother Can enjoy as well? He 00:13:50.419 --> 00:13:54.059 could probably even invite his friends But it's 00:13:54.059 --> 00:14:00.080 because of why? It's a question of why they were 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:05.340 having a party Because he does not want to join 00:14:05.340 --> 00:14:11.220 in a celebration in a party that is for somebody 00:14:11.220 --> 00:14:16.340 he feels is undeserving. And that's what we end 00:14:16.340 --> 00:14:19.960 up seeing with this piece is that both brothers 00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:24.879 end up showing a lot about themselves. But it 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:28.360 ends up not being ultimately about either one 00:14:28.360 --> 00:14:33.860 of them. In reality, the story, it's not about 00:14:33.860 --> 00:14:37.080 the father. Sorry. It's not about the younger 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:42.419 son who has now walked away but been welcomed 00:14:42.419 --> 00:14:45.399 back. It's not even about the older son, even 00:14:45.399 --> 00:14:48.879 though the audience members are Pharisees and 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:52.700 they almost definitely realize that Jesus is 00:14:52.700 --> 00:14:56.580 talking about them. That even though they already 00:14:56.580 --> 00:14:59.759 have the kingdom as it was promised to Moses, 00:14:59.879 --> 00:15:04.340 Elijah, the kings, all of those prophets by faith. 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:09.460 is that they are still angry that now God wants 00:15:09.460 --> 00:15:14.159 to open it up to the Gentiles. But who is ultimately 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:18.759 the key figure? The key figure in the story is 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:23.720 actually the father. Because all of this really 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:27.179 ends up being about how the father is loving 00:15:27.179 --> 00:15:31.679 his sons. Because no matter what the children 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:35.580 do, notice that the father is patient, and gracious. 00:15:35.980 --> 00:15:41.039 The younger son, he wants his inheritance. Well, 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:43.000 apparently my son doesn't really want to be here 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:49.659 with us. So let him have it. And second, well 00:15:49.659 --> 00:15:53.659 now he's coming back and he's just so grateful 00:15:53.659 --> 00:15:59.340 that he's alive because he knows his son who 00:15:59.340 --> 00:16:02.720 was pretty inept and that he was worried the 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:07.039 whole time about him. But even third even the 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:10.860 older son who is angry and prideful and doesn't 00:16:10.860 --> 00:16:14.299 want to share anything with anybody The father 00:16:14.299 --> 00:16:17.879 is still saying everything. I have is yours Come 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:21.360 join the party Because what do we end up seeing 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:25.039 is that instead of trying to look for the sons 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:30.799 to prove themselves? He starts with love and 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:36.029 compassion he starts with welcoming both of them, 00:16:36.470 --> 00:16:39.970 no matter which place that they're at. And instead 00:16:39.970 --> 00:16:43.490 of focusing on the hurt that he must have inside, 00:16:45.149 --> 00:16:49.450 knowing what sorts of people his sons have become, 00:16:50.809 --> 00:16:55.389 is that instead he focuses on love and gratitude 00:16:55.389 --> 00:17:01.769 and the joy of them having life. Because between 00:17:01.769 --> 00:17:04.529 them is that the Pharisees listening to this 00:17:04.529 --> 00:17:09.049 are not hearing a story of Jesus saying the prodigal 00:17:09.049 --> 00:17:12.529 son now has everything and you're deprived of 00:17:12.529 --> 00:17:17.289 everything instead It's Jesus saying there's 00:17:17.289 --> 00:17:22.130 room for both of you And you're both loved Is 00:17:22.130 --> 00:17:26.289 that even a message? That in today's world we're 00:17:26.289 --> 00:17:30.799 willing to hear Are we even ready? to admit that 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:35.259 God in His kingdom has openness for everyone. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:38.680 That this isn't a question of we have to make 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:42.819 sure you don't get anything because we need enough 00:17:42.819 --> 00:17:47.339 for them. But to realize when we realize how 00:17:47.339 --> 00:17:51.880 blessed that we truly are in this world. That 00:17:51.880 --> 00:17:56.380 there is so much for everyone. But that's where 00:17:56.380 --> 00:17:59.940 we want to finish with this. is the grace and 00:17:59.940 --> 00:18:03.940 the nurture for both of the sons. See, the father 00:18:03.940 --> 00:18:07.259 was never seeking to reject either one of them, 00:18:07.799 --> 00:18:12.579 just like he's never seeking to reject us. I 00:18:12.579 --> 00:18:17.099 had to come to terms with how angry I was, with 00:18:17.099 --> 00:18:19.359 how frustrated and how much that even though 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:23.319 I hadn't actually asked my father to take us 00:18:23.319 --> 00:18:27.140 to play video games. that I was angry at the 00:18:27.140 --> 00:18:29.319 idea that he would dare to do that for anyone 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:35.180 else. And through that, having to grow and realize 00:18:35.180 --> 00:18:39.579 that I was the one who needed to change. But 00:18:39.579 --> 00:18:43.519 we've all been not just maybe the older son, 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:46.759 but at some point we've been the prodigal too. 00:18:47.420 --> 00:18:50.619 We've been reckless. Maybe not with our money. 00:18:51.660 --> 00:18:55.450 Maybe not with our position in the world. But 00:18:55.450 --> 00:18:59.349 how often do we spend our time our energy what 00:18:59.349 --> 00:19:03.549 we have on things that don't really matter How 00:19:03.549 --> 00:19:06.730 often do we lose sight of the kingdom of God? 00:19:07.430 --> 00:19:10.410 And all we really care about just making ourselves 00:19:10.410 --> 00:19:15.970 happy today But when we realize all that we have 00:19:15.970 --> 00:19:20.089 Then that's when we can truly be grateful and 00:19:20.089 --> 00:19:25.829 gracious Because as long as we don't pause to 00:19:25.829 --> 00:19:28.089 realize everything that God has been giving to 00:19:28.089 --> 00:19:34.809 us, then it's harder to welcome others into the 00:19:34.809 --> 00:19:38.569 same blessing. And so as much as we struggle 00:19:38.569 --> 00:19:42.109 with this feeling and this hurt, that others 00:19:42.109 --> 00:19:45.289 would receive the grace that we've been given. 00:19:46.600 --> 00:19:49.599 That you have spent your time out in the world. 00:19:49.819 --> 00:19:52.819 You have been out there. You have wasted grace. 00:19:52.980 --> 00:19:57.480 You have walked away from God. How dare you decide 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:03.279 to come back? Then that shows us that we haven't 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:06.380 realized how much we've been given as well. Because 00:20:06.380 --> 00:20:10.039 all of us, all of us have needed to be given 00:20:10.039 --> 00:20:14.319 the grace of God. And so my hope and prayer is 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:18.019 that if you discover, as I have, the times in 00:20:18.019 --> 00:20:21.059 which we haven't been as open to other people, 00:20:21.660 --> 00:20:23.779 that maybe it's a chance to see what needs to 00:20:23.779 --> 00:20:27.119 change inside of ourselves. So wherever we might 00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:31.059 be in this story, may we continue to come back 00:20:31.059 --> 00:20:34.119 to the Father who welcomes us back with open 00:20:34.119 --> 00:20:38.740 arms and gives us everything more than we will 00:20:38.740 --> 00:20:43.480 ever deserve because of His love. not because 00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:46.960 of anything we will ever earn. Thanks be to God.