We have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized instead of the tired eyed father....

This week we have been addressing the distorted view of God as our parents supersized. We talked about the reality that when we see God as our parents supersized, we end up with a distorted view of God that will keep us from knowing and experiencing the true father/mother heart of God. And the reason why this is the case is due to the fact that God is not a reflection of our earthly fathers. Instead God is the perfection of our earthly fathers.

We see this reality revealed in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. In Luke 15, Jesus tells a parable involving a father who had two sons. The younger son asked his father for his share of the inheritance because the younger son did not want a relationship with his father; he just wanted what he could get from his father. Jesus explained that the father responded to his sons request by granting his request. The father divided up his estate between his older and the younger sons.

After receiving his share of the inheritance, the youngest son gathered his inheritance and "went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.” As a result, the younger son found himself broke and without a job, with no friends and instead lost and alone. The younger son hit rock bottom.

Jesus explained that, at rock bottom, the younger son had a V-8 moment and came to his senses. And as he came to his senses, the younger son came to a conclusion and a decision. The younger son came to the conclusion that his father's servants had it much better off than he had it off. The younger son came to the conclusion that his father treated his servants in a way that was way better off than he was being treated.

And as a result of coming to that conclusion, the younger son made the decision to return to his father and ask to be hired on as one of his servants. The younger son made the decision to own his selfishness and rebellion against his father in hopes that his father would take him in as a servant instead of a son. You see, the son came to the conclusion that he did not deserve to be in a relationship with his father as a result of how he had treated his father.

So the son made the decision to confess his selfishness and rebellion to his father in hopes that that his father would hire him and provide for him as a slave. And with that the son prepared and practiced the speech that he would give to his father and headed off to meet his father. Jesus then tells us what happens next in the second half of Luke 15:20:

                “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

Jesus explained that while the younger brother was a long off, his father saw him and had compassion for him. Now the reason the father saw him was because the father was looking for him. Every day, the father spent a good part of the day looking and scanning the horizon in hopes that the younger son would return home. Can you imagine looking on as the father spent day after day looking and hoping that his son would return home?

Then one day, as the father looked over the horizon for his son, in the distance he saw the faint outline of a figure. And as the faint outline of that figure came closer and closer, soon the father recognized that the figure in the distance was his son. The father recognized the familiar way that his son carried himself as he walked. The father recognized the familiar frame of his son. And as the father came to the realization that it was his son that was coming toward him, Jesus explained that the father felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

You see, as the father saw his son approaching in the distance, he had pity for what his son had been through. The wear and tear of a life lived in rebellion against him was evident. The life of a lack of sleep and a lack of food caused his figure to be gaunt and tired. The lifestyle of whiskey, wine, and women had resulted in his son looking worn and weak. And in his compassion, the father ran to the son. In other words, the father would have had to pick up the robe that he was wearing up to his waist and hold it there as he ran to his son.

Now in the Jewish culture of the first century, no self respecting man would have done such a thing. After all, to act in such a way would be embarrassing. But the father did not care what others thought; the father just wanted to get to his son. And once he got to his son the father embraced him and kissed him. The father was so glad to have his son in his arms that he did not care about appearances.

And at that point, the son began to give the speech that he had been preparing and practicing throughout the journey from Vegas to his home. 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' However, the father would have none of it, as we see in verse 22:

             "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.

Jesus explained to the crowds listening that instead of hiring his son as a servant, the father welcomed his son home as a son. And a part of that welcome home the father ordered his servants to make all the preparations necessary so that the father could throw a huge party to celebrate that the younger son had returned home.

The father ordered the servants to prepare to throw a huge party for his son because his son who was separated from him had returned back home to live in relationship with him. The father ordered the servants to prepare to throw a huge party for his son because his son who was an outsider that was lost and far from him had been found by the father who had been searching for him. Jesus then reveals how the father’s oldest son responded to what was happening in verse 25-27:

             "Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. "And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.'

Now this morning, I want us to take a minute and imagine ourselves in this parable as the older brother. I want us to take a minute and place ourselves in his shoes. You are out working for your dad in the field. And after a hard day's work, as you are returning home from work, you hear the sounds of a party going on. And when you ask why your dad decided to throw a party, you discover that the reason for the party was due to the fact that your younger, rebellious brother who had wished that your dad was dead had returned home. Your younger brother, who did not want a relationship with his father, but just wanted what he could get from his father had returned home. And your dad is throwing a party for him. You are the older brother. What would you be thinking? How would you be feeling? How would you respond? We see how the older brother responded in verse 28-30:

                "But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.'

Did you notice what the older brother did here? Did you notice how the older brother referred to his younger brother? "But when this son of yours came". You see, in his judgmental anger, the older brother had disowned the son. While the father had been searching for the younger brother, the older brother was done with his younger brother.

After all, he was an insider with his father, while the younger brother was an outsider. After all, he was better than the younger brother. He was faithful to his father, his younger brother was faithless. He kept all the rules for his father, while his younger brother broke all the rules. Yet dad was throwing a party for this outsider, younger brother, instead of for the insider, older brother?

And in his anger, Jesus tells us that the older brother wanted nothing to do with the younger brother. In his anger, the older brother would not go into the home where the party was. Jesus then concludes His parable by explaining how the father responded to the older brother in verse 31-32:

            "And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"

Did you notice what the father did here? did you notice how the father referred to the younger brother? "for this brother of yours". You see, the father desperately wanted the older brother to welcome the younger brother back into the family. The father basically said to the son "You have always been with me, you never left me. And remember, I already gave you the half of the inheritance that was coming to you as a result of being my son. But son, we had to throw a party because your brother was separated from us and has now been reunited in relationship with us. We had to throw a party because your younger brother was an outsider that was lost, but now he is an insider that has been found".

Now if you grew up in or spent any time in church, you know that this famous parable has a famous name that is attached to it. This famous parable is referred to as the parable of the prodigal son. But Jesus point in telling this parable was not to focus on the behavior of the younger son who was the prodigal. Jesus point in telling this parable was to focus on the behavior of the older son.

You see, just like the older son, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day grumbled and complained about those who were outsiders that were lost and were far from God hanging out with the Son of God. Just like the older son, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day, in their judgmental anger, had disowned those who were outsiders that were lost and were far from God. Just like the older son, while God the Father had been searching for the those who were outsiders that were lost and far from God, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day were done with those who were outsiders who were lost and far from God.

After all, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day thought that they were insiders with God the Father, while viewing those who were lost and were far from God were outsiders. And in their anger with Jesus, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day were threatening to not go into the home of Heaven where the party was going to be held for those who were outsiders that were lost and were far from God but had been found by God through Jesus.

And it is here, in this event from history that we discover a timeless and true view of God given to us by Jesus that can enable us to rid ourselves of the distorted view of God as our parents supersized. And that timeless truth is this: We have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized instead of the tired eyed father.  The timeless reality is that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized. We have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized because God is not the reflection of our parents. Instead God is the perfection of our parents.  

And unlike our parents supersized, a more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who is a faithful and forgiving father. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who is seeking and searching for His children to return to Him. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who runs to His children when they return to Him. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who, who no amount of wandering and squandering can separate you from His love.

A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who invites you back, even in your darkest defeat. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who loves you for who you are, not what we do. We see this reality revealed for us in a section of an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew. Notice God the Father’s response to Jesus at His baptism in Matthew 3:16-17:

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, ¹⁷ and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.

Now here is something to consider. Up to this point in His life, has Jesus done anything miraculous? No. Has Jesus preached any amazing sermons yet? No. Does Jesus have any followers yet? No. Yet at Jesus baptism, before He did anything, He heard and recognized that He was loved by His Father. You see, what we do should flow out of our love for God.

So here is a question to consider: Which of these two views describe how you view God? Do you view God as your parents supersized? Do you view God as the reflection of your parents?

Or do you view God as the tired eyed father?  Do you view God as the tired eyed father who is a faithful and forgiving father?  Do you view God as the tired eyed father who is seeking and searching for His children to return to Him and who runs to His children when they return to Him? Do you view God as the tired eyed father who invites you back, even in your darkest defeat and who loves you for who you are, not what we do?

Because the timeless reality is that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized instead of the tired eyed father. God is not a reflection of our earthly fathers. Instead God is the perfection of our earthly fathers.