The Prodigal Son

"Yet at that very moment he saw Evangelist coming directly
toward him, and this caused him to blush with shame. 
EVANGELIST: What are you doing here? (At this Christian was
at a loss for words. He just stood speechless.) Are you not the same
person that I found weeping outside the walls of the City of
Destruction?
EVANGELIST: Then stand still for a little while, so that I can
explain to you the Word of God. (Christian quietly listened and
trembled.) Make sure that you do not reject he who speaks to you
as was the manner of Israel. For if God’s ancient people did not
escape judgment when they refused to heed God’s messenger on
Earth, how much more shall we not escape if we turn away from
he who speaks from Heaven?
Moreover, the just shall live by faith; but if any man draws back,
my soul shall have no pleasure in him. (Then he made specific
application.) You are the man who, in running into such a
miserable backslidden condition, have begun to reject the counsel
of the most high God and withdraw your feet from walking along
the way of peace, even to the point of being in danger of eternal
perdition." John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress



Christian had taken a detour from the road that was set before him. This led him into terrible trouble. At that moment Evangelist appears and asks Christian why he is off course. Christian took the detour, because he didn't want to go through the pain of the cross. What the cross does is put to death, self. We recoil at the thought. We don't what to give up who we are. We like the opportunity to take offense at what someone says or does to us. We don't like to give up total control to God. It is the last thing we give up at the cross. The problem with saving ourselves is we lose ourselves. We are never really ever in control. If we don't die, we live for the enemy. 


 "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." 
Matthew 16:25


I have known men who for years seemed like model husbands, but then had affairs. What happened? They never died to their rights and desires. They were "putting up" with their spouse instead of loving her. They were inwardly angry that their spouse wasn't doing things their way. Finally they blew a gasket and lost their minds. They didn't die to self. 


My father-in-law had one answer for every complaint I ever had, "A dead person doesn't need to defend themselves. A dead person doesn't care if they aren't the center of attention. A dead person does't care what people say about them. A dead person doesn't care."


The only way to follow the command to love your enemies is to be dead to those things that made your enemy an enemy. If you are off course, get back on track heading for the cross. Once there, die to self and become alive in Christ. The prodigal son did just that.


"Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” 
Luke 15:11-32