Articles
The Saddest Scene
I saw the saddest scene the other day. I saw a man who recently lost his wife to cancer break down in tears with all who were gathered. It was heartbreaking. What was even more heartbreaking is at one time he faithfully served the Lord, but not today. My heart was breaking inside for his pain but also wondering, “Does he see himself as he presently is with God? Does he know he can come home to his Father? Will he ever come back to Him?”
That scene brought me back to the scene of the Prodigal, his father, and his older brother. How many of us have found ourselves wondering away from God? How long did it take us before we found ourselves cheek to jowl with a pig eating his food before we awoke to what we had become? It is sad to be lost, but even more sad is not to realize it. And yet, even more sad is knowing it and refraining from doing something about it. When the young man finally awoke to his true need and returned to his father, his father was waiting for him. The Father is ever loving, ever merciful, ever willing to receive us back to His fellowship. He waits with longsuffering.
However, when he came back to his father, not everybody was happy about it. Can you imagine? The prodigal returns to his father and says, “I have sinned” and his older brother does not rejoice. Instead, all he can do is look at himself. He has been living with his father in the lap of plenty and now his lost brother comes home and all he can do is think about himself. How selfish! Why? Why, when his brother has retuned and confessed all before his father, does the older brother refuse to accept him? Did he not say it the right way? Did he not do it the way the older brother thought he should? Did he not grovel enough? Who is really lost? I have been both boys. The one who is really in need is the one who does not recognize his need. How dare we do not act like the father and welcome this wondering child back home!
As I sat watching the broken heart, I wondered, does this man know how much he is really loved by his family? Does he really know how much his parents have grieved over him? Does he know he can not only come back to the Heavenly Father, but his birth father as well? Does he know how many prayers have been laid before the throne of God on his behalf? Everybody is hurt, the one who walked away and those who are watching the shattered life. Both hurt. Both need healing. The only healing comes when there is healing with the Father. No one has won. Only Satan! Sin, pain, suffering, loss is all his. The Father weeps, the family weeps, and Satan laughs.
After the day together, I watched the man drive off. I prayed, “God please let him live to have time to come back to you.” I prayed he would open his heart to God. I could not get it out of my mind. He was weeping so hard at the loss of his wife and all present were weeping for his loss and God’s loss too.
It does not have to be that way. There is a way home. The Father has His arms open wide and awaits his return. He is looking for him now, even a long way off. Then, I asked myself, “What about me?”
Rickie Jenkins
