Whenever we talk about the topics of sin and forgiveness, one of Jesus’ most memorable parables often comes to the front of our minds. Following the parables about a lost sheep and a lost coin, Luke 15:11-32 paints the picture of God’s heart through the story of the Lost Son (or Prodigal Son).
In one of my favorite books, Henri Nouwen brings depth and nuances to this captivating story. As Nouwen encountered and interacted with God through Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son, he began to resonate with each character in the painting, cultivating a deeper understanding of what it means to be God’s Beloved and be at “home” with Him.
We shared one of our favorite quotes from the book with our Lesson 5, describing how each of us can easily choose a “distant country,” far away from the loving embrace of our Father.
I am the prodigal son every time I search for unconditional love where it cannot be found. Why do I keep ignoring the place of true love and persist in looking for it elsewhere? Why do I keep leaving home where I am called a child of God, the Beloved of my Father? I am constantly surprised at how I keep taking the gifts God has given me—my health, my intellectual and emotional gifts—and keep using them to impress people, receive affirmation and praise, and compete for rewards, instead of developing them for the glory of God. Yes, I often carry them off to a “distant country” and put them in the service of an exploiting world that does not know their true value. It’s almost as if I want to prove to myself and to my world that I do not need God’s love, that I can make a life on my own, that I want to be fully independent. Beneath it all is the great rebellion, the radical “No” to the Father’s love, the unspoken curse: “I wish you were dead.” The prodigal son’s “No” reflects Adam’s original rebellion: his rejection of the God in whose love we are created and by whose love we are sustained. It is the rebellion that places me outside the garden, out of reach of the tree of life. It is the rebellion that makes me dissipate myself in a “distant country.”[1]
Nouwen also paints a portrait of what “home” looks like, which is living as God’s Beloved. Although it can feel elusive and unattainable to some, the invitation is to take a step towards home, embrace the hope of what is possible, and listen for the voice, the only voice, that can give you your identity.
Home is the center of my being where I can hear the voice that says: “You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests” – the same voice that gave life to the first Adam and spoke to Jesus, the second Adam; the same voice that speaks to all the children of God and sets them free to live in the midst of a dark world while remaining in the light. I have heard that voice. It has spoken to me in the past and continues to speak to me now. It is the never-interrupted voice of love speaking from eternity and giving life and love whenever it is heard. When I hear that voice, I know that I am home with God and have nothing to fear. As the Beloved of my heavenly Father, “I can walk in the valley of darkness: no evil would I fear.” As the Beloved, I can “cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils.” Having “received without charge,” I can “give without charge.” As the Beloved, I can confront, console, admonish, and encourage without fear of rejection or need for affirmation. As the Beloved, I can suffer persecution without desire for revenge and receive praise without using it as a proof of my goodness. As the Beloved, I can be tortured and killed without ever having to doubt that the love that is given to me is stronger that death. As the Beloved, I am free to live and give life, free also to die while giving life. [2]
[1] Nouwen, Henri J. M. The Return of the Prodigal Son (p. 43). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
[2] Ibid, 38-39.