thebrokenblog

[thebrokenblog]

The Ring And The Robe: The Father's Heart

Given by God: written by Jonathan valentine

Luke 15:11-32 the story of the prodigal son has been a sore thumb for theologians and pastors for over a milineum papers and books have been written about it but it hasn't even scratched the surface of the real meaning of the story of the prodigal son.

The story of the prodigal son is so vast and so deep and yet very straight forward in its meaning the story of the prodigal son isn't just what about the son did its the story of the fathers heart.

So there were 2 sons 1 son was the dutiful son always doing the right thing always working always doing what was the dutiful obligatory thing in the community and the family unit the other son was lazy entitled and ready to see the world and party and unknowingly broken emotionally and mentally so he goes to his father and demands his inheritance and he sets out on his adventure very quickly he squander his father's inheritance by partying and living lavishly, when his money runs out he is left with the reality of his brokenness and he begins to look for work eventually he becomes a farm hand and is now reduced to eating with the pigs eventually he decided its time to live up to the music and go back home humiliated and disgraced in his own actions, he goes home completely destroyed and broken and burdened with his own disgrace and shame and guilt and humiliation, he approaches his father and asks not to be reinstated as a son but to be hired as a servant on his father's land, the father gives a very unexpected answer to his son he embraces him and he puts a ring on his finger (let the reader understand the ring represents authority and belonging and covenant)

And a robe on his back (let the reader understand the robe represents favor right standing and praise

And the father calls the whole city together to celebrate the return of his son (let the reader understand that as the father put the ring on his sons finger and the robe on his sons back which restored the sons value worth and dignity but it also took the burden of shame and instead put his son in a place of being praised and restored in the community in fellowship. This story defied the human logic when it comes to understanding brokenness it reveals not what the son did but it reveals the vastness and depth of the fathers heart of love and forgiveness people who have either done things or have been put through things that has caused them brokenness need to reinstated in who they are because thats the fathers heart and thats the fathers nature to reinstate those who have been castrated and rejected or who have caused themselves harm that has caused their own brokenness God covers over our shame our guilt our pain and our brokenness by bringing us back into a place of righteousness and covenant-relationship with him and then he praises us because of who we are in his eyes it doesn't matter what we've done he is the faithful father who loves us beyond all comprehension beyond what we can even fathom or imagine. God loved us so much that he gave his son for us as a sacrifice for our sin to put us in right standing and covenant with him again just like the father in the story of the prodigal son. He betrothed himself to us what does that mean he put a ring on our finger and he clothed us with a robe of righteousness dipped on the blood of the lamb. The Ring And The Robe. It's the fathers heart and it's the fathers nature. Blessed are the brokenness for they shall see God.

[thebrokenblog]

When your born your born with hope for the future your born with expectation for the future your born with a fire inside you to learn your born with a curiosity you start growing up and little by little that God given fire that curiosity that hope that expectation is diminished because life circumstances happen and in some circumstances it is wrought with abuse, betrayal heartache and there is the place of what I call brokenness, depression starts to set in hopelessness starts to set in you don't want to get out of bed you don't see your way through another day thats when you know your broken thats when you know there are broken pieces inside of you and you have no idea how to put them back together again because you look around you and all you seem to see is your life in a million pieces on the floor it's like your in agony you don't know what to do you don't know who to trust or who to turn to for help and comfort this is my story and it's still being written but let me introduce to you the person who is writing my story his name is Jesus christ he went to the cross for me in all of my failures in all of my shame and my guilt in all of my wandering in all of my pain he went to the cross for me so I could be whole so I could let go of my pain my heartache Jesus went to the cross to give me my freedom he went to the cross to set my heart free once and for all he went to the cross to set my spirit free to fly with hope again he went to the cross to take my pain my guilt my shame he went to the cross so I could have the expectation of an abundant life before his eyes Jesus went to the cross to restore the fire in my eyes thats who is writing my story the lover of my soul my bestfriend my comforter my king my father thats who is writing my story and it's a beautiful one that is under construction everyday he is writing and weeving my past from the beginning to the end with love in every jot and tittle in every detail thats who's writing my story. More to come.