Today let us give thanks to God for His merciful love
Scripture for meditation: Luke 15:20-24;28;31 The father of the prodigal and elder son
While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was deeply moved. He ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.” The father said to his servants, “…let us eat and celebrate because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost and is found.” … He (the older son) grew angry at this and would not go in; but his father came out and began to plead with him. “My son,” replied the father, “you are with me always, and everything I have is yours.”
Christ tells us: Luke 6:36-38
“Be compassionate, as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Pardon, and you shall be pardoned. Give, and it shall be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will they pour into the fold of your garment. For the measure you measure with will be measured back to you.
Henri J.M. Nouwen explains: There is always the choice between resentment and gratitude because God has appeared in my darkness, urged me to come home, and declared in a voice filled with affection: “You are with me always, and all I have is yours.” Indeed, I can choose to dwell in the darkness in which I stand, point to those who are seemingly better off than I, lament about the many misfortunes that have plagued me in the past, and thereby wrap myself up in my resentment. But I don’t have to do this. There is the option to look into the eyes of the One who came out to search for me and see therein that all I am and all I have is pure gift calling for gratitude. There is an Estonian proverb that says: “Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.” Acts of gratitude make one grateful because, step by step, they reveal that all is grace. The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, First Edition, Doubleday, 1994.
Prayer: Psalm 145: 8-10, 21
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all His works. Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you. May my mouth speak the praise of the Lord, and may all flesh bless His holy Name forever and ever.
My thoughts: Studying the father in this parable leads us to an amazing conclusion: our God is a God rich in mercy and compassion; slow to anger. This father could have been furious with either son for their behavior, yet he ran to greet the younger and welcome him home, and came out and pleaded with the elder and assure him of his love. God comes to us; He pleads with us to come to Him. His love for us can never end, no matter how many mistakes we make, or how mad we get at Him. As Henri Nouwen reminds us, we must choose to free ourselves from the chains of resentment and sin, and allow God to lead us to His banquet table.
Our prayer to God: Today let us remember to thank God for His merciful love. Then, one by one, let us recall those people in our lives who need to experience our compassion and love. Let us pray for each one of them, forgive them, and promise to live by Christ’s words: “Be compassionate, as your Father is compassionate.” We will then be celebrating a Thanksgiving Day free from resentment and filled with God’s grace: a truly blessed Thanksgiving Day indeed!
No comments:
Post a Comment