MOVEMENT

In Luke chapter 15 Jesus tells us The Parable of the Lost. This particular story has been written about and preached about in many ways from many perspectives with much revelation and impact. But the other day I was listening to a sermon on YouTube and the preacher casually mentioned how this is a story of movement. My heart leapt! Several months ago I had a vision from God about this story and it indeed was about movement.

In my vision, I saw the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8). I understood that I was seeing something that had already taken place, before time began. He, Jesus, began to move. He went up and down paths looking for sheep to bring them home. Things began to speed up and it was like I was watching a time-lapse video of this action of Jesus going back and forth, up, down, and around every person’s path of life. At its fastest speed, there were only blood-red, curvy lines all over the place and a sense of the movement of Jesus going back and forth upon them. The vision ended and the Spirit then revealed to me the meaning. Before we were born, Jesus took action. He went before us, looking for us in our wanderings, and covered every step yet taken with His blood. There is nothing that can separate us from Him because He has already been there. He has walked our path. His pre-creation movement trumps our post-creation roaming. This is the mercy and grace of God: there is literally no step on anyone’s path that He, Jesus, hasn’t already been on and painted with His own precious, redemptive blood.

My vision had ended but the word of God now began to explode to me. In the second part of the story, Jesus tells of a coin that is lost and about a woman who is sweeping the house to find it. This is the Holy Spirit, sent to live inside of us all, to empower us to live as new creatures in Christ. He does the deep, internal, back and forth work of cleaning in the deepest places of our souls. Leaving nothing settled, He relentlessly works to clear out all the dirt and corner cobwebs. The coin in the story is a picture of our intrinsic value, given to us by our Creator that we “lost” in the garden when we sinned. The Holy Spirit feverishly works to reclaim it in us, inlaying us with gold, making us all glorious within.

Broken-hearted by the departure of his son, the father in this story is watching daily for his return. We know that because the text says that when the son was still “a long way off, his father saw him …” Our Father’s movement? It is patient, hopeful, daily waiting. Such amazing work. Have you tried it? Have you waited, day after day for someone to return, for something to change, for your heart’s deepest cry to be answered? Have you stayed in hope, going back and forth each day to the front porch, down the driveway, out to the road to look, again and again in faith, each day expecting to find it? What a good Father. What a faithful Father.

Here is where the older brother’s lack of movement stands out to me. Oh, we know he is somewhere working because he tells us later. But I think the Father is wanting him to join Him in the looking and the waiting. I want to be the daughter that goes back and forth with Him, to the end of the driveway each day with my Dad. Along the way, we’ll talk about the party He is going to throw. I’ll offer to cook or to make some decorations, whatever He wants. We will laugh and hope and envision together the joyful return and what life will be like when we are all back together in our Father’s house again.

And then one day, it happens. The running begins. The Father, full of compassion, picks up His robe and runs. He grabs His son in His arms. He kisses Him. He puts a robe on his back and a ring on his finger. He makes it clear to everyone that this is His son, not a servant, but His lost son who has been found. Just the thought of it rushes back the memories from the day that I was that lost child. I’ve been hugged and kissed and welcomed home by my Father. I am found.

This parable tells us that from God’s perspective, because of His actions, we have been found, we have value, we are God’s children. But we have to make our move too. The son in the story had to get up from his pigpen and examine himself. In humility and in hunger, he had to return. That is true repentance- returning to God, His house, His ways, His provision, His plans, His heart for people. We all, like sheep, have gone astray and we all need to take action to return.

Can I end by reminding you of what God has done for you? He gave up His only Son to supply the blood needed to cover every one of your steps. He sent His Spirit to live inside of you, just as you are, to help you, to comfort you, to make you beautiful inside and out. He has a home for you. He has a ring and a robe for you to wear. And He is watching for you right now. He has never given up on your return or found Himself weary of waiting. He goes back and forth each day looking…

He is ready to run. Make your move.