Tell Me A Story: Devotions From Time Of Grace MinistrySample

STORY #3: An outrageous request

If you know that you are in someone’s will, it is considered very bad form if you appear to wish that the testator would hurry up and die. Even worse would be to ask for your inheritance before the loved one has actually expired. Jesus’ opening proposition in this amazing story certainly made all of his hearers sit bolt upright.

“There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them” (Luke 15:11,12).

I don’t know which is more outrageous--the insolent cheek of the younger son or the incredible decision by the father to grant the request. I’ll tell you what--if any of my kids would ask to cash out his or her part of my estate before I was dead, the strain on our relationship would be severe.

Jesus’ parable highlights a central feature of human life on planet Earth. God so desires that people’s love for him should be given freely, that he trusts us with a huge amount of freedom, thereby allowing the possibility of grievous failure. From God’s point of view, there can be no true love without major risk.