God’s Not Pete Rose’s Dad
Read The Daily:
When he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20
A good friend of mine after the 1st gathering this Sunday said that his image of God has always been this ultimate judge, you know? Like, He’s up there keeping score, waiting for him to mess up. It made me think of Pete Rose’s dad and the clip I saw on Instagram. Even after back to back hitting titles, his dad after one game when he didn’t run all out said, “Don’t ever embarrass me in my city again”. It’s this image of God being like, ‘You embarrassed me again. I told you to quit that habit, and you didn’t.’ It’s a heavy thought, and honestly, it makes me want to hide.
But let’s flip it today. What if Jesus is showing us the real heavenly Father. Think about how Jesus interacted with people – the outcasts, the ones who messed up constantly. He didn’t shame them; He invited them in. He ran to them. That image of the father running to the prodigal son, not with a lecture, but with open arms and a kiss? That’s the heart of God. He’s not disappointed in us; He’s filled with compassion.
This changes everything. If God isn’t waiting to catch us in our failures, but is actively running towards us with love, then our relationship with Him looks totally different. We don’t have to dread His gaze. We can approach Him with honesty, knowing we’ll be met with grace, not judgment. It’s a reminder that His love isn’t conditional on our performance; it’s the very foundation of who He is.
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Prayer for the Day
God what are you showing me? What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
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Read The New Testament In A Year
(The man said this because Jesus had started to order the unclean spirit out of him.) Time after time the demon threw the man into convulsions. He had been placed under constant guard and tied with chains and shackles, but crazed and driven wild by the demon, he would shatter the bonds. Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Mob. My name is Mob,” he said, because many demons afflicted him. And they begged Jesus desperately not to order them to the bottomless pit. A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs. He gave the order. It was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the lake and drowned. Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had been sent, sitting there at Jesus’ feet, wearing decent clothes and making sense. It was a holy moment, and for a short time they were more reverent than curious. Then those who had seen it happen told how the demoniac had been saved. Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave–too much change, too fast, and they were scared. So Jesus got back in the boat and set off. The man whom he had delivered from the demons asked to go with him, but he sent him back, saying, “Go home and tell everything God did in you.” So he went back and preached all over town everything Jesus had done in him. On his return, Jesus was welcomed by a crowd. They were all there expecting him. A man came up, Jairus by name. He was president of the meeting place. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his home because his twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, was dying. Jesus went with him, making his way through the pushing, jostling crowd. Luke 8:29-42
So if you forgive him, I forgive him. Don’t think I’m carrying around a list of personal grudges. The fact is that I’m joining in with your forgiveness, as Christ is with us, guiding us. After all, we don’t want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief–we’re not oblivious to his sly ways! When I arrived in Troas to proclaim the Message of the Messiah, I found the place wide open: God had opened the door; all I had to do was walk through it. But when I didn’t find Titus waiting for me with news of your condition, I couldn’t relax. Worried about you, I left and came on to Macedonia province looking for Titus and a reassuring word on you. And I got it, thank God! In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation–an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse. This is a terrific responsibility. Is anyone competent to take it on? No–but at least we don’t take God’s Word, water it down, and then take it to the streets to sell it cheap. We stand in Christ’s presence when we speak; God looks us in the face. We get what we say straight from God and say it as honestly as we can. 2 Corinthians 2:10-17