Friday, November 28, 2008

November 29

Nov 29 – Today from Proverbs 29 we look at verse 3
"A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth."

The surface lesson of this proverb is quite clear. Every parent in pursuit of wisdom rejoices when they see their children growing to follow this same path of light. Parents of substance endow their children based on their sense of values. To see their children squander that endowment on self-serving pleasures, which only tend to consume, brings just the opposite – concern and grief.
The deeper lesson of course, is to see ourselves as the child in this proverb, and to see God as our Father (the first petition in the Lord’s model prayer). This focus gives dimension to all of life. If God is our Father, what is it that He desires of us? With what gifts and values has He endowed us? What behavior brings Him joy? What behavior brings Him concern and grief? Why should I care? All of these question – and more – deserve our sober consideration when we pray, "Our Father who art in heaven."
Jesus taught volumes about the principle involved in this proverb. One of the most pointed and popular teachings is that of the prodigal son found in Luke chapter 15:11-31. As a Middle East Rabbi, Jesus was a Metaphorical Theologian. Our Western culture is much more acclimated to the style of Conceptual Theology. The basic difference is that where Conceptual Theology begins with an idea and then uses occasional illustrations to better define the idea, Metaphorical Theology begins with an illustration and then draws out the deeper ideas from that illustration. In the West, the concept is primary and the illustration is secondary. In the East the metaphor is primary and the conceptual interpretation is secondary. Without this understanding, we will never fully appreciate the Proverbs – or Jesus’ parables. Jesus was not using illustrations as an attempt to teach simple lessons. He was a Theological Rabbi and was a Master at what He did. In the story of the prodigal, Jesus was revealing the station of every person on the face of the earth, and of the heart of a loving Father. The lost son needed to be found. He was not found when he realized his state of poverty and hopelessness and turned toward his Father’s estate to become a common servant in order to survive. That was only an awakening to the riches of the Father. He was found only when the loving Father received him back and restored full sonship out of the abundant mercy and grace of His heart. The forsaken Father did not disown the son and turn His back on him. His eye was ever on the horizon, waiting for His lost son to be found. Only the Father could find this foolish son who squandered his endowment. The Father was concerned and grieved at His son’s actions – but He never shut the door on him. It is my story. I hope it is your story. We never found God by trying to restore that which we squandered. Impossible. He found us by restoring us to His family. The parable only teaches the aspect of being found. We must study the whole of the scriptures to understand the profound truth that He was only able to restore us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. This parable exemplifies the love of a concerned and grieved Father for a lost and wayward son. The cross of Jesus tells the rest of the story.

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