Dear Rose Park,
This is the fifth Lenten-letter that will focus on a central story and book. The story is the Parable of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15. The book is The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Tim Keller. As we continue to journey step-in-step with Jesus towards the cross of Calvary, it’s my hope for each and every one of us to recover the heart of our faith in the Risen King.
In last week’s letter we explored Keller’s concept of wandering but never arriving. This concept, if held in isolation, can leave us feeling hopeless and to an extent homeless. But if we can rearrange our perspective and hold the entire narrative of scripture in tension, we can come to the conclusion that we were never made for this sinful place to begin with. We know this because of Jesus. Keller writes:
By the time of Jesus’ ministry, many in Israel realized that despite the return from Babylon, the nation was still in exile. Injustice and oppression, loss and affliction still dominated national life. The final homecoming had not yet happened. Many, therefore, began to pray to God for it, but they conceived of it as a national, political liberation for Israel. It was thought that the Messiah, the king who would redeem Israel, would be a figure of great military strength and political power. He would come to his people, be recognized and received by them, and then lead them on to victory. Pg. 112
This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday. We traditionally celebrate Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna! and the waving of palm branches. Palm Sunday points to the expectations the Israelites had towards the Messiah as they welcomed Him into Jerusalem. Keller continues:
But nothing about him fit their expectations. He was born not in a palace behind a royal curtain, but in a stable feed trough, on the straw, far from home. During his ministry he wandered, settling nowhere, and said: “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). He remained completely outside the social networks of political and economic power. He did not even seek academic or religious credentials. Finally, at the end of his life, he was crucified outside the gate of the city, a powerful symbol of rejection by the community, of exile. Pg. 113
I worry that we have put inappropriate expectations on to Jesus. I worry we expect Him to fix everything about this place, even though this place is not our eternal home. I worry we expect Him to be something He is not. I worry we expect Him to adjust according to us, when in reality we are called to die to ourselves in order to be reborn like Him. I worry we’ve forgotten Jesus’ true purpose.
Jesus had not come to simply deliver one nation from political oppression, but to save all of us from sin, evil, and death itself. He came to bring the human race Home. Therefore he did not come in strength but in weakness. He came and experienced the exile that we deserved. He was expelled from the presence of the Father, he was thrust into the darkness, the uttermost despair of spiritual alienation - in our place. He took upon himself the full curse of human rebellion, cosmic homelessness, so that we could be welcomed into our true home. Pg. 114
Praise be to God for welcoming us into our true home.
Grace & Peace,
