W. Ryan Melson
Preparing an upcoming message on Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son from Luke 15 coincided with a replay of one of my all time favorite films, Taken.
http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x83ceu
Taken is the story of a retired government operative named Bryan Mills, played by Liam Neeson. His teenage daughter, Kim, is pampered by her mother and wealthy step father, yet still has a soft spot for her dad. Kim persuades her parents to allow her a trip to Paris under dubious circumstances with a friend. Upon their arrival they are kidnapped by a gang of Eastern European human traffickers to be sold into sexual slavery.
Mills, who up until this point has been a relatively mild mannered father, unleashes a side of himself that exhausts every resource to find and rescue his beloved daughter. There is absolutely no barrier that stands in his way. Through many car chases, explosions, and unique interrogation techniques Mills ferociously cuts a swath of destruction until he finds Kim and brings her home.
Those of us with children can relate to Mills. There was a moment when my daughter was very young when she was missing for a few seconds at a large department store. She had simply slipped into a circular clothes rack to play hide and seek. Yet for that short length of time the panic, fear, and anger I felt was simply indescribable. Only the overwhelming joy we felt when we found her surpassed it.
Why do we read Scripture that relates to God as our Father with a cold, detached familiarity? An earthly father’s relationship to his children pales in comparison to God’s extravagant love for us.
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him? Matthew 7:9-11
Much like the prodigal son in Luke 15, Mills’ young, impetuous daughter lied to her dad in order to go on an overseas trip against his better judgment. Though it was a catastrophe of her own making, her father turned into a fierce absolute force of nature that crushed everything in his path to return her safely home.
Romans 5:8 says that But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Mankind made a choice long ago to turn his back on God’s best and do things his own way. In spite of deserving the penalty of death for our sin God sent Jesus Christ through the annals of eternity to find us.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:5-9
The hero of the gospel is Jesus Christ, Who willingly laid down His rights and role in the comforts of heaven. Christ waded through the deep, dark waters of our misery and pain to find us and bring us home. He left no stone unturned; the very power of hell itself could not stop Him.
God the Father is relentless, undaunted, and frighteningly ruthless in His desire to rescue us. If you haven’t noticed, we as human beings have done a good job of making an enormous mess of our lives. Yet in spite of that we have a loving God Who will literally move heaven and earth to ensure our eternal destiny.
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32
No matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you have done, you are not beyond the reach of the Father.
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