Why is More Never Enough? (Rev. Dr. Charley Reeb)
Today, I am going to answer the last question of this series by going through a side door. I want to address today’s question by asking another question: What is God really like?
I think we all want to know that. This is a very important question because everyone’s faith is based on what they think God is like. Some people behave as if God is a mean judge trying to catch us in the act and therefore their whole life is about running from God or following strict rules all the time. Some people think God is a heavenly accountant who tallies good points and bad points and at the end of our lives he will punish us or reward us depending upon which points are higher. Some think God is some distant being who made the world and put it in motion but this God has better things to do than be involved with humanity.
But what is God really like? Maybe you have been struggling with that question your whole life. Maybe you have never really liked religion and church because you were brought up in a way that presented God as boring, mean and judgmental. Maybe you have always thought there was a higher power or being that created the world, and you have given a lot of thought about God, but you are just not sure what this God is like. Should you be afraid of God? Should you bother God? What does God want from you?
Maybe you are carrying around a lot of guilt and you really want to know what God thinks of you and what you have done. Maybe you have gone to church occasionally or maybe you have been in church your whole life and you’ve heard mixed messages about what God is like. You wonder if anyone can give you a clear answer.
Back in Jesus’ day people had the same burning question. That is why crowds of people gathered to hear Jesus speak and ask him questions. Jesus said and did some profound things in order to show us what God is like. One of the most profound things he did was tell the parable of the prodigal son.
The Bible does not get any better than in Luke 15 where we read the parable of lost sheep, lost coin, and the lost or prodigal son. In many ways the parable of the prodigal son is one of the greatest stories ever told, not just in the Bible, but in the history of literature. Movies, songs, poems, books, and novels throughout the ages have been based on this powerful story. And the parable is only 20 verses long! People who don’t consider themselves religious know and love this parable. Over and over again folks from all walks of life have been drawn to this parable.
Why do people love it so much? Why are so many drawn to it? Why is it so intriguing? Because it answers the burning question we all have. It tells us what God is like.
I want us to take a closer look at this parable today because if you have wondered what God is like this parable is for you. If you are ever in doubt about what God is like look no further than this parable. Let’s jump right in.
The reason Jesus told this parable was because he overheard religious people criticizing him for hanging out with sinners. You see, these religious people had a misguided and narrow-minded understanding of God. So, Jesus said “Okay, you don’t think God cares about all people…let me tell you a story?”
11 Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So, he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.
The father in the story is God. Be sure you watch the father in the parable. The father had two sons. The younger one said, “I know it all. Life would be so much more fun if I could get out of dodge, leave this life and do what I want. ‘Dad, give me my inheritance early. I want to be on my own.’” The father gave him the money and he left his father, left his home, ran off and did what he wanted to do.
The young son thought life would be better without his father. He wanted the blessings and gifts of the father without a relationship with the father.
Have you ever been in a situation in your life where people cared more about what you could give, what you could offer, than about you or having a relationship with you? Maybe it was a friend or co-worker. How did it make you feel? All they wanted was money or some connection you had with another person or some resource you could offer but they really didn’t care about you. They never wanted to spend time with you. It was all about what you could do for them. You felt used and unappreciated.
You know what I think? I think God feels the same way when we take his gifts and blessings and enjoy the life He has given us without appreciating Him and developing a relationship with Him. I think that is one of things Jesus is trying to tell us in this parable. God wants a relationship with us. God wants to be in our lives. He wants to love on us, guide us, connect with us, give us a purpose, listen to us and He wants us to listen to him. But here is the thing – God will not force a relationship on us. He gives us freedom to choose.
Notice the father in the parable. He didn’t stop his son from taking the money and running. As painful as it was for the father not to stop him, he let him go because love and relationship is never forced.
So, the young son goes off to Las Vegas and has a good ole time! “I’m free! I’m free! I can do what I want. I have all this money. There is no limit to what I can do. I have no one telling me that I can’t do this and I can’t do that…Let’s party!” Let’s read what happens next:
14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.
The party was over. The son hit rock bottom. He ran out of money and found himself working with pigs, craving the food they ate. Remember, he was Jewish. Pigs were considered unclean to him, yet he was living and working in pig slop. That was about as low as he could get! Life without his father was not as exciting as he thought it was going to be. Sitting in pig slop, feeling tired, cold and hungry, the reality of being away from his father did not match the picture in his mind.
Sin always looks better before we do it than after we do it, doesn’t it? Running away from God always seems more exciting than it really is. Life without God never delivers what it promises.
I remember when I was about 8 or 9 I ran away from home. I thought it would be so nice to be on my own – no one telling me what to do, when to go to bed and what to eat. So, I packed a back pack with toys, a sandwich and snacks. I threw a folder in the pack that had paper for me to draw on. I ran down to a creek, sat on a rock and ate my sandwich. It felt great! Then I pulled out my folder filled with drawing paper and a picture of my parents fell out. I had used it for a project at school. I remember looking at the picture and thinking about how much I loved my parents. Suddenly, I became terrified of what it would be like without them. I quickly packed up my things and ran home! I ran into the kitchen and hugged my mom. I looked at the clock and I had not been gone more than 30 minutes! They didn’t even miss me!
Sooner or later in life, all of us come to the place where we realize we need more than the blessings of the Father; we need the Father himself. We need more than life; we need the Creator of life. We need more than money and things; we need love and relationship. Those in AA call it a moment of clarity. Some call it a conversion experience. More traditional folks call it being born again. But it is all the same experience – it is getting to the place in your life when success doesn’t satisfy anymore, power doesn’t satisfy anymore, money and things don’t satisfy anymore, constant adventures of play and travel don’t satisfy anymore, and you feel a hunger deep in your soul for the only thing that will satisfy – the unconditional love and companionship of the Father!
Jesus put it this way in the context of the parable: “He came to himself.” The younger son came to the realization that his life was empty without his father.
Some of you are in that place today. You realize how empty your life has become without God in it. You have been chasing one empty promise after the other, thinking it will be enough, but it always leaves you cold. There is not enough sexual pleasure, money, power, prestige, awards, accolades, that can satisfy, that can do what a relationship with the heavenly Father can do in your life.
You see, in every human heart there is a desire, a longing, a hunger for God. Behind all the questions of this series is a craving for God. And we will always be unsatisfied in life until we give our hearts and lives to God. This is why more is never enough… Augustine prayed, “Lord, you have formed us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord.”
The younger son came to this realization. Let’s read what he did next:
17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’
This is how desperate the young son had become! This is how empty he was. He wanted to go home and be a paid servant for his father instead of remaining where he was on his own. He wasn’t expecting to be accepted and loved back into the family. He wasn’t expecting to be called a son. In fact, in Jesus’ day, a son who did what the younger son did would have been disowned by his father, cut off from the family. But he was so empty, so miserable, so desperate for his father that he just wanted to be considered a hired hand for his father. That’s it.
I know so many people who delay coming back to God because they think just like the younger son. They think they have wandered away so far, screwed up so badly, that the best they can hope for is to be a slave to God. They think that if they come back to God they will have to fulfill some ridiculous religious duty and God will punish them and remind them of what they did and keep tabs on them and maybe they will get into heaven. Perhaps that is where some of you are today. You think if you come back home to God you are going to feel worse about what you have done and where you have been. You think God will never let you forget what you did.
Is that what you think God is like? Think again. Let’s allow Jesus to tell us what God is like:
20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
Did you see what the father did? It says when his son was far off he saw him! This means the father had been looking for him! Every day the father had looked anxiously down the driveway hoping his son would return. Every day the father had looked outside the kitchen window waiting for his son – waiting and hoping.
And then the text says that when the father finally saw his son he ran after him! Fathers in Jesus’ day didn’t run for anything. It was considered undignified and shameful. Yet, Jesus said the father ran after him! When he got to his son, he didn’t lecture him. He threw his arms around his son and kissed him.
The son then began his apology speech, but notice what happens when he starts apologizing:
21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
Did you see that? As the son was apologizing, his father interrupted him – “Forget all that. Call the DJ! Call the caterer! Call our neighbors and friends! We are going to have a party! We are going to celebrate!” My son is home! What is God like? God is your loving creator who relentlessly loves you and will never stop loving you. Our God is a God of love who always welcomes you home. This is what Jesus taught and more importantly what he embodied.
Here is Jesus’ invitation for each of us today:
“If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.” -Matthew 11:28 (CEV)
Commenting on this verse Rick Warren writes, “I like that verse because it says the exact opposite of what most people think God will say to them. They think that if God wants them to come home he’s going to say, ‘Come home to me, and I will give you rules. Come home to me, and I will give you regulations. Come home to me, and I will give you restrictions. Come home to me, and I will give you religion. Come home to me, and I will give you rituals.’ But God doesn’t say any of those things. He says, ‘Come home to me, and I will give you rest.’”
Regardless of what you’ve heard, Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship. It is not something that confines you; it is something that sets you free. It is not something that shames you; it is something that empowers you.
I don’t know what you think of God. I don’t know what kind of religious upbringing you had. But one thing I do know is God loves you and God doesn’t want to put any more burdens on you. In fact, God wants to take them away and give you love, hope, peace and joy. God wants to fill that hole in your heart and give you peace. This parable proves it.
Actually, the parable doesn’t prove it. Jesus proved it did by giving his life for you and me – by demonstrating his love for us on the cross.
A few years ago, Mark Trotter told a true story about a man in New York City who was kidnapped. His kidnappers called his wife and asked for $100,000 ransom. She talked them down to $30,000. The story had a happy ending: the man returned home unharmed, the money was recovered, and the kidnappers were caught and sent to jail.
But, don’t you know the man’s conversation with his wife was very interesting when he found out his wife got him back for a discount? Calvin Trillin wrote about this incident. He imagined out loud what the negotiations must have been like: “$100,000 for that old guy? You have got to be crazy. Just look at him! Look at that gut! You want $100,000 for that? You’ve got to be kidding. Give me a break here. $30,000 is my top offer.”
Mark Trotter concluded his rendition of the story with this thoughtful comment: “I am not sure who you relate to in that story, but I relate to the husband. I’d like to think if I were in a similar situation, there would be people who would spare no expense to get me back. They wouldn’t haggle over the price. They wouldn’t say, ‘Well, let me think about it.’ I like to think that they would say, ‘We’ll do anything for you.’”
Guess what? Christ did. He did everything for you.
“You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him — be free now from all these earthly prides and fears.” – 1 Corinthians 7:23 TLB
You have been bought and paid for by Christ. You belong to Jesus. How much does that make you worth? You are a priceless child of God. The cross proves your value. Jesus didn’t die for junk. Nobody has ever paid a greater price than God paid for you. Don’t you ever forget it.
Find the peace you crave today by surrendering you heart and life to Jesus. Stop trying to fill that hole in your life with more. It will never be filled. You will never be satisfied. Only Jesus can make you whole and set you free.
Daily Devotional Guide
Monday: Read Philippians 4:10-13. These verses are part of a letter that the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi expressing his gratitude for their support and concern. Paul’s joy and gratitude stem from the Philippians’ renewed interest in supporting him. This rekindled support fills Paul’s heart with great joy, demonstrating the power of community and the impact of caring for one another. Paul’s words to the church in Philippi reminds us of the love and support we receive from our church. Can you recall a time when the concern and care of the church was helpful to you?
Tuesday: What stands out most in this week’s text is Paul’s acknowledgment of contentment. He affirms that his joy and peace are not dependent on external circumstances but rather on his unwavering trust in Christ. Paul’s life was marked by a series of challenges, including persecution, imprisonment, and physical difficulties. Yet, Paul had learned the secret of being content in every situation, whether in times of plenty or times of scarcity. His contentment was found in his relationship with Christ. What does a relationship with Christ provide that the world is unable to give?
Wednesday: In today’s fast-paced and consumer-driven society, contentment seems elusive. We often find ourselves seeking happiness in external circumstances, possessions, or achievements, only to discover that these things do not satisfy the longing within our souls. However, Paul’s words remind us that true contentment is not found in worldly possessions or favorable circumstances, but rather in our relationship with Christ. Contentment is not about having everything we desire, but rather about knowing that we have everything we need in Christ. Have you ever struggled with finding contentment? If so, how? How does this week’s text help you in that struggle?
Thursday: As followers of Christ, we too can find contentment by drawing near to him and relying on His strength. When we place our trust in him, we invite him to work in and through us, enabling us to navigate life’s challenges with a steadfast and peaceful heart. Contentment is not about having everything we desire, but rather about knowing that we have everything we need in Christ. Let us learn from Paul’s example and seek contentment in our lives by anchoring ourselves in Christ. Instead of constantly striving for more, let us find satisfaction in the love, grace, and provision that he abundantly offers. As we grow in our dependence on Christ, contentment will emerge through our relationship with the One who gives us strength.
Friday: Take a moment to reflect on your own life. Are there areas where you are striving for contentment through worldly means? How can you shift your focus to find contentment in Christ? Spend some time in prayer, surrendering your desires and seeking his strength to cultivate a heart of contentment. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the example of the Apostle Paul and his unwavering contentment in you. Teach us to find our satisfaction in you alone, regardless of our circumstances. Help us to trust in your strength and how you provide, knowing that you are always with us. May our hearts be filled with gratitude and contentment as we abide in your presence. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.