It's easy to judge the actions of God without knowing the whole story. To view events through our own eyes, jump to a conclusion, and then react.
Reading Luke 15 this morning, this is the story of the lost son.
I think we are all pretty familiar with this. A son takes his inheritance, parties like a rock star and then comes to his senses when life takes a turn for the worse.
We've all been there.
I have read this hundreds of times and I have never understood the reaction of the other brother before. I did not get why he was so angry, and would not go in. Until today I realized just how much I am like him.
"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
"The older brother became angry and refused to go in."Luke 15:22-28 (NIV)
I always assumed that the older brother knew the whole story. He did not. All he knows is, "'Your brother has come,' and, 'your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
The older son did not know that the younger had repented, was wiling to be a servant just to come home. He did not have that piece of the story. Therefore, based on his own limited knowledge, he did not trust his father's actions.
He took the facts he knew, "My brother left, blew all the money and came home and my father celebrates?" and he reacts in anger. Then he sits outside the party angry, refusing to go in even after his father starts pleading with him.
Notice the father does not explain his actions at first, he just pleads with him. There is that moment with God, when he doesn't want to have to explain himself. He just wants us to trust him. Do we?
"So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' Luke 15:28-30 (NIV)
Then comes the amazing love and humility of the father when he explains himself to his son.
"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" Luke 15:31-32 (NIV)
How do we react when we only have part of the story? Do we judge the heart of God when we don't have all the answers?
"God why are you allowing this? I thought you were loving? God why don't you fix this? I thought you were just?"
Do we really need the God of the universe to explain himself to us before we fully trust and obey him?
Or can we just trust that he is who he says he is, regardless of what we can see with our limited understanding?
