Homecoming
Luke 15:20 New International Version (NIV)
20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Read: Luke 15:11-32
Banners waving, my young niece and nephew jumping up and down for joy, the hugs, the tears, the end of one journey and the beginning of a new adventure. This was the scene at the airport in San Francisco when we arrived home after our adoption of our son from Russia in 2001. The culmination of months of anticipation had finally led to a homecoming that we would never forget.
Homecomings leave impressions on our lives. We all have been inspired by videos of soldiers being reunited with their families. My grandpa fought in World War II and was held as a prisoner of war. His family thought he had died until one day he arrived at their doorstep. I can imagine the shock, joy, and celebration that took place on that day.
Earthly homecomings can be inspirational but they are merely a shadow of heavenly homecomings. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus gives us a glimpse of the joy our Heavenly Father has when one of his children returns home. As the anniversary of my son’s accident approached, my wife and I discussed the importance of remembering that more happened that day than just our own personal pain. It is easy to focus on what we heard, saw, and felt. That pain is especially deep when we consider everything that took place on December 8th but that day was also our son’s homecoming day. Something happened that morning that was unseen by us. We did not hear the cheers of celebration. We did not see the hugs and kisses. We did not feel the joy. Yet our faith tells us that it happened. The moment after my son took his last breath on earth, he took his first breath in Heaven. He was finally home. The homecoming celebration began in Heaven at the same moment we were crushed by grief.
On the days leading up to the anniversary of this date, it was easy to fixate our minds on what was seen yet it is also important to give thanks for what we know but was unseen this side of Heaven. Our faith reminds us that so much more happened that morning beyond what we can comprehend. Yes, December 8th will always be a day we mourn but we are reminded that it was also our son’s homecoming day. For those of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will also have a homecoming day in the future. My faith tells me that my son will be standing there and we will rejoice again together.
Response
What are some ways we can move from a mind fixated on the things we see to a mind that looks at the world through the eyes of faith?
