The Meeting of the Father and the Son
Greetings and good morning brothers and sisters. This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series where we seek to explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years, the heavenly Father has revealed many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them with you. This morning we will ponder our lives as we seek to understand the meaning of the meeting of the Father and the son revealed in these parables.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
The Meeting of the Father and the Son
"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; least at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted." Matthew, Chapter 13, Verse 15.
Once there lived a king in a far distant land. Now this king had a much beloved son who was to be married soon. For the occasion, the king prepared a great wedding feast. When all was in readiness, he sent for all of his friends to join him in his joy and celebration, but all of them sent various excuses saying they could not come. When he heard this, he sent for all the people in the city to share his joy and celebration.
He provided special uniforms for them to wear during the joyous occasion. But after the people from the city had arrived, there were still plenty of space and uniforms left, so the king sent for those living in the country and the wilderness. But after they arrived, there was still plenty of space and uniforms left. Imagine his surprise and dismay when he found one at his celebration without a uniform.
He said, "friend, how is it that you are here without a uniform since they have been so freely supplied?" All the lawless friend could do was to hold his mouth open in utter astonishment after replying, "what uniform? I do not see any uniform." The king had him thrown out of the wedding feast, saying I have freely provided uniforms for all, and I will not have anyone here with me who will not fully enter into the spirit of my joy.
Once there was a shepherd who owned a large flock of sheep. Each morning he would lead them out to feed in the green pastures and to drink of the still waters. Each evening he would safely lead them back to the safety of their pen. He watched over them unceasingly. He knew his sheep, and his sheep knew him. They knew his voice, and they followed him. They would never follow another's voice, and the sheep of another flock would never follow his voice.
A rabbit strolls down a very narrow road, bounded on both sides by a filthy dirty ditch. Off in the distance, he spots a still figure standing in the middle of the road. As he approaches the still figure, his anger increases because it is blocking his path. When he finally arrives in front of the figure, he is so outraged that a string of curses proceeds from his mouth, but the still figure that is a tar baby answers only with the voice of silence.
Screaming at the top of his voice, he says to the tar baby, "if you don't get out of my way, I will bop you with my left fist as hard as I can," but the tar baby still does not answer and neither does he move. Striking the tar baby with his left fist as hard as he could, he discovers that his left fist is solidly stuck in the tar baby. After further cursing the tar baby, he says to him, "if you do not left me go, I will hit you with my right fist,". Still there was no response from the tar baby. He strikes the tar baby with his right fist and finds that his right fist is also irretrievably stuck.
Becoming really annoyed now he says to the tar baby, "if you do not let me go, I will kick you with my left foot," but the tar baby remains silent and unmoved. Kicking the tar baby with his left foot, he discovers that his left foot is irreversibly stuck. So angry now, he does not even bother to warn the tar baby of the next attack, but hastily kicks him with his right foot and just as hastily finds that his right foot is glued stuck.
Now, hoarse from all the shouting and cursing, he whispers at the top of his voice to the tar baby that if he does not let him go, he will butt him with his head. Deathly silence. Finally, the rabbit butts him with his head and finds that his head is forever stuck. Shortly thereafter, a powerful wind comes along and blows him and the tar baby into the ditch along side of the road.
Brothers and sisters, the spiritual Father has heard the faith cry of our souls for spiritual help. He has taken note of our thirst for truth and hunger for righteousness (in reality, the desire for eternal life). He has taken note of our desire to find Him and become like Him in the process. He has responded to the true desires and longings of our hearts by sending His spirit to clothe us so that we will be able to enter His spiritual joy. He has even sent us His Son, Jesus, who left behind His mighty Spirit of Truth.
He has provided spiritual uniforms for our souls so that we will be clothed in the proper attire as we feast on the divine goodness of love, patience, mercy and forgiveness. There can be no excuse for any of us to attempt to attend the divine celebration without first acquiring born again spiritual uniforms, since these uniforms of spiritual power are essential to enter into the spirit of the Father's joy. The doors of the Father's spiritual kingdom are wide open for all to enter. None will be refused or turned away, provided they are willing to put on the spiritual uniforms of divine love that are so freely provided.
The spiritual uniforms of divine love is best represented as the small still voice that the Father speaks to His flock of spiritual sheep. Those that are clothed in these uniforms of divine love, patience, mercy, and forgiveness hear and respond to this voice. Those of another flock of evil or sin cannot hear the still divine voice. In fact, they cannot hear anything, nor do they see anything.
But the spiritual sheep of the Father's flock respond to His voice by becoming like the voice, like His Son, Jesus. Their lives are filled with loving service to other members of the flock, while they attempt to attract the attention of other members of the other flock of evil and sin by their inspiring lives. Their lives are filled with an abundance of spiritual joy and peace. And unlike the other evil flock members who cry, "we have found the enemy, and he is us," they cry, "we have found the Father-Friend through His Son, Jesus, and we are one."
But if the evil doer of foolish rabbit wisdom refuses to put on the spiritual uniforms, and curses the Father's tar baby of love with endless curses of hate, strikes the Father's tar baby of patience with the two fists of selfishness and impatience, kicks the Father's tar baby of mercy with the two feet of revenge and cowardice, and butts the Father's tar baby of forgiveness with the head of iniquity, then does the wind of justice blow the evil doer of rabbit wisdom along with the tar baby of rejected love, wasted patience, spurned mercy, and unaccepted forgiveness into the dark ditch of eternal damnation.
This concludes today's message on understanding the meeting of the Father and the son. We hope you find something in this message to ponder and pray about as you go about your day. Until next time, this is Dr. James Perry.
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By Dr. James Perry
The Meeting of the Father and the Son
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