In the church world there are two kinds of Christians: We are either the older brother as in the Prodigal Son (harsh and full of judgement) OR we have the characteristics of our heavenly Father as the younger sons father in this parable: Full of love, mercy and compassion. (Luke 15:11-32). After reading about Katy Perry and how the Lord spoke to her after praying just before her performance during the 2015 Super Bowl by saying, “You got this and I got you” and after reading how other professed Christians responded to what she said with their own harsh judgments (When God Speaks to Katy Perry) I realized that they were/are treating her just as the “older brother” treated his younger brother who in fact could not stand that his younger brother not only decided to take a much different path, but upon his return, was welcomed by his father with open arms and and celebrated with a huge party in his honor!
If you’ve ever read the parable that Jesus taught, you will find that there was a merciful and loving father with two sons. The older son was very committed to living and working with his father while the younger son decided to venture off and live his own life after asking for his cut of his fathers inheritance. What’s interesting about this story is that the father did not resist or even try to stop his son, he allowed him the freedom to make his choice and let him go. As time passed and the younger son ran out of money by spending it on wild living he came to a place where he had nothing left, he decided to go and ask his father to forgive him and take him back as a servant. I absolutely love the father’s response, “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.” The older brother was NOT as receptive, in fact he was angry and refused to go to the celebration. He chose judgement over mercy.
Why is it that some feel they have the right to judge others, who gave us that right? God surely did not, in fact he says, “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37. In my humble opinion I believe that Jesus is trying to teach all of us a lesson: The father in this parable represents our heavenly Father and the two sons represent his children. Some full of judgement and act like the Pharisee that says, “Father I thank you that I am not like…” and the other who in humility says, “O God be merciful to me a sinner…”. Luke 18:11-14
In my opinion and what I see in the scriptures is that we are treading on dangerous ground when we decide to judge anyone. Do we not see that we are also in danger of judgement when we make that choice? If you want to truly follow Jesus then I would encourage you to err on the side of mercy, because Jesus, who always speaks the truth says that we will also receive mercy, and believe me, we all need it!
Thank you Carlos Rodgriguez for your article: “When God Speaks to Katy Perry“.
Nina Tidwell is Pastor at Ponce Church in Ponce Inlet, FL along with her husband Pastor Rick Tidwell.
Together along with their two children they founded the first church in the history of Ponce Inlet, FL.
