[This is an excerpt from a sermon I recently preached.]

Later on Jesus would grow up and he would tell this story that helps us understand the joy, the magic, and meaning of Christmas (Luke 15:11-32) . There was once a wealthy man who had two sons. His youngest son came to him one day and said, “Dad, you know how when you die all that you have will be divided up between me and my brother? Well, I don’t like you very much and I don’t want to spend my life living in your house, I want to live my life on my own terms. So let’s just go ahead and say you’re dead to me and you give me my inheritance now and I’ll go live my life how I want.” The father was heartbroken, but he didn’t want to keep his son against his will so he did as his son asked. The son went to a distant land where he wasted all his money on wild living and when all the money his dad had given him was gone, so were all of his friends. He had nothing and nobody. When he was on the brink of starvation and longing to eat even the scraps thrown to pigs, he remembered what things were like at his father’s house. He remembered that even the lowliest servant lived well and had plenty to eat and he thought, I will go home and tell my father, “Father, I am no longer worthy to be called your son, but please let me be one of your servants.” With this plan in mind the son began the long walk home, probably rehearsing his speech as he walked. But while he was still a long ways off, his father who was looking for him, saw him, and forgetting all his dignity and pride came rushing out to meet him, and threw his arms around his smelly, half-starved son. The son began his speech, but it was as if his father had never heard him, he was too busy shouting and crying for joy, shouting for a big party to be thrown, because his son had come home.

This is Christmas. God rushing out to meet us.

Wherever you are, whoever you are – God is rushing out to meet you. God loves you. This is Christmas. God rushing out to meet you.