A Long Way from Home

The Voyager spacecraft has finally left our Solar System, and is travelling into the space between stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way. It is taking with it messages from Jimmy Carter, who was the US President, and assorted stuff that was around in 1977. It has travelled 12 billion miles, and radio signals take 17 hours to go the distance. That is a long way from home!

The Bible tells many stories about people who are a long way from home.

The Israelites were slaves in Egypt. David had to run from a murderous King Saul for years, and couldn't live at home. Ezekiel and many others experienced exile in Babylon for 2 or 3 generations. Jesus told stories of people who had become lost.

Most famous of those stories was about the man who had 2 sons, both of them a long way from home, though in different ways. 

As we know, the younger one returned, and was welcomed by his father. '“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.'(Luke 15.20-24) 

This is where we usually finish our reading or sermons. 

But Jesus had more to say about being a long way from home, because the very people who were listening to the story, the religious and moral arbitrators of the day, showed the same attitude. 'Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!' (Luke 15.1-2)

The irony is that he older brother, while living in the home, had no relationship of love and trust with his father. He too was a long way from home. He is angry at his father's generous welcome, and clearly despises his father's attitude. '“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ (Luke 15.28-30)

We can easily recognise the obviously wayward and destructive lifestyles of the younger brother, and think that today's versions of such people are clearly a long way from God and the home for which we were created.

But we find it much harder to realise that the self-righteous attitudes of those who think they are doing OK is itself a proof of their being along way from home.

When we live close to home, with our Heavenly Father's love and mercy deeply ingrained in our very being, then we shall be generous as the father in the story. But when we start being critical of those who struggle with life's challenges, we are showing evidence that we have drifted a long way from home. Time to listen to Simon & Garfunkel singing 'Homeward Bound!'

Best wishes,

Richard