BY REV. DORAL PULLEY | Today’s Church Tampa Bay
Read – Luke 15:11-32
Scripture: “I AM the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father without me (John 14:6).”
Denial: “God will never reject me or abandon me.”
Affirmation: “I AM always coming to my true self.”
As a child, I remember the congregation singing “Come to Jesus” every Sunday during the Altar Call. The song planted a vivid image in my mind of Jesus, our Wayshower, standing with his arms open wide.
When I visited Brazil, there was actually a huge monument of this portrayal of Jesus, and people from all over the earth climbed a huge mountain to see it. After my visit there, in an even deeper way, I envision Jesus, our Perfect Pattern, always extending an open invitation for all people to come to him. “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-30).” No matter where we have been or what we have done, we can still come to Jesus and never have to fear rejection.
Come is a word that Jesus, our example of what it means to be fully human and fully divine, often spoke during his ministry. He invited Peter to come and walk on water with him (Matthew 14:28-29). Today, he invites us to be who he was, to say what he said, to do what he did, and even greater works (John 14:12).
In the parable of the lost sons, after being in the pig pen, the younger son, “came to himself.” He made up in his mind to return home. When he arrived at his father’s house, his father welcomed him with open arms. Unlike the elder brother in the parable, Jesus, our joint heir, invites us to come to our true identity and enjoy all the benefits of being God’s beloved offspring (Romans 8:17).
When the disciples attempted to stop the little children from coming to Jesus, he rebuked them and told them to allow the children to come to him. Jesus laid hands on the children and blessed them (Matthew 19:13-15). We are never too old or never too young to come to Jesus.
After his resurrection, Jesus, who represents the Christ unfolding in each of us, cooked for his disciples and invited them to come have breakfast. Although they had abandoned and denied him, he still invited them to come fellowship with him.
We never have to be hungry in the presence of Christ. We can always be forgiven and fed. The Bible closes in the Book of Revelation with a universal invitation for all to come. God is always
calling us, and we can always come (Revelation 22:17).
Reflection Question: How do you envision Jesus?
Rev. Doral Pulley is the senior pastor of Today’s Church Tampa Bay, 2114 54th Ave. N, St. Petersburg and 5107 North Central Ave., Tampa.
