Come Home
Years ago Will Thompson wrote a hymn that became very popular in the holiness movements of the 1900’s. It was a call to return to the Lord and to “Come Home”. The lyrics went like this:
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling;
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals he’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
Refrain:
Come home, come home;
Ye who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home
The other day I woke up with this music in my thoughts. It is a call for us today. Jesus is calling: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11.28) Life so often gets us off the path, takes us away from that place of peace and safety, but Jesus is calling: “Come home”.
When the prodigal son left home, I am sure he had his reasons. Maybe he wanted to be his own man; to find his own identity and worth. Maybe he was upset with his brother, parents or just frustrated with his life. Or, maybe we wanted to just have fun with no restrictions or judgments on him. We don’t know why he left home, but he did. Leaving home is easy. Just pack up your bags and leave. It’s the coming back home that is hard.
Jesus is calling: “Come home”, but we stay away. So many voices argue against Jesus’ call. At first, the prodigal son shut his ears to this call by busying himself with entertainment, parties and friends. Turn up the music, fill up the agenda, just anything so as not to hear that call. As the money ran out and the friends went their own ways, the voice was heard again: “Come home”. More arguments rose up to drown out that call. Voices of self-pity: “I am not worthy to go back”, “What will the others think of me”, “I will never be truly forgiven.” And then voices of pride: “They have just as many problems as I do”, “They are a bunch of hypocrites, I can’t go back there.” But then through the pride, the shame, the distractions, and the fears came the thought: “My father loves me”.
The Father was waiting for the son’s return just as he waits for our return. The love of God is stronger than the attractions of sin, more convincing than the arguments of reason and more persistent than the stubbornness of pride. He is standing at the door, knocking. He is waiting for us to open our heart to Him; to just respond to His call. Jesus is waiting. He is tenderly beckoning. He is gently pulling on our heart-strings.
If you will just stop and listen, you will hear Him calling. “Come home, my son. Come home, sweet daughter. I have prepared a banquet for you. Come feast at my table once again. Come home.”
Scriptures to meditate on:
Luke 15.11-24; Mat. 11.28-30; Is. 55.1-2; Romans 8.31-35; Rev. 3.20