Paco Come Home!

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation”

2 Corinthians 5:18


The Bible says in the last days the love of many will grow cold and all the more reason those who love God need to stay on point to be part of the solution and not the problem. Knowing that it is God who holds all things together, it’s important to keep in mind why the church is here on earth. We are here as ambassadors for Jesus Christ seeking to reconcile the world back to God. The word “reconcile” or “reconciliation” is the Greek word, “Kathalaso” which means, “to change thoroughly, to change truly, with the main idea being, to change hostility into friendship.  

Christianity is about relationships and all relationships experience some form of strain at some point. The Bible teaches us since we are all guilty of sin we don’t have the ability to look down on each other. There is an old saying, “the ground is level at the foot of the Cross and it’s true. Salvation is a free gift to all who receive it. So, instead of judging one another Jesus gave us a new command that we are to love one another as He has loved us. Love the Bible says covers a multitude of sins. Love is what enables us to turn the other cheek, to prefer others over ourselves.

I’m reminded of the story of the couple who had suffered a bitter divorce and years later the husband was back in town on business, and he went to the cemetery to visit the grave of his son, who had died some years earlier. As he stood in silence at his sons grave, he was startled by his ex wife who happen to be coming to visit her sons grave that same day. His first thought was to leave but as she stood next to him he reached down and took her hand instead. In that moment the hostility that had existed between them gave way to reconciliation. The grave of their son reconciled them together. It was at the grave of God’s son that our lives were reconciled back to God. If you have an issue with a brother or sister in Christ the best way to heal is to humble yourself and take their hand.

Reconciliation is like a two sided coin. Heads is being reconciled back to God and tails is being reconciled with one another and includes pointing people who don’t know God to God and how they can reach Him. 2 Corinthians 5:20 spells it out for us, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.” Come home is the message to the prodigals. Years ago the story was told of a father and son who had a fight. The son ran away from home and after a relentless search the son couldn’t be found. Desperate to reach his son the father took out an ad in The Madrid, the largest newspaper in Spain. The full page advertisement began with the heading, “Dear Paco” and below it said, “Meet me tomorrow in front of the newspaper office at twelve noon. ALL is forgiven, I Love You!” The next day, 800 boys named Paco showed up at the newspaper office wanting reconciliation and forgiveness from their father.

Here’s the deal, every human being has three basic needs, to be loved, accepted and forgiven, and that’s exactly what God the Father offers us in Jesus Christ. It’s also what God calls us as ambassadors of Christ to offer to one another in His name. Don’t let your love grow cold in a time in human history where the love of God is needed most. Remember, it’s the kindness of God that leads a man to repentance not His wrath. May our message and lives communicate the message of Jesus, “all is forgiven, I love you!”  

 

“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight”

Colossians 1:21-22 


I LOVE YOU!