Every year I offer to do a chapel service for the high school students at the Christian school where I teach. I had most of these students as 7th and 8th graders, so there’s a pre-established relationship and history there. This week was the week I spoke at their chapel this year, and I was told that if the students didn’t start leaving one by one to go to the bathroom, I should count it a success.
I did not juggle, as many of these kids also juggle, and they have seen many of my routines already. I simply spoke, specifically about the parable of the Prodigal Son. I challenged them to look at the ‘good’ son for a minute. This is the prodigal’s brother who stayed home and served the father unfailingly. He never rebelled. He was the model child. Until his brother came back.
Then the good son yells at his dad, accuses him of injustice, rattles off his spiritual resume to try to impress the father with his own goodness and religiosity, and belittles his brother for his moral failures. In so doing, the good son refuses to enter the feast that, by grace alone, the prodigal enjoys with his dad.
I told the teens that Christian schools can be good son factories. Although well intentioned, Christian adults can overemphasize appearances and neglect to teach – by word or example – that faith is a heart issue first, and it is always built upon God’s grace, not our goodness. I hope they got it.
At least no one left for the bathroom!
By the way, my message was inspired by the book “the Prodigal God” by Presbyterian pastor Timothy Keller; a must read for any Christian of any denomination.
Read a review of this book here:
http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/book-review-the-prodigal-god-by-tim-keller