Last week, speaking of spiritual Tourette syndrome, I ended with the importance of spiritual maturity –as many other times in the past.
It is written: “The heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father” (Gal 4:1-2).
This is what it means in modern language. Most rich parents usually add a clause in their will, which prevents their child from freely enjoying his or her inheritance before their 18th, 21st, 25th or 30th birthday. If the parents die before that “age of maturity”, EVERYTHING belongs to the heir, but he/she is master of nothing. He/she cannot decide on anything. It is servants who decide what he can eat, drink, wear or drive. It is his/her parents’ collaborators, people who will soon be under their orders; people that he/she will soon be able to fire at will; who decide how HIS or HER money is spent! Heir of ALL; possessor of EVERYTHING; master and decider of NOTHING!
We are GOD’s heirs, co-heirs with Christ. However, Jesus reached maturity and can freely dispose of the paternal inheritance. “ALL authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me... And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Mat 28:18, 20). If we are always with the One who can do ALL things in heaven and earth, then why are we so accustomed to the taste of failure? Can it be that we are often not with Him?
Today, GOD is reminding us that: ALL that is His is yours, and it is mine (Lc 15:31). We need this reminder, because, sometimes, we are so deep in the slave/servant mentality that we forget that we are sons and daughters. The brother of the prodigal son has identified himself so much to his father’s domestics that he had forgotten that the juices in the fridge and everything that was in the house was his. His father didn’t need those. His father has built his wealth and bought all those things for him, his son – a son who still could not understand that.
Brother and sister, grow. It’s in your own interest, because, as long as you remain a child, you cannot enjoy ALL that the Lord has generously put at your disposal. Grow, because the inheritance is for the son, i.e. the child, boy or girl, who has reached maturity; the boy or the girl, who can reflect the father in their management of the inheritance. Indeed, a fully trained disciple will be like his teacher (Lk 6.40). In other words, when someone finally has a fully trained disciple, he can now close his eyes and trust him. He can trust that his disciple will faithfully act in his name; that he will not do anything on his own accord, but will only do what he has seen his master/father do (Jn 5:19). This is why I said last week that it is only such a person who is qualified to give orders to the rest of the Body.
GOD spoke to the apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration, saying: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him" (Mat 17:5). A father delights in a son. Servants and Creation listen to a son – yes, the creation is eagerly waiting for the revealing of the sons of GOD (Rom 8:19).
I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession…” (Ps 2:7-8).
There is nothing that is beyond us and GOD wants to entrust the nations over to us; but He will only hand them over to sons, not to infants. My dear brother and sister, ALL that is His is ours. Let us GROW. Let’s grow so that we can enjoy everything: the inheritance is for the son, for the boy or the girl who has reached maturity.
Have a great week and GOD bless you.
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