James 1:17

“Not a shirt on my back, not a penny to my name
Lord, I can’t go back home this a-way…”

“Link to YouTube Video – Peter, Paul & Mary ~ 500 Miles

The artist set out to paint a picture of Luke’s Prodigal Son. He searched the city streets for someone who was down and out with the scars of a wretched life. He finally found the man who would portray the wayward son of the Gospel. After being told that he would be paid well, the man agreed to pose for the painting. He was given the address of the painter’s studio, and arrangements were made for the next day.

The man appeared at the appointed time, but he was cleaned up, and well dressed. The artist did not even recognize him as the man on the street. “What happened to you?” he asked. “Well, I thought that I would dress up and look presentable before I got painted,” he answered. The artist then said, “I can’t use you now, I wanted you the way you were.”

That story was once used to say that Christ wants the sinner to come to Him just the way that he/she is. It does a person no good to try to clean our spiritual life up by ourselves. In fact, I would say that is too often the problem for many of us today. The appearance is cleaned up and presentable, but the heart hasn’t been touched. Jesus once referred to the self righteous as whitewashed tombstones, full of dead men’s bones.

Our Lord doesn’t want dressed up sinners but transformed lives. He loves us just the way we are, and He loves us too much to leave us that way. Perhaps the prodigal son did what he could to present himself to his father. We know for a fact that it was the father who transformed him back to life.

“Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”