Waiting for an Inheritance

June 19, 2009

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 5-6 and Galatians 4

In the reading of Galatians, Paul starts out with an odd observation. He states that as long as the heir to an estate is a child, then the child is pretty much the same status as a slave.

After all, it is the child who is receiving an inheritance has to obey his or her parents. Is it any wonder why the prodigal son wanted his inheritance up front? At this stage, it would not be good for any child to receive the inheritance, because it would mean that their parents are dead.

And what parents, before they are teenagers what their parents dead? Right now, I have a few children, and I am fortunate to be at an age where my kids will tell me “I love you” without being first told it by me. The only reason that I want to live is because I know my kids need me.

Here’s the deal with receiving an inheritance. You may get lands or money, but someone has to die for it. If you respect the relative who left you the money, you will not be cheering when they die.

Yet here is the thing, in order to receive our heavenly inheritance, someone has to die. Now, the issue is: how are we going to deal with that? Sometimes I think it is interesting all the praise we give God for dying for us, and then turned around and ignore the fact that crucifixion hurts.

How should we treat that? Well, have you ever had someone do you a big favor? Chances are, if they gave it out of a heart of love, he or she does not want any restitution. However, it wouldn’t heart to give a little bit of thanks now and then.

In fact, the comparison between someone who hasn’t received the inheritance and not received is like Hagar and Sarah. Hagar was the surrogate parent who carried Ishmael, but it was Sarah who carried Isaac, the child of promise.

We are not the child born of a slave, or one by a mother. This is the difference between the inheritor and what may eventually become property.

The issue is that we need to realize why we have been set free to be the inheritor. Granted, I hate the way it had to happen, with Christ dying, but it really is part of the process of being a citizen of heaven. It wouldn’t hurt to give a “thank you” to Jesus every once in a while.