Bible Headache

Some books I read through and understand. Some I have to read a couple times to get the point. I'm not a really slow thinker, but there are a few books I've had to read a third time to really know what's meant.

The Bible is different. As many times as I've read through it, I still am finding new meaning. It's like my vision was blurred the first time or two. Will I ever be able to say, "I know the Bible," or will I one day have to admit it's always going to be beyond me?

Take, for instance, that parable of the Prodigal Son. It's a simple story, right? The younger of the two brothers asks his dad for the inheritance early. The father agrees, but then the kid goes off and spends it all in no time, and comes crawling back home. Dad accepts him with open arms and starts a celebration. The moral? God loves us that much. No matter what you've done, he wants you to come home, and will love you and celebrate when you come back.

I thought I understood the story. Then somebody mentioned that the older brother, who got upset when Dad welcomed the younger brother home, was a prodigal, too. He had not realized he could 'come home' to his father's love, and had just been laboring like a slave his whole life.

So I got that lesson into my head. Now, someone tells me that we are to be Christ to those around us, and welcome folks who've lost their way with the same kind of love, as representatives of God.

It can almost give you a Bible headache at times, knowing the Good Book has so many lessons to teach us, It's not that it's complicated. It's just that the Bible is rich with meaning.

I guess that's why it's called "God's Living Word." It keeps on breathing life into us. We'll never understand it completely, and that's a good, good thing.