Presenting Christ in an honor/shame-based society...

"He Is NOT a Good Father!"

By Rusty Carney

“No, no, no! He is NOT a good father!”

I heard these sternly spoken words one hot summer day at our church in Japan. I had been reviewing the story of the Prodigal Son with a lady connected with our church through an English group my wife Brenda attended. We had covered the part where the son had taken his portion of the family inheritance and squandered it on filthy living. Broke, hungry, desperate, and repentant, he decides to return to his Father’s house, hoping to work for him as a slave.

“As the son approached the house, the father ran to meet him, called for his servants to bring a new robe, put a ring on his finger, and kill the fatted calf so they could have a feast!” As the words came out of my mouth, she couldn’t contain herself.

“His son needs to learn it is not okay to go and waste all of his family inheritance like that! He has brought shame on his family, and his father should make him a slave,” she pronounced. “I cannot believe the father would accept him back as his son, let alone give him new clothes and a ring and throw a big party for him!” Steam almost seemed to be rising from her as she spoke the words.
“I just can’t believe this! No, no, no; he is NOT a good father!”

Why was her reaction so harsh to a merciful father reacting with forgiveness and kindness? The answer, I believe, is Japan is a country of no grace. If you mess up, that’s it. You’ve lost your only chance. You’re labeled as bad, and there are no second chances. If you’re the head of a company and you mess up, you must resign. If you fail the test to get into the high school your parents wanted you to attend, you must live with their disappointment. If you accidentally hit and injure a pedestrian while driving, you must visit him in the hospital and pay reparations to him for a long time. No wonder so many Japanese people give up on life. They are trying to please everyone and keep up with all the obligations placed on them. One wrong move and you’re done.

This is the culture of Japan—many, many rules and obligations, with an extremely high sense of duty. How do we present Christ in this honor/shame-based culture? I believe the answer lies within this story. Just like in Jesus’ day, two groups of people exist—the ones who know they have blown it, and the ones who believe they are keeping all the rules. In Japan, the ones who know they have blown it are often repentant inside, but the culture shows them no mercy. Finding no escape, they are driven to mental illness and often commit suicide.

Those who believe they are keeping the rules and doing a pretty good job do not see their sin. Much like the Pharisees, their hearts are far from their actions. We also see this attitude in the son who stayed home. He did not run off and squander his inheritance. However, he still brought shame to his father in how he spoke to him and refused to attend the feast. Yet, the father dealt kindly with both sons.

We are all without excuse. Jesus leveled the playing field to show us we all are sinners in need of a Savior. The reaction this lady gave to the Father’s love was probably much like the reaction many of the Jews had in Jesus’ day. However, if we truly want justice, we can go to Hell. Each of us deserves just that.

Oh, God, give us eyes to see and ears to hear! I believe the saying is true, “It is the kindness of God which leads us to repentance.”

About the Writer: Rusty Carney and his wife Brenda have been missionaries to Japan since January 2009. To learn more, visit: IMINC.org.