Adam Take Two

  

  Last time, i told the story of The Bicycle (March 15, 2025) and promised to follow up with its return. Unlike some situations where Dad could just walk down the street and demand the bicycle back, the neighborhood bully actually had a legal right to keep that brand new, red beauty. After all, the boy willingly gave it to him without being forced to do so. He may have succumbed to trickery, but he voluntarily gave it to that wily fellow, nonetheless. Had the boy gone to his father and shared his concerns with him, or had he simply been content with his gift, the story would have played out in a vastly different way.

   In fact, the bully knew how very valuable that bike was and what hidden power it contained. That bicycle was a symbol of the boy’s sonship, a representation not only of his father’s love but also of the authority being passed on to him. It wasn’t just a bicycle the father had to retrieve for his son; it was his heritage, something the bully had secretly always envied. 

   In some ways, it was rather like giving away his birthright for a bowl of soup, as Esau once did.* In this case, the boy’s hunger wasn’t from an empty stomach, but rather from a covetousness of more than his father had provided for him. 

   More power, more knowledge, more influence, more fame…a flashier, more enviable reputation in the neighborhood. The irony of it all was that his father was actually giving his son EVERYTHING he had, far more than the boy could even imagine. However, it would take wisdom, guidance, and discernment from his dad to be able to handle the power and possibilities of this vehicle properly. The only thing his dad was withholding from him was what would could be dangerous for him to operate at this stage in his youth.

   Because of his lack of trust in his father, the boy had given up this indescribable gift in his greed for what turned out to be a glittery illusion. His father, however, loved his son so very much, despite his foolish mistake, that he set out on a long and tortuous journey to redeem his son’s inheritance for him. What it would take to wrest the keys to the bicycle back for him, would be a heartbreaking tale. 

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If you haven’t gone to the theater to see “The Chosen: Last Supper” (season 5), I highly recommend seeing its impact on the large screen, also thereby supporting this fruit-bearing ministry.

* Jacob and Esau and the bowl of soup: Genesis 25