The Prince and the Pauper

1 Peter 1:3-5
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Jesus changed the rules of the religious landscape when he confidently and consistently referred to God as his Father. As a disciple of Jesus, Peter had a special relationship with his Lord. He was convinced that his relationship with Jesus brought him into favor with the Father of his Lord.

And today, Father, I come to you based upon the same hope. You are Father to my dear friend, Jesus. Jesus found me lost and hurting and he took me in and cared for me. And now he has brought me to you – his blessed Father – and you show the same mercy as he.

My relationship with you is not according to my own merit or worthiness. Like a criminal beggar I stood outside your gate with nothing to offer and a mind only to take. And because of your abundant mercy you have called me inside, wiped away my past and you are making me fit for servitude by training me in your mercies.

But my renewal and my hope cost you dearly. Your beloved Son, my friend who brought me to you – He paid my outstanding debts. Not with silver or gold, but with his precious blood. And because that debt has been paid in full I am now a free man. Let not my freedom carry me away from your presence. Rather, let the affection of my resurrected friend satisfy my deepest longings. Help me to see that his blood not only paid my debt, but it also was the cost of my adoption into your family where you have for me an inheritance to share as a further display of your extravagant mercies. Keep me near to you by faith and reveal the fullness of your great salvation in me.