Conclusion

Dave was tired. And wondering whether he’d heard correctly. Which left him disappointed.

Tired and disappointed, he met with a church leader for the second time. Again, he was issued what felt like an ultimatum. All this, just before a flight to Sydney.

Tired, disappointed, and now confused, Dave found himself seated near the back of the plane.

He leaned forward with his head resting on the back of the seat in front and prayed something he had read a few days earlier from Luke 14:7-11.

“Father I don’t look for the seat of honour. I will gladly accept the seat of humility. But Lord, if you say to me, ‘Come up to the seat of honour’, I will gladly obey.”

Right then, at that very moment, the flight attendant tapped him on his shoulder and said, “Mr Reid, come up. I have a seat for you at the front of the plane.”

Dave received an upgrade.

While sometimes begged for, gratuitous upgrades are neither merited nor earned. They are freely given.

My prayer is that you have received an upgrade in how you see yourself through reading ‘Favoured’.

Mary—this time Magdalene—also received an upgrade.

Her view of Jesus after his resurrection was upgraded from gardener, to Teacher, to the One-Who-Brings-Father’s-Heart (John 20:15-17).

She no longer clings to him as guru or rabbi. “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me…’” (John 20:16).

The resurrection means we can no longer see Jesus—or ourselves—according to old ways or old mindsets. He is not just your teacher, or a nice guy. In fact, he is not just Saviour.

Rather, he is the One who gives you access to Father’s favour. “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God”’” (John 20:17).

Jesus didn’t tell Mary to go tell those deserters. Or that denier. Or those fearful ones. He didn’t even ask her to go tell his disciples.

No. They received an upgrade. Jesus asked Mary to go “to my brothers”. That is, the ones who now share the same Father as he does.

How good is that!

As you entrust yourself into the Father’s heart and dive onto his lap—no matter where your own heart may have roamed—you experience and receive exactly what Jesus did: resurrection! This changes everything.

It means you are not just church-attender, or Christian, or even disciple. You are Daughter! You are Son! You are his beloved. You are highly favoured.

This also means, like Jesus, you get to entrust yourself to the Father and only do that which you see and hear him doing.

That’s the favour adventure you get to go on from here. As his precious-one, you get to live in the land of opportunity.

As beloved sons and daughters, you are also the King’s men and women, released to bring change simply through the favour you carry.

Favoured!

Flavouring!

What a calling. What a privilege.