THE PRODIGAL'S FATHER

The parable of the Prodigal Son is a story about God’s redemptive grace and mercy and of His unconditional love and forgiveness to His children. In the story the Prodigal Son, the father also played an important role, for the father represents God the Father, in how God’s love for us goes beyond the boundaries of how we treat Him. The father’s heart was broken as his son chose to throw his life and future away on what the father knew was a decision that his young son had made in his flesh. Luke 15:11 speaks of the son’s request for his part of his future inheritance. Can you envision the disappointment of this father? He had worked hard all his life to build up a future for his family and had hope to be able to turn over the family business to them one day when he was at the right age to retire. But, because of his son’s uncalculated  decision, there they were, in the most heartbreaking situation a parent could be. A situation that could destroy any hopes of the future that the father had planned, dreamed and worked so hard to attain for his sons. There his youngest son was, asking for his inheritance before it was time. An inheritance that had not been earned, but yet had been promised and provided, by a loving father. The father could have refuse him, but that is not what happened. While, no doubt those thoughts went through his mind of saying no. His young son may go away on his own, destitute and bound for disaster, but he loved him and knew that sometimes a child must learn through those hard times and making by mistakes, they simply learn the right way to go. So, after weighing the advantages and disadvantages like any wise father, he calculated what was his son’s part was, and gave him the value of it, all the time, hoping and praying in his heart that the son would reconsider before he regretted what he was about to do. But he did not reconsider, Luke 15:13 says,  “And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.” Towards the end of the story, the young son had a change of heart and mind and came back to his rightful place in his home amongst his family. He returned to the father begging for his forgiveness and acknowledging his sin and wrong choices.  He came back with nothing to offer, for he had squandered his entire inheritance yet, the father received him with joy and celebration, restoring him to his place in the family. The prodigal’s father had been watching and waiting for his son to return. Day after day, he watched and he waited and on the day that the father saw his son approaching, (indicating that he had been watching for him), he ran to him and embraced him with open arms. He did not wait for the son to get to the front yard, but far off he saw his beloved son and took off to go and meet him and bring him back home where he belonged. Just as God the Father does His children when they come back to Him, the prodigal’s father showed that His love was unconditional for his son as well. Like the prodigal’s father, God loves us when we have wondered off to the far country of wrongdoing. Like the prodigal’s father, God accepts us back into the family and restores us to our position in the body of Christ. The prodigal son’s father wanted the rest of his family to be happy as well. He even told his older son in Luke 15:32 “…this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found”. God too wants His children to be happy when our spiritual siblings return from the far place. Like the Prodigal’s brother, I wonder if God’s children respond in the same way as did the Prodigal’s brother?

 

Hold Fast,

Bren