April 7
2019
The Love of the Father
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ‘And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; ‘for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. Luke 15:20-24
This son asked for his inheritance early, left home, squandered all he had and finally came to a place where he realized even his father’s servants were treated better than the situation he found himself in. He determined he would return home, apologize to his father and hope that his father would take him on as a servant.
What he didn’t understand was the love of his father for him.
This father pined for his son.
We are told, “but when he was still a great way off, his father saw him.”
That means the father had been watching for him.
The father had “compassion”; when he saw the son’s condition he didn’t condemn and judge, he felt compassion for him.
Then the father “ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”
This was a culture in which it would have been considered very undignified for the father to hitch up his robe and run.
And yet, the father did just that.
He ran to his son and then loved on him.
The father accepted the son’s apology but not his solution to the situation.
The father took him back as a full son and celebrated his return. This father is a mirror of our heavenly father.
He waits for our return, watches for us from afar off, has compassion on us in the situations we find ourselves in, runs toward us, loves on us, presents much more positive solutions to our issues, and celebrates our return.
The Father is waiting for us even now to return to Him.
He is watching for us and has the party already planned.
Question for Discussion:
How does the story of the father and the son make you feel? Have you ever felt like this son coming back to the father? What was your experience like?