The Prodigal Father

Fourth in a series on the matchless love of God.

“Mom, can I come home? I’m kinda messed up . . . I need to come home . . . pleeeease?” My heart broke yet again as I listened to my 20-year-old prodigal son on the phone, calling from Northern California. Word had come to me that he had been drinking heavily, and that there was drug use as well—I didn’t know how much, and I didn’t know the extent of
things, but my boy sounded bad. ‘Come home?’ Of course, but I was scared. Nonetheless, I headed out the door to purchase three distinct items: a ring, a pair of sandals, and a robe to welcome him home. It
turns out that ‘messed up’ was a serious understatement, and I needed
to ready myself to nurse his skinny, drug-ravaged body back to health.

In the familiar story Jesus told to illustrate the great love of God, we turn to consider the third figure in the Prodigal Son parable, the father. Because I have been in his shoes, I can picture him watching and waiting. His heart was filled with anxious emotion, the culmination of many months of worry over his son who was lost to the world. (Oh, I knew his pain--I
can even remember sitting in church one day, and I looked to see if the
person on my left, and then on my right, could hear the pain of my breaking heart. Of course, they didn’t seem to notice.)

“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him . . . the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we will celebrate by having a feast, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to
life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.” From Luke 15

The father that Jesus described is our Heavenly Father, whose love for us knows no bounds. Infinite compassion, unconditional love, everlasting forgiveness – these are divine realities, emanating from a Father who is the creator of the universe …
‘O Lord, please open the eyes of our hearts, open our minds so we might
begin to grasp your love for us! For in your love is our completeness, precious Father. Amen’

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!1 I seem to like anything that is lavished!--you know, whipped cream, ice cream, good-smelling body lotions, encouragement, etc. Yet God uses that rich word to describe how he loves us…he lavishes his love on us. That is beyond wonderful.

And we know and rely on the love God has for us.2 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.3 Nothing can separate us from God’s love . . . however, we allow man-made barriers to be erected, and then we do not feel his love. Things like:

>falling prey to busy-ness, whereas we are told, “Be still, and know that I am God.”4 Noise, constant motion, and rushing about do not lend themselves to resting in God’s love. “Come unto Me,” Jesus said, “and I will give you rest.”5 Ah, the beautiful invitation of our God. “He makes us lie down in green pastures . . . he restores our soul.”6

>forays into sin – In contrast, we are to abide in him-- “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”7 Knowingly walking into sin creates a felt barrier between us and God.

>believing the lies of the enemy –There is the cloak of guilt he likes to keep us under, when in reality, our Father, is the loving, watching, waiting father ready to embrace and
forgive his wayward children, setting us free from guilt and shame. There
are lies that have been told to us by other people—about ourselves and
maybe about God, too, that keep us from him: Christians hurting other
Christians or would-be believers. These keep us from knowing God’s love, and even as I type those words, my heart aches about this travesty. ‘O
God, forgive us for hypocrisy, being merciless, or lacking compassion;
forgive us for hurting others through our judgmental thinking. O God, may it not be that we would keep others from knowing your matchless love! Amen’

Yes, the Father’s love is one of mercy, forgiveness, grace, truth, joy, and compassion. Without experiencing it, we will look our whole lives for it. But when we find God’s love, when we discover the depths of its treasure, we will mine it like gold, and let it change us.

Christine