The Rejoicing Father

I woke up this morning with rain pattering down and a series of thoughts flooding my mind concerning the Parable of the Prodigal Jesus told in Luke 15.  A young man demanded his share of inheritance before his father's passing, and his father actually agreed to give it to him.  He promptly left home and wasted all his money partying with prostitutes and drinking.  There was a famine in the land and the man found himself in want.  He was reduced to a job of feeding pigs to survive.  When the pig-food began to appeal to his grumbling stomach, he finally came to his senses.  In his poverty and brokenness he hatched a plan in desperation to return home to his father and plead for a job as a servant.  This man knew he had done wrong and had treated his father terribly.  He had wasted his father's money and lived in scandalous rebellion.  It flew in the face of propriety to think he could slink back as a son:  no, he would beg to be a servant.  Perhaps then his father would show pity on him and allow him to stay.

When the destitute young man was even a long way from home, the chain of events which followed showed the son grossly misjudged his father and the depth of his love and forgiveness.  The father saw his son afar off and ran to him.  While the son was stammering out a rehearsed request for the position of a servant to earn acceptance, the father threw his arms around him and kissed him.  He called for his servants to provide rich clothing for his once wayward son, placed a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet.  There were no sharp words of rebuke, no angry stares or silence, no distance:  love, acceptance, and forgiveness spanned the rift.  The son had hoped for food marginally better than what the pigs ate, but the father commanded the fatted calf be slaughtered for the joyous occasion:  his son who was as good as dead had returned! (See Luke 15:18-24)  The son who saw himself as possibly a servant was gladly welcomed by the father as a son.  The illustrates the fact when recognise our unworthiness because of our sin and humble ourselves in returning to God we will be accepted by Him with great rejoicing.

Jesus told this parable to illustrate His previous statement in Luke 15:7, "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."  We have much to learn from the father's response to the change of heart and repentance of his son.  Our natural response when people make mistakes is to take pains to ensure they realise how greatly they have screwed up.  Because we are insecure we might arrange a series of hoops for people to jump through to prove their worthiness for us to accept them again.  We would not imagine putting a ring of value on a son who had spent half our money.  We would not place shoes on the feet which had been so quick to run to evil.  Our natural response to being hurt is to make sure they know how much we have suffered and they should appreciate the great sacrifice it is for us to even consider uniting with them in fellowship, friendship, and as family again.  We see none of this rubbish with the father in the parable, nor our Heavenly Father.  In the pigpen the son realised he had sinned against heaven and against his father.  It took desperation to return to the one he had wronged.  Some do not deem humble repentance enough for the restoration of relationship and celebration.  But God does.

Instead of lamenting the loss of money or the sinful rebellion of the son the father rejoiced when his beloved son returned.  The father did not rejoice because his son was responsible but because he freely chose to return.  The son did not need to prove he was trustworthy but was accepted because his father loved him regardless.  Like the son, we Christians have come to God without demands, realising we have sinned against heaven and others.  Before the Father we have knelt without any rights or claims.  We knew we were not responsible, trustworthy, good, or worthy even to approach the Almighty God in our filthy state.  Yet He has bestowed such love upon us by His grace to celebrate us!  Since God lavishes such love upon us, isn't it fitting we do the same for others?