Yesterday was Father’s Day and many of us called our dad or had lunch with him or at least sent a card to him with a Home Depot gift card in it. All of us have a father.
Yesterday was also Sunday when believers gather in one place to worship our Heavenly Father and thank Him for all He has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus entire ministry was working to tell the world how incredible that Father truly is. Jesus’ whole life was spent pointing people to the Father. So it’s no surprise Jesus shows us how full of grace and unconditional love our Father is as Jesus tells stories in Luke 15.
While the Pharisees are upset that it appears Jesus is condoning sin by eating with sinners and tax collectors, Jesus reminds us our Heavenly Father is too busy rejoicing over found coins, found sheep and found kids to worry about what they were doing while they were lost.
See, Jesus tells the story of young son who wanted his inheritance from his dad before the dad died. Amazingly, the dad grants his half to him and the son goes away to the big city where he blows his entire bank account on worldly living. Sleeping in the day and partying at night with conditional friends who love the son as long as there is money. After weeks of the party life, spending money on drinking, drugs and women, the money runs out and then the friends do as well. In addition, there is a famine in the land.
So with no money and no friends; no place to stay and nothing to his name, the young son finds a job at a pig farm, slopping the hogs. Every day, he’s in the pig pen, in the mud, in the feces, in the stink and longing to eat what the pigs are eating. Until one day, he comes to his senses. He says, “I can go home and just ask dad if I can be a servant. Even the servants have food to eat.” So he begins the long walk of shame home.
But we discover the dad has been watching for his son every day. And one day, he sees his son in the distance so the dad runs down the road to meet him. While the son is trying to get the words out about being a servant, the dad says, “Bring a new robe, the family ring, new sandals and start cooking. Welcome home, my son.”
Now while Jesus reveals how wonderful it could be for prodigals to come home, it’s disturbing. Because most of us want our pound of flesh. Most of us want the sinner to come home but groveling on their knees, not to a party. And the young son has spent his half of the inheritance so he’s coming home to live off his brother’s half.
Big brother comes home to find the party and is irrate! “I’ve been here working the whole time and you never threw a party for me,” he says. And in the moment, dad realizes he’s lost both sons, one to a life of reckless abandonment and another to angry self-righteousness.
See, what the older son doesn’t realize is that dad does love them both but not because of what they deserve. He loves them both because that’s just who he is. See this father is a prodigal too who never tires of giving his love away.
We all are so blessed to have a Father who loves us unconditionally. When you decide to come home, he doesn’t remember what you’ve done but just loves on you. So if you are looking for peace in your life…if you are looking for a father to hold you close unconditionally…if you are looking for permission to leave behind the shame and guilt of your past mistakes, then say “yes” to Jesus and come home. Making Jesus Lord of your life will allow you to drop the baggage and embrace a totally new and wonderful life. Blessings on your journey.