"I don't care what you've become! I don't care what you've done! My son has paid for it all on the cross. Now, come home!" ...God.
That's the Good News that our Creator promises us!
Regardless of how much you've ruined your life. Regardless of the scars that will never be removed because of the sins in your life. Regardless of how you might have been hurt by fake Christians. I say to you:
"I serve a living God! Who has sent us a living Savior! And he calls all men to turn from their sins and come back to him. Those who come to him, he will not cast out. Trust in Christ! He is such a Savior! He is mighty to save! Don't let anything stand between you and coming to know him. God is love! And he has provided a Savior! And if you don't come to him, the fault will be yours."
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The repentant son, thought lost forever, and the father, full of forgiveness.
Our Heavenly Father is waiting for you with open arms. And he's pleading for you to come to him. How can I know that? Because Jesus promised that in the Bible:
Scripture Reference: Luke 15:11-32
The Prodigal Son, also known as the Parable of the Lost Son:
Jesus is responding to the Pharisees' complaint: "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
Jesus tells the story of a man who has two sons. The younger son asks his father to give him his portion of the family estate as an early inheritance. Once received, the son promptly sets off on a long journey to a distant land and begins to waste his fortune on wild living. When the money runs out, a severe famine hits the country and the son finds himself in dire circumstances. He takes a job feeding pigs. He is so destitute that he even longs to eat the food assigned to the pigs.
The young man finally comes to his senses, remembering his father. In humility, he recognizes his foolishness, decides to return to his father and ask for forgiveness and mercy. The father who had been watching and waiting, receives his son back with open arms of compassion. He is overjoyed by the return of his lost son! Immediately the father turns to his servants and asks them to prepare a giant feast in celebration.
Meanwhile, the older son is not one bit happy when he comes in from working the fields and discovers a party going on to celebrate his younger brother's return. The father tries to dissuade the older brother from his jealous rage, explaining, "You are always with me, and everything I have is yours."
Commentary and Life Lessons:
- Typically, a son would receive his inheritance at the time of his father's death. The fact that the younger brother instigated the early division of the family estate showed a rebellious and wanton disregard for his father's authority, not to mention a selfish and immature attitude.
- Pigs were unclean animals. Jews were not even allowed to touch pigs. When the son took a job feeding pigs, even longing for their food to fill his belly, it reveals that he had fallen as low as he could possibly go. This son represents a person living in rebellion to God. Sometimes we have to hit rock-bottom before we come to our senses and recognize our sin.
- The father is a picture of the Heavenly Father. God waits patiently, with loving compassion to restore us when we return to him with humble hearts. He offers us everything in his kingdom, restoring full relationship with joyful celebration. He doesn't even dwell on our past waywardness.
- We see that the older son is clearly a picture of the Pharisees. In their self-righteousness, they have forgotten to rejoice when a sinner returns to God. Bitterness and resentment keeps the older son from forgiving his younger brother. It blinds him to the treasure he freely enjoys through constant relationship with the father.
Sons and Daughters,
It doesn't matter how far you wander from me in this world, what detours you take, how many mistakes you make or how badly you mess up.
When you return, I run to you with open arms, ready to welcome you home.
-- Your Daddy
