The Father's Love

 

The Father’s love

 

Familiar with the parable of The Lost Son, also called the Prodigal Son? In Luke 15:11-32 JESUS tells the story of a rich man with two sons, property and slaves. The younger son wants his share of the inheritance at an early age so he can live the good life. As soon as he can he moves to another country and enjoys his leisurely, party lifestyle until a famine hits the land and he runs out of money, he has to get a low paying job feeding pigs. One day he realizes that he could be a servant to his father and have a better lifestyle than his current situation, so he returns home to ask his father’s forgiveness and for a job.

The father, who loves his sons, has been watching every day since his younger son left for his return. One day he sees his son on the road and runs out to meet him, he greets him with a hug and kiss. The son starts asking his father for forgiveness but his father interrupts him and tells his slave to give his son a coat, a ring and shoes. Then he orders his fatted calf to be killed and prepared for a feast to celebrate his son’s return, not just because his son has returned, but because he returned with a repentant, humble heart.

The first born son who would inherit the majority of their father’s property and possessions was in the field overseeing the work when he heard the noise of the celebration. He asked a servant what was going on, when he was told his feelings were hurt and he felt rejected by his father, so he refused to go to the feast. When the father hears that his first born son is not coming to the feast he; like he did for the younger son; goes out to him to plead with him to join the celebration of his brother who had been lost to them as if he was dead but is now returned.

The son argues that his brother has wasted their father’s money to live as he pleased while he had obeyed his father’s wishes, and to make it worse his father had not even given him a goat to be able to party with his friends. The father reminds his son that all he has is the son’s but they had to celebrate his brother’s return because he was no longer lost to the family.

The thing that stands out to me is that the father went out to both his sons to restore them. His humbled and repentant son was glad for the father’s love and acceptance; but the first born son was self important and bitter that his wayward brother was treated as an equal. Our Heavenly Father’s Love is unconditional to all His Children, sinners and saints alike, the key is how we respond, is it about ourself or do we respond based on how we see Our Father deal with others? Do those who have ben saved a long time get jealous of the joy and release of GOD’s SPIRIT in those who are just coming into The Kingdom? Have we been doing the work of The Kingdom so long that we feel it is special to us and we feel rejected when we see new believers moving is ways we never have?

The message of Paul in Philippians is that our salvation is free, but we have to work at it daily to maintain it. In the Kingdom of GOD there is no sitting back and waiting for our reward, we are called and gifted to do the unending work of The Kingdom in the earth until we stand before JESUS! JESUS said several times that, “the first will be last and the last will be first”, do we understand what that means? It’s not about how long but about how obedient!