by R. Douglass Mahaffey
The father of the "Prodigal Son" has always intrigued me. Of course, that father symbolizes our Heavenly Father in the parable, but I also look at him as your every day man that you pass in a grocery store, or in traffic as well. There is something special about him. He doesn't broadcast his accolades all over the streets, you'd never know it if he were a millionaire. He humbles himself. He takes pride in whatever he does, but he doesn't boast with prideful bragging. This is the man that faces the world when he encounters it with his head held high. He finds favor with God.
He also has had his heart ripped out by a boy that he loves more than all his possessions. He doesn't love him more than his other children, but they all have their lives together. This son has asked for his inheritance early, before his father even came close to passing. You'd almost think that the son only loved his father because he had a lot to leave the little twerp. But reluctantly, the father allows the son to learn his lesson the hard way, so that maybe, just maybe he'll appreciate what he is blessed with later in life. Maybe, he'll learn a lesson that will save him from hell later on.
Every morning and every night, that father sits on his front porch watching, waiting, hoping that this will be the day that his son picks himself up out of the ashes, realizes the error of his ways. He cries, but his tears aren't where you can see them. His anger is only fueled by the fact that his son is hurting, but he has brought it upon himself. He makes real sure not to take it out on others. They know he's hurting, but they also know why.
A few of his other children resent the fact that their sibling has caused this hurt upon their father. So they voice their opinion. He rebukes their anger and teaches them through his equal unconditional love for all of his children and makes sure they understand that any of them could have made the same mistake because they all have the same sinful nature. They simply have a better hold on their desires than their brother. But that nature still exists. His love would be the same for all of them. However, one of them still harbors bitterness.
Finally! The day has come. The father sits in his usual spot on the porch that he sits in every morning and every night. He perhaps has a dog next to him to keep him company. As he talks to his dog, he hears footsteps coming down the road. He looks up. He sees a rag-tagged young man walking down the street. He rubs his eyes and squints to see if it is his son. He stands up. He calls his son's name. His son stops and tears well up in his eyes. He stands motionless, awaiting the wrath of his father, who is now running head-long toward his prodigal son. He stops a few steps shy of him, looks him in the eyes and with a huge embrace, he welcomes his son home.
His son pulls away from him, and in the middle of the road, falls down to his knees and tells his father that he is no longer worthy to be called his son. He offers himself as a servant instead. His father bends down, dries the tears in his eyes and picks him up. He takes the ring off of his own finger and puts it on his son's hand. He takes his cloak off of his robe and puts it around his son. He calls for his servants to kill a cow to feast on for his son, who was lost, is now found.
One of his other sons comes to him in indignant anger and tells him that his own brother has no right to be welcomed back in such a fashion. He went off and squandered everything his father had given him and now, his father is having a banquet in his honor. The other son is perplexed at his father's celebration.
The father tells him, "My son, you have served me well while your brother has gone. All that I have is yours. But my other son who was lost, is now found, and all I can do right now is be grateful that he has seen the error of his ways. Come, celebrate with us and welcome your brother home, who once was lost.
Every time a child of God strays off the narrow path, God hurts for us. He waits and he longs for reconciliation. Like the father in the parable, God allows us to make our own decisions whether good or bad. We reap the blessings of the good decisions. The bad ones, we learn lessons from when we finally see the error of our ways. Sometimes, it's the lessons we learn from the bad decisions that makes the blessings we receive from the good ones all the more appreciated. Either way, the one thing that can not be denied is God's undying, equal, unconditional love for those who are His children.
I will leave you with another video of Rich Mullins about the "Prodigal Son".
R. Douglass Mahaffey - Founder and Publisher of The Wise Conservative.
