The parable of the prodigal son has been a significant source of encouragement for me over the past few years. A close friend made reference to the passage in a recent conversation about God’s character, and I was moved in a way that I had not been moved in quite a while. I hope that my thoughts might do the same for you.
The parable is found in Luke’s 15th chapter. Jesus tells the story of a younger son who takes his inheritance early and wastes it. Once he’s entirely destitute, and without anywhere else to turn, he decides to return to his father and offer himself as a servant.
The twist is that the father harbors no resentment for the son who was so prideful as to ask for his inheritance early—and then throw it away. Instead, the father has been waiting for him all this time, and is rejoicing at the chance to treat him as a son again. Not as a slave or hired servant, but as his son. “Bring the fattened calf and kill it,” he says, “and let us eat and celebrate.” (ESV, 2016)
Just as the father in the parable was not waiting to pounce on and punish his younger son, God is not looking for opportunities to mire us in guilt. His heart moves toward us, and as soon as we put down our pride and turn to Him we will be embraced.
Reference
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. (2016). Crossway
Bibles.
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