GOD'S GREAT CONFIDENCE
But while he was still a long way off his father saw him, and his heart went out to him. He ran to meet him, flung his arms around him, and kissed him. Luke 15:20, N.E.B.
Sheila's mother's eyes were wide open as she lay in the darkness. At every new sound she held her breath and listened. The time was well past midnight, the weather was cold and rain was falling. Finally she arose, wrapped her bathrobe closely around her, and took up a position at the front room window. Straining her eyes into the darkness, she sat watching for her tardy teenage daughter.
Long ago a father watched for his wayward son, a son who had left for more than a night out on the town. In fact, he had asked for his inheritance and, upon receiving it, had left the country. It is doubtful that his father had even heard anything from him since then. Though our text does not actually say that the father was watching, we know that he was by the description of what happened. "While he was still a long way off his father saw him." In the context of the story, there is only one reason for his father to be looking "a long way off."
Why did the father keep watching? Hope and love, of course, made him scan the horizon day after day. However, I believe there was something more: a sureness, a confidence born of knowing that he had dealt well with his son, and the faith that his son would someday remember his father's goodness and come home. And remember he did! Only he underestimated it! Perhaps if he had fully comprehended his father's virtues, he would not have left in the first place.
Dear reader, in this touching parable we have a picture of our heavenly Father that should both comfort and delight our hearts! We can safely surmise that God knows His goodness has power to draw us back to Himself; He need not threaten to yank us back by the scruff of our necks. In His very act of watching for us He reveals His faith in us that, given a chance to "come to our senses"--and in the parable that happened when the son began to think correctly about his father!--we will gladly return to Him.
Like the prodigal son, in returning to God, we find that He runs out to meet us with acceptance--with a crown!
But while he was still a long way off his father saw him, and his heart went out to him. He ran to meet him, flung his arms around him, and kissed him. Luke 15:20, N.E.B.
Sheila's mother's eyes were wide open as she lay in the darkness. At every new sound she held her breath and listened. The time was well past midnight, the weather was cold and rain was falling. Finally she arose, wrapped her bathrobe closely around her, and took up a position at the front room window. Straining her eyes into the darkness, she sat watching for her tardy teenage daughter.
Long ago a father watched for his wayward son, a son who had left for more than a night out on the town. In fact, he had asked for his inheritance and, upon receiving it, had left the country. It is doubtful that his father had even heard anything from him since then. Though our text does not actually say that the father was watching, we know that he was by the description of what happened. "While he was still a long way off his father saw him." In the context of the story, there is only one reason for his father to be looking "a long way off."
Why did the father keep watching? Hope and love, of course, made him scan the horizon day after day. However, I believe there was something more: a sureness, a confidence born of knowing that he had dealt well with his son, and the faith that his son would someday remember his father's goodness and come home. And remember he did! Only he underestimated it! Perhaps if he had fully comprehended his father's virtues, he would not have left in the first place.
Dear reader, in this touching parable we have a picture of our heavenly Father that should both comfort and delight our hearts! We can safely surmise that God knows His goodness has power to draw us back to Himself; He need not threaten to yank us back by the scruff of our necks. In His very act of watching for us He reveals His faith in us that, given a chance to "come to our senses"--and in the parable that happened when the son began to think correctly about his father!--we will gladly return to Him.
Like the prodigal son, in returning to God, we find that He runs out to meet us with acceptance--with a crown!
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