“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” Luke 15:20.
“Ruth Bell Graham, the wife of evangelist Billy Graham, has often shared the story of their once rebellious son Franklin. During his wildest teenage years Ruth, a worried mother, wrote in her journal: ‘Every time I pray especially for him God says: Love him…Which seems odd because I love every bone of him. But God means show it. Let him in on the fact. Enjoy him. You think he’s the greatest. Let him know you think so.’” Life Lessons from Women in the Bible, Rhonda Herrington Kelley, p. 70. I know that many of you who are reading this are painfully aware of living and watching this parable play out in reality. Some of you have teens that are rebellious while others of you have adults who wear the title of prodigal. I remember myself years ago vacuuming the floors as tears flooded down my face. I was lamenting to God in remorse telling Him how sorry I was that I had not been the kind of mother to prevent what was happening with my child. There have been only 2 or 3 times in my life when I believe I audibly heard the Lord, and this was one of them. I felt He said, ‘Brenda, this is not your sin to reconcile. Your job is to love your child…be there for your child…pray for your child. The rest is up to Me.’ In that moment, God gave me the best gifts…peace, a plan and a promise.
When I read this verse this morning certain words stood out… ‘But while…his father…filled with compassion…ran…’ Suddenly another verse came to mind: ‘But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners [still a long way off], Christ died for us.’ Romans 5:8. Christ had to take on our sin so we could take on His righteousness. He had to become the sacrifice for our prodigal hearts so that our Father could coming running to us in His compassion. In order to have reconciliation with each of us God had to briefly look away from His own Son’s suffering so we can all be called sons and daughters eternally. I can’t even wrap my mind around how fast God ran to meet Jesus at the gate. In one hand He held a crown and in the other a royal robe. I’ll just bet those beautiful eternal words that we hear at celebration of life ceremonies were first coined when God laid eyes on His resurrected Son. ‘He…said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master’ Matthew 25:21. And the party started, and the celebration will never end. When we cross over into our Father’s kingdom, He will come running towards us and our faith will become our sight. And just like that, what we knew in part will be fully known!
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