20 So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
Luke 15:20 (NASB)
When I was younger I made a rather abject mess of my life. To try and turn my life around I decided, without my parent’s input, that I was going to join the United States Marine Corps. I figured I’d let someone else run my life for four years and see if they could do a better job than I had done. The day I signed the paperwork and enlisted I steeled my soul for a battle and sat my parents down to give them the news.
My father is a retired Naval Aviator so I figured he wouldn’t be happy with his son becoming an enlisted Marine. After I broke the news I was met with reverent silence from both my parents.
“So this is what you want to do?” my father asked.
“Yes, it is,” I replied.
“Okay then,” was all I got from both my parents.
Many years later I discovered that after I’d left the kitchen table that night both my parents rejoiced, had a small party, in honor of my making what they thought was the first wise decision of my adult life. I had strayed from the path my parents raised me to follow. I had gone my own way and it had not turned out well. They were happy to see my return to what they considered to be a path of wisdom. That decision turned out to be both formative and beneficial for my life.
My parents didn’t care what I’d done to that point, they were just happy I’d come to my senses. God doesn’t care what you’ve done (or not done) to this point either. Just as with the father in the scripture about the prodigal son, he is waiting to see you come over the hill back to him. He doesn’t care what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or why you haven’t talked to him. He just wants you back.
For those who never left and have been in conversation with God this whole time don’t forget there was a second son in the prodigal story of Luke 15. Verses 29 and 30 of that same chapter are this son who remained behind lamenting his time at home. To see the Father’s response, and possibly God’s response to those of us still ‘at home’ but perhaps complaining, read the last two verses of Luke 15.
The point is, whether you are wandering about trying to make your own way in life without God’s involvement or talk to him every day, he is eager to speak with you. If you’ve been out and about sowing your wild oats so to speak he knows and wants to talk anyway. If you’ve been diligently tending to the word but are still struggling with life and the ‘fairness of it all’ bring those questions to God, he’ll listen. Regardless of where you’ve been, where you are, or where you think you’re going, know that God wants to be a part of that journey. He understands from a heart filled with compassion (Greek found HERE) for his children what you’ve gone through, and he thinks You Are Worthy.
Questions for Reflection
- Why is the word ‘compassion’ used in this scripture and not some other term affection or empathetic emotion?
- Are you the prodigal son squandering the inheritance, the prodigal who already has squandered the inheritance, or the son who stayed at home but is unhappy that he doesn’t yet have his inheritance? Why or why not?
- Is it okay to be upset with the father at being so lavish with the prodigal son when he returns after having wasted all his gifts? Why or why not?
