It’s Fathers Day weekend, so what better time to talk about a father’s love?
In my mind, one of the best parables in the Bible is that of the Loving Father. I prefer this title to the Parable of the Prodigal Son because, to me, this story is more about the father than the son.
As Jesus tells it, a father decides to offer an inheritance to his two sons, so that he could see them enjoy it while he is still alive. His younger son has a different idea, however; he accepts the inheritance, moves away from his family and fritters away all the money on wild living.
Before long, the younger son is dead broke and starving. He laments the fact that he must return home in shame, to a father who might be terribly disappointed, angry even. His father had every right to be upset.
But, like our Heavenly Father, he was waiting for his son with arms wide open.
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.'”
Luke 15:20-21
This is such a beautiful story, because it speaks to the character of God in terms that we can understand. Our God is full of love and compassion; we, like the younger son, are never too far from God to be welcomed back with open arms.
It’s also a story that leaves many of us feeling empathy for the minor character in the parable, the older son. The one who stayed home to work, to take care of the family; the one who didn’t blow all dad’s money partying.
We understand the anger of the older son; I suspect most of us would feel similarly. We have a hard time wrapping our minds around this type of love, what we call unrequited love — the toughest of them all. It’s the “no matter what” kind of love. It’s the love that you offer another who doesn’t always love you back.
This is the type of love that I didn’t fully understand until I became a parent. It is love that, as Paul wrote in Corinthians, “never gives up” or, from another translation, “bears all things.”
So, let’s take some time to fully embrace the incredible love God the Father has for us. And, in that same vein, let us be thankful for the father figures in our lives who love us unconditionally and will always welcome us back even when we have lost our way.
Happy Father’s Day, everyone!
The Pipe 