The Heart of a Father
(Luke: 15:20ampsim24)
Pastor Jin, Jae Hyeok
How does God see us? Lets ponder over Gods perspective on us and his heart for us through todays passage, the story of a prodigal son. God shows us his heart through the father, whose son left him and finally returned. What kind of a father is he?
1. He waits for us. As in verse 20, the father saw his son first, not the son him, while the son was still far away. It was because the father had been waiting for him the whole time, not knowing when and where his son would be coming. The father recognized his son at once and ran to him filled with compassion despite his sons scrawny and gaunt appearance because he had kept his eyes on him. This reflects the heart of our God the Father, who looks for us wherever we are and whatever situation we are in.
2. He runs toward us. Seeing his son, the father sympathized with him, ran to him, gave him a big hug, and kissed him. He had hardly seen his son before he stood up and ran to him. The father ran faster than his son walked toward him. At the moment, nothing but his son concerned him. Likewise, we also concern our Father, who runs toward us watching us walk toward Him.
3. He restores us. The prodigal son wanted to kneel and cry out 'I have sinned against heaven and against you,' yet he had scarcely said the first word of this when his father kissed him. He was interested in nothing but his son. There was no asking how or why. Seeing his son kneeling before him, the father asked his servants to bring the best robe for him, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet, dirty and wounded from feeding pigs. He also told them to bring a flattened calf and hold a feast. Then he let his son sit next to him at the center of the feast, saying My son has revived and returned! I have my son back!' This reflects our Father God, who makes us restored in our community. In verse 25, his first son appears. Hearing his younger brother had come back, he became angry and refused to go in. He had worked hard for his father for many years and looked like the so-called model Christian who serves in every part of his church and does his QT everyday. Yet he didnt have his fathers heart, the compassion and love for his brother, which his father had not only for the prodigal son but also for the first son. This is the heart of a father. Its Gods heart for us the prodigal sons out of his house and the working ones in his house. This heart made the father run to his son. The same heart made Jesus Christ lay down all his claims and be crucified. The heart also makes us look to our Father God, who calls us to come back home, where we are restored. The is the heart that our Father God has for the ones who have no hope but Him in this hopeless world. May God bless us to take our first step to Him today!
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.(Lk.15:20)
