father’ s mind, the son has been restored to his original right standing as his son. Witter sums up that“ from the father’ s perspective, there was no condemnation, only unconditional love and compassion toward his son. He ran toward him and embraced him and kissed him fervently, which must have shocked the son.” In the father’ s mind, the son’ s position was never negated in the first place, even though the son had thought he had lost his sonship. The father’ s“ focus was not on reprimanding him for wasting his inheritance, but rather on reminding him of who he was, and restoring him to the honored position as his son”, explains Witter. The father declared his son restored!
The father’ s passion for his son’ s return is obvious. The Message version of the Bible in Luke 15:20-24 concludes:
“ When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son stated his speech:‘ Father, I’ ve sinned against God, I’ ve sinned before you; I don’ t deserve to be called your son ever again.’ But the father wasn’ t listening. He was calling to the servants,‘ Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’ re going to feast! We’ re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here— given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time.”
God is not obsessed with do’ s and don’ ts, rights and wrongs. Nor is He a dictator standing idly by with crossed arms watching humanity writhe because of their lack of perspective and mistakes. The wayward son tangibly received love and acceptance from his father through smiles, affection, and gifts. Perhaps the parable of the prodigal son is misnamed. With an enlightened shift of thinking, the parable could be called: the parable of the loving father. God has humanity’ s best interest in mind.
Yet people try to fill their lives by self-medicating themselves with addictive or compulsive behaviors, numbing both emotions and life, instead of depending on God’ s love relationship. These forms of self-dependence are a counterfeit to God’ s Love, which delivers peace and acceptance that every person craves. Hurtful addictions sedate the writhing, internal pain of emptiness that is so big on the inside that it threatens to violently burst the body from the inside out. Jesus understands. Only a relationship with Jesus fills the ache and replaces the hurtful addiction. All other remedies are temporary bandages on the wound that continues to fester. Only Jesus is the True Healer. He takes humanity as we are and loves us through life’ s hellacious hurts and broken bones.
God’ s compassion on His creation is evident in the passage of the Bible found in Jeremiah 29:11 in the Message version which states,“ I know what I’ m doing. I have it all planned out--plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” How is this possible? It is difficult
40 HimPower October 2016