“And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey…” (Lk.15: 13)
His son has left! In the two preceding parables, a shepherd loses a lamb, a woman her week’s salary and both stopped what they were doing and began a diligent search for the same until they had found it. Though the Father definitely lost a son, he just could not drop everything and search for him as the others had. The son doesn’t want to be found, the Father can’t physically go out, find him and drag him back against his will. What a dilemma! Love can be unmercifully painful!
A young girl asks her mother…”What’s it like to give birth to a baby?” “You’ll know when the time comes.” Came the reply. A young mother states to her mother… “Mum, I had no idea what you went through for me, until I’ve had my own child. Thank you, I love you Mum!”
Value in relationship carries a huge personal experience price tag. Some things can be taught, some things caught but the truly valuable things of life have to be experienced and sometimes lost to find. What can the Father do? How can he deal with his own emotion?
What can he do? Determine to highly value his son’s relationship non-judgmentally and prioritize it. How can he deal with his own emotions? Put everything he has into making his home a Welcome Place, a place that makes time and listens, a place worth visiting.
Pride is a poor substitute for a loving embrace.
“But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion …” !
Son, you’re always welcome here!
God Bless,
Pastor Paul
