And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.   Luke 15:20

Recommended Reading: LUKE 15:11-32 –“ ¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ 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.²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

COMMENTS:  The parables Jesus taught, the Beatitudes He gave, the words of instruction and wisdom and insights He gave, and the life He lived and exampled all are revealing new and fresh insights into the nature and character and depth of love God the Father – Son -Holy Ghost all have and share as divine attributes.   Attributes they have in common and attributes they together desire to share and develop in us.  To all willing to receive Christ as their redeemer and advocate and counselor.

The parable of the prodigal son is one such parable.  It is a parable of the prodigal, of his father, and also of his older faithful brother.  The only faultless person in this story is the father.  The younger son was selfish and sinful and abandoned his father.  The older son was faithful in deed to his father but his heart – his soul was corrupted with resentment and hatred and even jealousy for his brother.  Both brothers need their father’s forgiveness and redemption but for different sins.  But the father needed to offer that forgiveness and redemption to teach son and each son needed to seek forgiveness of the father and from each other.   The goal of the father was the redemption of his sons and a restored relationship with both of them but also the redemption of both sons toward each other.  The nature and extent of each’s sins and harm done was not too great for their father to forgive.  But Jesus is also showing us the damage each’s sin did to the father.  Jesus   revealed the perspective of each son toward each other and towards their father but also of the   father towards each of them.   Also revealed was the depth of the father’s love to each son. 

Another key point of this parable is that the offer of forgiveness stayed in force and consistent from the day the prodigal left to the day he returned but the acceptance of his forgiveness (the prodigal’s repentance) was not guaranteed.  Without repentance, forgiveness was not implemented.   Likewise, the older faithful son needed to repent in order to also enjoy and take advantage of forgiveness.    

SO, DO WE!!

Jesus’ compassion was uniform to all, even to Roman soldiers and to religious leaders.   But His compassion was received and enjoyed only by the poor sinful and rejected because they were the ones who believed in Him and His message and accepted His compassion and forgiveness.  There were some exceptions like Nicodemus and the Roman with the servant Jesus healed.   Such examples confirm Jesus’ message was offered to all.   His message and standard were not diminished to prostitutes and other sinners in order to tolerate or condone their sinful behavior.  Neither was it diminished to children.  Jesus loved and showed compassion to sinful people but not acceptance of their sinful behavior.

His example and focus give us some insight as to how we should deal with controversial  issues in our society without being like the pharisees or religious leaders who shunned those they considered unclean or sinful, considering them unworthy and beneath their favors and focus and time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Jesus proclaims His desire that no one should perish. As Christians, we not only receive Christ’s compassion for ourselves, but we also get to share it with the world through our actions and words, inviting others to experience Christ for themselves. Who will you show compassion to today?

No matter how low down you are; no matter what your disposition has been; you may be low in your thoughts, words, and actions; you may be selfish; your heart may be overflowing with corruption and wickedness; yet Jesus will have compassion upon you.  Dwight L. Moody

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