Homeward-bound

In Luke 15, Jesus shares three similar parables in response to the Pharisees' criticism of His receiving sinners and eating with them. These three parables portray the three ways Christ seeks and saves the lost. In the parable of the lost sheep, the stubborn animal has run away and is unable to come back to the fold. The shepherd lovingly places His own life at risk to seek and save it. The parable of the coin illustrates what happens when the woman (or the church) misplaces a precious soul and the work that must go into finding that lost treasure once again. But the parable of the "lost son" is a bit different because there is no "seeking." The son decides to return home in the hope that his Father will accept him once again. But if these three parables show how God saves humanity, then the parable of the prodigal must also illustrate a principle of how God works to bring his lost children back.

The prodigal son has something peculiar about him that the previous two lost items did not have. The son had a personal relationship with the Father at one point. He had seen firsthand the Father lovingly provide for all under His care, yet he had chosen to go and "explore" the world outside his Father's home. Unlike in the two previous stories, the Father does not go out to seek His lost son. Instead, the Father relies on the son's memories of His paternal tender, loving character mingled with the dissatisfaction of the world to bring him back home.

"Homeward-bound" seeks to portray the lost son's experience and thought process if this parable had been told in today's world. If you have grown up in the faith or if you've ever had a personal relationship with God and then chosen to go out to the world, you might relate to some of the fears and regrets that cross the son's mind. However, I hope the Father's loving response provides hope for you as it did for me. It does not matter how far you strayed from the path or how you squandered the precious inheritance the Father had given you. He is patiently waiting for you to respond to the memories of love He once showed you. If you return to Him, He will meet you on the way, cleanse you, and restore you! Will you respond to His love?