The Loving Father

Irene Eliana Setiabudi Jefrey Sobreira Santos Lets open our Bibles in Luke 15 and start reading from the verse 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.
11

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.
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This story, told by Christ to His followers, is commonly known as Parable of the Prodigal Son. The word Prodigal means wasteful. But whats highlighted in this story arent the wastes of the son, but the way how his father accepted him, with love, back to home. Therefore, some researchers prefer to call this as Parable of the Loving Father. Some go further and say that its the worlds best story. The verses weve just read show the rebellion of a son who required from the father all the heritage that he had rights (1/3 of the fathers properties), converted everything into money and go away, to a far place. In there he spend everything that he has. Necessiting, he starts working with something forbidden by the Jews law: feeding pigs, and thought also about eating with the pigs food. We can see that the father didnt resist when his son asked for his heritage. The father knew that the son needed to learn, even if in a hard way. So, he allowed his son to go. Nowadays, although the moment when the son leave his parents home is a great step in getting bigger responsabilities for the sons adult life, its also a hard moment, whether for sons, whether for parents.After all, the parents try to understand that the child who they hold on lap some time ago got bigger and is now responsible, and doesnt need them as they needed before. But, for the father of our story, the situation would be even sadder, because any contact possibility between the son and the family would be hard, or even impossible, because he was too far. Lets continue reading our story.

When he came to his senses, he said, How many of my fathers 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.
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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. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
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In this verses, we see that the son acknowledged his mistakes and humbled himself to his father, asking him to treat as an employer. Paid employers usually had a harder life than slaves, because slaves were often treated like family members, receiving house and food, while employers could lose their jobs in any time. The verse 17 starts saying When he came to his senses. Thats where the conversion had started. The expression treat me from the verse 19 remember us about the give me told in the verse 12. What started with an exigency ended with a humble prayer. We also see that the father waited anxiously, so that when saw his son very far, ran to his direction, with compassion. Finally, the son confess: Father, Ive sinned. To recognize his sins, the son had to be in a miserable status. Perhaps the father already knew that it would can happen, but believed that his son would never understand if didnt see with his own eyes. Lets continue reading until the verse 24. 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. Lets 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.
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To wear someone with the best clothing meant he was a guest of honor. The ring meant authority. The sandals distinguished from the slaves, being also the symbol of freedom. The fattened calf was specially separated for feeding a honor guest fastly when he arrived. The father finishes saying to celebrate. Our celestial Father also misses us when were far, and wait anxiously for our return, always ready to offer to us his pardon. In this story, Christ showed to us that when were far from the Father, were not conscious about what we do, and were not ourselves. We only go back to ourselves when take the way back. I need to come to my senses and review the way that Im living, in order to look to Christ and follow his example.

A famous Brazilian writer called Coelho Neto said, someday: A father, even the poorest, always has a treasure to leave to his children. In this phrase, the writer said about something that our fathers must have to offer to us: the example. But we also know that our celestial Father has too much to offer for us. Someday, Abraham Lincoln, ex-president of the United States, when questioned about how would treat the rebels from the south after winning them and joining them to US, said: Ill treat them as if they never rebelled. It bucked all the expectations for a revenge action. When the son arrived in the fathers house, the father forgave him. When we go back to our Fathers house, He not just forgive us, but also forget all our faults, doesnt matters what was it. Coming to ourselves and contemplating to God is the most valuable moment for our regret and return to Him. The lost son didnt stop before arriving in his house. The regretted sinner leaves the enemys bandages and lushes, going back to the Lord by praying, even with his weakness. The Lord, quickly, goes to meeting His lost son. The reception of that son is also celebrated by all the heaven, as the verse 7 of the same chapter we read today tells to us. We wear the mantle of justice from the Savior and receive that divine precious grace, which is the pardon. Doesnt matter how far we are. God will be always ready to receive us back. Keywords for pray: Help us in coming to ourselves Make us recognize that were nothing without Christ Forgive our sins