Return Home...All is Forgiven

By Rev. Craig A. Brown

Luke 15:11-17 (NASV) reads, "So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”

Father's Day, in some situations, is a most difficult holiday to celebrate. Some have lost their fathers to the vices of this world: physical abuse, mental abuse, death. Or some fathers may have just simply chosen to walk away. Then there are others who had it all. They had the security of a stable home and strong father, yet they also chose to walk away to chase the titillating vices of this world.

The younger son in our story had the security of a stable environment. His needs and wants were readily met, yet he chose to leave. By asking his father for his inheritance, he reckoned his father to be dead! After receiving his money, he set out on his journey of independence. He fully engaged himself in activities his money afforded his flesh to enjoy until he became unconscious. 

While in an unconscious state, he lowered himself to the level of brutes. Sin caused him to play the role of a madman. He became demented and injured himself. He did for his soul what those possessed of devils in our Savior's time did to their bodies: they wounded and cut themselves with knives.

After he came to himself, two facts became clear: 1) There’s plenty in my father’s house; and 2) I’m famished!  Not knowing for sure what his father’s reaction would be, broke, ego bruised and with the stench of his bad decisions all over him, he began the long trek home.

There's a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday, 800 men named Paco showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their father.

Your earthly father isn’t perfect. Sometimes in trying to make the right decision, he unfortunately makes the wrong decision.  His words may not have been tempered with grace, but his heart was right toward you. Even if he purposefully wronged you, seek an occasion to extend your hand toward him and begin the process of restoration.    

If you’ve walked away from fellowship with your heavenly father, he will forgive you of all your sins.  He will kiss you while the taste of sin is still on your lips.  He will hug you while the scent of sin is all over you and the weight of it is pulling you down. If you limp toward him, he will run toward you. He sees through the rags on your body, the filth on your hands and feet. He sees you in the future, and you look much better than you look right now. The hand of the divine Physician will touch your fevered brow of sin and make you whole. God will swiftly fly in the greatness of his compassion to meet you. Return home. All is forgiven.

Have a Purpose-Driven Day. P.S. Always remember … Worship is a lifestyle, not a momentary experience.