A Father’s Heartache, a Father’s Joy

Jesus Christ’s parable of the prodigal son, recorded in Luke 15, is perhaps the most moving parable He uttered.

A man had two sons, and the younger one asked his father for his inheritance. He didn’t like it at home with Dad and all his “tough rules.” I have to get out of here. I can’t stand the authority and the government, he thought. I want to go out and have a good time! He decided to flee to the world. As any parent can imagine, such rejection and abandonment is devastating.

The heartbroken father in this parable represents God the Father. Throughout history, He has had many prodigal sons who have turned away from Him. This parable helps us understand how God feels about such rejection and how He handles such a painful situation.

This father surely tried to persuade his son not to take such a reckless, self-destructive course. Nevertheless, he did not compel him to stay. Everyone must make his own decisions—and everyone must live with the consequences of those decisions.

God the Father yearns for a close relationship with every one of His sons—but He gives us the choice. He offers real, abundant living—a blessed life, filled with purpose, hope and joy. He shows us the way, then encourages us to choose life. “… I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing,” He says, “therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). God gives us free will, and He leaves that choice to us. He is looking for the same voluntary, heartfelt love and devotion that His Son Jesus Christ shows (John 8:29; 14:31). That is what He wants from every son! Sadly, despite what a wonderful Father He is, such love and devotion are extremely rare.

The son in the parable traveled far away and squandered his wealth on riotous living. Soon he was broke, forced to do hard labor just to survive. He was miserable and starving. It was in these wretched conditions that “he came to himself” (Luke 15:17). He finally realized that his life had become a wreck. He saw the terrible mistakes he had made, and he recognized, for the first time, just how good he had had it and that there was nobody like his father.

He determined to turn things around. He said to himself, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (verses 18-19). This is true of all of us! We are not worthy to be called sons of God!

That trial brought this young man to a sincere repentance. There are times when those who leave God find themselves in trial and trouble. God often uses difficult circumstances to help a son “come to himself” and repent.

If you have found yourself in such a state, the sooner you change course, the better off you will be. As long as you are separated from God’s blessing and protection, your life will only get worse. In fact, Bible prophecy shows that many of God’s sons and daughters are about to be plunged into the Great Tribulation, a time of the worst suffering in human history! Whether or not you believe it, violence is about to overwhelm our cities. Millions of lives will be snuffed out by nuclear weapons—great numbers of people will be taken into concentration camps and death camps! Many prophecies warn of this horror, and it is coming soon.

It is in those woeful conditions that many people will “come to themselves.” They will recognize their rebellion against their loving Father. How tragic that it will take such extreme trial to get through to them! Nevertheless, it will bring them to sincere repentance, like the prodigal son.

The father in this parable clearly loved his son—and, despite the son’s betrayal, never stopped loving him. He mourned his departure and feared he would never see him again. As he walked his land each day, he regularly scanned the horizon, hopeful for any sign of the young man’s return.

Finally, that day came. The father glimpsed the figure of his lost son “a great way off” (verse 20). His heart began beating faster. Suddenly flooded with emotion, he ran to his son! The closer he got, the clearer he could see the young man’s broken, emaciated state—but he was alive! The moment he reached him, the father embraced and kissed his son! He was overwhelmed with joy! The fact that his son had returned indicated his repentant spirit, and the father, filled with compassion, was eager to forgive.

The son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son” (verse 21). The father didn’t even answer. He simply told his servants, “Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (verses 22-24).

This is a type of God the Father! This father didn’t act like a worldly father and say, Didn’t I tell you that you were wrecking your life? He saw his son returning in repentance, and he ran to him and showered kisses on him! He was so thankful to have him back home with the family! They had a great feast because the father was so happy.

This father responded exactly the way God the Father responds to anyone who leaves His Church and then returns to Him in repentance! Our Father is profoundly moved by a son who repents, who has an attitude of, I’ll be a hired servant—I’ll do anything. I’m just so thankful I can come back to your love and your mercy. I’m so thankful for your kisses and hugs because you are my Father! The Father is waiting with open arms! That is the way He is; that is the depth of His love. He is a Father!

Yes, God is a loving Father! He is not like a father—He is the ultimate Father!

The parable of the prodigal son is the third of three parables recorded in Luke 15. In the first, the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus Christ said, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance” (verse 7). When you repent, you really fill God with excitement and joy! You can affect God’s feelings and His happiness simply by repenting when you need to repent! Your Father loves you so much.

The book you are now reading is addressed, in large part, to God’s prodigal sons—of whom there are many in this final era of God’s Church in this age of man, called the Laodicean era in Revelation 3:14-22.

If you have fallen away from God, know that God loves you and has not given up on you! He is longing for the day when you will come to yourself, repent, and make your way back to Him. He is watching the horizon for any sign of your return! Don’t delay. Humble yourself and go to Him so you can be reunited and once again enjoy His blessing and favor.

Christ’s parable continued. The man’s other son became upset at the celebration being held for his once wayward brother. He angrily stayed away from the festivities (Luke 15:25-28). This part of the parable also teaches us about the love of God the Father.

The attentive father noticed and sought his older son out. He perceived there was a problem and “intreated” him. The Greek word parakaleo means to call to one’s side; to speak to in exhortation or comfort; to beg or beseech; to strive to appease by entreaty; to console, encourage and strengthen. This man didn’t demand, “You get in here and welcome your brother!” He said, Son, what’s wrong? I can tell something is bothering you. Let me help you. This is a joyous time, and I want you to be able to share in it. He gave him an opportunity to express his frustration.

The son told his father frankly, “Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf” (verses 29-30). This son didn’t react to repentance the way God does.

How did the father respond? He said, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine” (verse 31). What profound love the father expressed! This son wasn’t being rebellious; he had simply lost some perspective and needed to change his attitude. His father helped him through, comforting and entreating him.

This is God the Father talking: You are ever with me, and all that I have is yours! The Father gives His faithful children everything! Many scriptures show that the inheritance God has reserved for those who remain faithful during this Laodicean era—and those who repent before Christ’s Second Coming—is truly staggering! We will “inherit all things” (Revelation 21:7)—all that the Father has to give! And He keeps us “ever with Him,” in the most intimate relationship, teaching us, comforting and entreating us, helping us overcome and grow.

This book is also for God’s faithful sons. We need to open ourselves up completely to our Father and listen and respond to His guidance and correction.

We all need to study and appreciate and emulate the wonderful qualities of our heavenly Father. God is love (1 John 4:8). He looks for the best in His children. He bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). He wants the best for us. He wants to see us prosper and succeed. He wants to give to us; He truly is a generous giver! He wants to be a helper of our joy. God the Father yearns to draw His children into the closest relationship with Him. And He is perfect. He said, If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more do I, in whom there is no evil? (Matthew 7:11). God gave us the most precious thing possible: His own Son to pay for our sins so that when we repent and accept that sacrifice, He can open up His Family to us!

We must all come to think much more like our loving, perfect Father God.

Where we have gone off track, we need to be humble and contrite, repentant and obedient. Where we are selfish and small-minded, we need to grow in compassion and mercy, generosity and love.

It is my sincere prayer that this book helps many lost prodigal sons to be found—and many sons who are spiritually dead to be brought to life again!