Welcome Back – Susan Ferguson
Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:23-24 NIV)
Family problems are nothing new, as seen in Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), a story about a father and his two sons. The rebellious younger son demanded his inheritance, moved to a distant land, wasted his wealth on wild living, and ended up working in the fields feeding pigs. He finally came to his senses and decided to return home, beg for his father’s forgiveness, and work as a hired servant. On his way home, his father saw him coming, and he ran to him, embraced him, and kissed him. The son confessed his sin and unworthiness, and the father ordered him the finest robe, a jeweled ring, sandals, and then called for a great feast.
Now the older son was unhappy about the feast and refused to attend it. He thought it was unfair that he had obeyed his father’s orders and worked like a slave, yet his father had never thrown him a party. The gracious father said, “My son, everything I have is yours. But it is right to celebrate, for your brother was lost and now is found.”
The Prodigal Son is a moving story of repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. If you have ever doubted God’s love, or if you have sinned or strayed, and you think He is mad at you, take a close look at this story and see the very heart of God. The father running to his son to welcome him back beautifully illustrates God’s unfailing love, grace, and forgiveness.
Today’s freelance writer lives in Madison, MS. Contact |
