Think About It!

A couple of weeks ago, my younger daughter asked me to write some devotions for her. What else could I say but yes! Whenever anyone expresses interest in Scripture, I get excited.

Today I sent her a brief one about the prodigal son, probably the most familiar of the three parables recorded by Luke in his gospel, chapter 15. Each day, I told my daughter, I'd talk about one of the characters in it--the father, the younger son, and the older brother.

Anyway, in the first two parables in that chapter, an individual is seen seeking something that was lost (a sheep, a coin). But in the third parable, the father did NOT go seeking his straying son. I wondered why.

I recognize that God is the father in this parable, but why didn't he go after his wandering child? I think of a couple of reasons. First, there is the dignity of a person's choice, his God-given free will, No doubt the father had an idea of what his child would do when he received his inheritance andcprobably warned him, but he let him go without running after him.

Second, there were lessons that the son had to learn--namely,that choices have consequences, and some of those are dreadful. Experience is a hard teacher, but it's a good way to learn that lesson. If the father had shielded his son from this, growth in character would not have occurred.

Third, even though the father didn't seek for his wandering son, he was looking for him. Jesus said that the father saw the son while he was a long way off. Am I reading too much into the parable by suggesting that this was the father's habit--every day, looking for his son to return.

Fourth, and finally, there was great rejoicing at his return--no criticism of his choices no holdng his past against him, no remembering of the evil things that his son did. Just a party, because the wanderer came home. Isn't our God good? How unlike us! How would we respond if a straying church member came to his senses and returned?