The Loving Father

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The Loving Father

The Loving Father


"The older son was in the field. He came closer to the house.
He heard the sound of music and dancing. So the older son
called to one of the servant boys and asked, 'What does all
this mean?' The servant said, 'Your brother has come back.
Your father killed the fat calf to eat. Your father is happy
because your brother came home safely!' The older son was
angry and would not go in to the party. So his father went
out to ask him to come in. The son said to his father, 'I
have served you like a slave for many years! I have always
obeyed your commands. But you never killed even a goat for
me! You never gave a party for me and my friends. But your
other son has wasted all your money on prostitutes. Then he
comes home, and you kill the fat calf for him!'"

-- Luke 15:25-30 (ERV)


KEY THOUGHT:
There is no doubt that the behavior of the older son is horrible and
selfish. "I've been working hard (lit. "slaving") for you all these
years ..." reveals his attitude about his service to his father. He
doesn't see what the younger son has discovered; it is better to be a
slave in the father's house than to be without the father! What is
amazing is the grace of the father. He loves both sons. He has given
the inheritance to both sons. So he does what a father would have never
been expected to do in that day: he goes out to console his pouting and
selfish son and invite him to the banquet. Jesus' point is that our
Heavenly Father doesn't want any child to be lost -- not the rebellious
child and not the self-righteous child. The bottom line is that the
Father loves each and every one of us and wants us all to be a part of
his celebration of grace no matter the place we are now!
 
The older son is legalistic in his thought and expects his Father to react to him based soley on his efforts. It is indeed the heart that the Father treasures most- an act of obediance with the wrong motive never pleases the Father. Doing His will out of love for Him has always been His hearts desire for us.
 
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