Luke 15:17-20
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Quickword: A Father’s Love
On this Father’s Day, i‘m drawn to the very familiar passage known as the prodigal son. Today, I simply want to pay attention to the actions of a Father when his son returns home. You know the story, the younger son asked his father for his inheritance and goes to a foreign land. It is in this foreign land that the son spends all of his inheritance and finds himself having to work feeding pigs, His circumstances are so bad that it is to the point that he longed to eat the pods that the pigs were eating. The young man comes to his senses and makes his way back home to hire himself out to his father. Yet when the Father sees him at a distance, we become witness of a Father’s Love. When a Father loves:
- He sees his children even at a distance
- He sees his children, especially when they are in need and has compassion.
- He takes action and demonstrates to his children his love for them.
Today we celebrate those Father’s who have poured out their love on us. They have demonstrated love through thier presence, providing protection and provision and today we recognize the important roles you have played in our lives. I also know there are person whose biological father may not have lived up to this standard. There was perhaps a stepfather, uncle, mentor , older brother or some other male that has loved and supported you unconditionally. To those men we acknowledge you and say thank you. The good news is that we have a Heavenly Father who sees us even when we are distant from him. We have a Heavenly Father who takes compassion upon us. We have a Heavenly Father who demonstrates his love toward you and I. How do I know He loves us, John 3:16 tells me that God ( our Heavenly Father) so loved the world ( you and I) that He gave us his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Thank God for his Grace and Mercy; thank God for Father‘s and Father figures. We honor you all today and remember those who now rest with the Lord. Thank you, Happy Father’s Day!
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