I have mentioned before that this series of thoughts on “God the Father” was inspired by a series of 3 sermons I heard on the subject while visiting my daughter’s church.
During the second sermon the preacher used the story of the Prodigal Son to bring home the nature of God’s forgiving, constant love for his children. He started to read the parable and, after the point in the story where the son had left home, he fetched a step ladder from the corner of the raised area at the front of the church. When he read of the prodigal son,
” He squandered all his property in dissolute living” the preacher became the father, and climbed the step ladder – using his hand to shield his eyes so he could look out into the distance, searching for a sighting of his absent son on the horizon.
Looking sad to see no sign of his son, he climbed down and read the next bit of the story. ” When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country and he began to be in need. So, he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his field to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating, and no one gave him anything”. Again, the preacher climbed the step ladder, looked long and hard into the distance and climbed down again looking sad and dejected.
Then he read the third part of the story,
“I will get up and go to my father and I will say to him, ‘Father I have sinned against Heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son, treat me like one of your hired hands ‘ so he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off his father saw him and was filled with compassion.” At this point in the story the preacher climbed the step ladder for the third time looked long and hard into the distance and climbed down with relief and joy on his face, while the congregation sat in complete silence, overwhelmed by this acting out of the fathers longing and searching love in the parable.
Luke 15 verses 11 – 24
Prayer: Thank you, Father God, that your Son Jesus told such wonderful stories to bring home to us your nature of constant and forgiving love. You don’t just sit back waiting for us to come to you. You reach out, looking for us while we are a long way off, searching the horizon to see if there is any sign of us turning back to you after our failures and rebellions.