The Father Who Runs
34 Days Until Easter
Luke 15:11–24
“11And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.12And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.16And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’20And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
Luke 15 gives us one of the clearest pictures of the heart of God. Jesus tells the story of a son who takes what belongs to him, walks away from his father, and wastes it. It is not a slow drift. It is a decision to leave, to do life on his own terms, and eventually that decision leads him to a place of emptiness. What once felt like freedom turns into desperation, and he realizes that life apart from his father is not what he thought it would be.
So he decides to go back.
But the walk back is not simple.
I think for many people, that walk is filled with shame and presuppositions about how it is going to go. There is this internal dialogue happening, wondering how they will be received, how much distance there will be, what kind of response is waiting on the other side. It is similar to the idea of a bandaid. The anticipation of pulling it off feels worse than the actual moment itself. You build it up in your mind. You hesitate. You brace for what you think is coming.
That is exactly where the son is.
He prepares a speech. He lowers his expectations. He is not coming back expecting restoration. He is coming back hoping for survival. In his mind, he is no longer a son. At best, he can be a servant.
But the reality is completely different.
Before he can even make it all the way back, the father sees him from a distance and runs toward him. No hesitation. No interrogation. No holding him at arm’s length. He embraces him and restores him fully. The robe, the ring, the celebration, it all points to one truth. The son’s identity was never lost, even if his direction was.
And that is where this lands for us.
So often, the hardest part is not God’s response, it is our expectation of it. We build it up. We assume distance. We assume disappointment. We assume we have to earn our way back into closeness. But the heart of the Father has not changed.
He is not waiting to push you back.
He is ready to bring you in.
So if there is any area of your life where you have been hesitant to return, do not let the anticipation keep you stuck. Do not let the buildup in your mind keep you from taking the step.
Just turn.
You may find that what you were bracing for is not what meets you at all.
Prayer
Lord, thank You that Your heart toward me is not distant, but full of compassion. Help me not to project my assumptions onto You. Give me the courage to return quickly and trust that You receive me fully. In Jesus’ name, amen.