The Father's Love

Sept. 2, 2019 Monday Message:

“While the son 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.” Luke 15:20b

Monday Message comes on Tuesday this week, as I was traveling back from the South Dakota State Fair, where on Sunday morning at 11am we led a Gospel Concert for about 400 people, and I got to deliver the message! We talked about the Prodigal Son parable, but this time the emphasis was on the Father – specifically the great love the Father had for his lost son.

The Bible says, “While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him…” which tells me the father had been watching, waiting and praying for the lost son. The father never gave up on this son. And as the repentant son was making his way back home, the father ran out of the house to meet him, put a fine robe around him, and once again give him the family ring, which was a seal allowing the son to buy, sell and otherwise do business in the family name.

“Bring the fattened calf and kill it – Let’s have a feast and celebrate! For this son of mine was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found!”

Of course in this parable, the father is Our Father in Heaven, and the Prodigal could be any one of us who backslides from time to time. The point is that the Father will always welcome you back with open arms. He has SO much love for us! In the Hebrew, it’s “khesed.” The Greeks called it “agapé love” – you may have heard of that – and the King James sometimes translates it as “everlasting lovingkindness.” We don’t really have an adequate word in our language to describe just how big God’s love is for us.

So no matter what’s gone wrong in your life, it’s not only OK to come back home, but it’s the right thing to do. The Father has been watching out the window, knowing that someday you’ll be coming up that road. He’s been expecting you!

Norton Lawellin

Let’s worship together! Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. This week’s message is all about Communion – see you at church!