Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The Dad Who Runs

There was a father with two sons. The father had done well for himself and for his family and upon his passing, he would pass on a pretty substantial inheritance to his two boys to keep carrying on the family name and the family business.

The younger of the two boys wanted cash now...not later...told his dad he would rather him be dead now so he could cash in. The broken hearted father gave the rebellious son, who wanted the things of the father more than he wanted the father himself, exactly what he asked for...his share of the inheritance.

The son left town for Vegas to live wildly.

And he hit rock bottom.

Broke. Alone. Far from home. He had no where to turn. He had burned bridges, broken trust and abandoned responsibility.

Maybe he could go back to his dad, apologize and try to be hired as a servant in his dad's business. He had forfeited the role of son. But maybe he could be a servant.

And so he made the long trek back. Malnourished, filthy, broken, humiliated, downcast, he made the long trek back.

And the father saw him coming from a distance. The son who wished him dead. The son who caused the family a huge financial hit. The son who deserted his family.

And he runs to him.

Runs.

He doesn't wait for him to make the walk of shame all the way to the house.

He doesn't stand there with arms crossed to show disdain and disapproval.

He runs. He embraces. He kisses.

And older men in the Ancient Near East don't run. They are men of stature. Revered men. Men of Wisdom.

And he didn't have Nike shorts on either. He had a body length robe. He would have had to hike it up over his knees and looked goofy high stepping it out to his son.

And that's exactly what he did.

Because our God is a God who runs.

It's Luke 15:11-31

And if you're feeling enveloped in shame, tormented by your secrets, caught in your sin...If you feel broke, malnourished, and humiliated, it's time you see the God of the Heavens running to you, embracing you and whispering to you...

Welcome Home



2 comments:

Grandma Cindy said...

I love this story from the Word. I nearly always grasp something new and fresh from it's review. Thanks for sharing it today. And thank God for His living, inspiring, always-relevant Word!!

Mama Karen said...

This was the theme for our Superkids Camp this year. And you told the story so similar to how it was told to the kids. So amazing!!! God stands and waits for us to come home to him with all our baggage and failures. What amazing LOVE!!!!