Kyle Idleman concludes Chapter 13 (the final chapter) of AHA by stating that both sons were in the wrong. Both had the responsibility of seeking out their father. Eventually the younger son did this- although the father ran to the younger son as soon as he saw him. Most patriarchs of that day would have assumed a different posture, full of pride and indignant at any sign of disrespect.
Furthermore, even after the older son’s harsh words and disrespect, the father lovingly explained himself. In ancient times, the patriarch never would have given an explanation. Households were dictatorships, not democracies!
All this tells us that God longs for a relationship with his children. A friend of Pastor Idleman’s related the story of an elderly man who no longer could take care of himself. His family made the difficult decision to place him in a nursing home. His daughter and her family visited every Sunday. As the years passed, the elderly man grew weaker, and he had trouble remembering his children’s names. Yet, every Sunday he was there waiting for his daughter’s visit.
On one such visit his daughter asked him what day of the week it was. When her father couldn’t tell her, she asked how he knew to wait for them every Sunday. He replied, “Oh, honey, I wait for you every day.”
God, our loving Father, longs for us to come home. He’s been waiting for us every day.
Today’s question: How does God’s unconditional love comfort you? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Untying life’s knots” (based on Max Lucado’s book Next Door Savior)
Coming Monday: the annotated bibliography of AHA
