This phrase continues to arrest my heart, "But while he was still a long way off..." because here is the prodigal son who has blown his portion of the father's inheritance, basically wanted his father dead, gone on a sin rampage, and is coming home because he is hungry and the father sees him while he is still a long way off. The rest of the verse says, "...his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." What a radical love this father displays, to be searching the horizon waiting for his son to come home day and night and then in a explosion of love and compassion he pursues the son at first sight of him heading in the direction of home. This is the amazing picture that Jesus paints of the Father in this parable, a father that in Jewish eyes was clearly wealthy (landowner) and dignified. Yet this dignified and wealthy father bowed so low as to run out to his son, by placing the ring on his finger (a symbol of the family authority), the finest robe (the family heritage), and the shoes (that he is not a slave) the father saves the son from shame. Actually, this father has gone a step beyond that he is really taking the shame of all that his son has done upon himself so that the son would enter the father's house recognized fully as a son in right standing. This father goes even another step and kills the fatted calf, which probably the eldest son had been raising, which would be reserved for a very important guest (VIP). This picture that Jesus paints of the Father is true, because Jesus descended from Heaven after being in the bosom of the Father so He alone truly knew the Father. Every image and sense we have of a father who is emotionally distant, angry, demanding, disappointed, or absent is a lie. Our functional image of the Father must meet the truth of who He is, for us to see Him for who He is and be transformed by connecting with Him. After my father committed suicide when I was 6 years old, most of my beliefs about fathers were they will leave you, you can't trust them, they are not present, they don't love you enough to stick around, they will reject you if you get close, and they will always be distant and unreachable. A big package of lies that paint a picture of Father that makes you want to run the other way, rather than cozy up in his lap. We live out of what we truly believe and what we truly believe comes from our interpretation of our experience in life, in other words lies versus truth. It is our most deeply held beliefs that have come out of our most important relationships and in the time our identity is being developed (childhood). This outrageously loving Father, pursues those who have made mistakes and even blown what they have been given. This Father is searching for you on the horizon day and night, He is coming toward you to embrace you and kiss you. This wreck less Father is not waiting till we clean up our act, get rid of our shame, deal with our pain, finally kick that addiction, straighten out our relationships, be more responsible, be perfect, or finally really pursue Him because He is pursuing us. He knows you hide, you are afraid of Him at times, and are confused about the truth of who He is but He is pursuing you because this is what real love does it pursues the heart of the one it loves. I have included a video of a human father, that while flawed and imperfect, displays some of this sacrificial love to a dying daughter. On an orphan planet, there is a cry for fathers who will display the true nature of the Father in Heaven.
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