Red Letters/Black Letters: Day 64: We're all Prodigals

"And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight,

and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants,

'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals

on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;

for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'

And they began to be merry." Luke 15:21-24

The parable of the Prodigal Son is my go to parable whenever I get bogged down in guilt. I read it and remember that in the verse just prior to this one that while the son was still a long way off the Father comes running. Too often we think that we need to make amends for our mistakes. We think we have to set things right, which is a ridiculous thought on our part. Not only is it ridiculous but it is irrelevant, because the Father runs down the son, while he is still a long way off,

Before the balancing of the scales, the Father is running.

Before the confession, the Father is running.

Before the apology, the Father is running.

The son is trudging, the Father is running.

The son is bargaining, the Father is running.

The son is hoping, the Father is running.

We are a long way off, the Father is running.

Don't worry about what you've done, where you've gone, how far away you've wandered off, the Father is already running. Hallelujah!

+ How does this make you feel?

+ Have you ever been weighed down by guilt?

BE SET FREE