Lost And Found – Welcome Home My Son

This article is part 8 of 11 in the series Lost And Found

                                             
   “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned  against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he 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.  “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger  and sandals on his feet” (Luke 15:17-22).
   What made him do it? He had so much and threw it all away! Leaving had been his biggest mistake, and now he knew it. Finally, “he came to his senses…” Finally he “woke up”, he started talking to himself, (even done that?). Well, no one else there but the pigs! He was thinking about how his father, the servants… they were doing really well. From the pig pen.. home looked so good. He was an UNWORHTY SON, an UNDESEREVING SON, a DISGRACEFUL SON, a HEARTBREAKING SON, he was a LOST SON. Now he was a HUMBLE SON!  
   Home is not hard to find… asking for forgiveness and acceptance may be more difficult. What would his father do and say? Would he lock him out?  Refuse to even admit he was alive? Scold and curse him? Throw him in some dark place to be beaten? All of these thoughts nearly made him sick as he thought about his messed up life. HE WAS TO BLAME! He knew it. He couldn’t blame his father… Humility doesn’t seek to blame, it seeks forgiveness.
   With each step he,  he felt sick, just thinking about what lay ahead. Nervous? More than that! The days stretched into weeks of walking, thinking, hoping, praying. “I just don’t deserve anything, I just want to serve!”
   Then he could see familiar land marks… he had passed them before. Then he could see home, like a small hump on the horizon. The more he walked, the more nervous he got. But then there was something moving in the distance… He couldn’t quite make it out,  it was his dad! He could not believe it! This just didn’t happen in Palestine. Fathers do not run to a shameful, runaway child who is returning. It’s a matter of pride you see. This was shameful in itself. Honor required that the son come and beg forgiveness! 
   His father, his dad didn’t care about the humiliation, his son was coming home!!!
The son had practiced his speech all the way home. His dad nearly knocked him down hugging and kissing him. Tears fell like rain… The son began his speech, but the father never seemed to listen… The Ring, The Robe, The fatted calf… all for me? O God, I don’t deserve it. I have shamed you, hurt you… The father whispers… “Be quiet my son… I love you ANYWAY! Welcome home my son.”   

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