The Worth Of Knowing

“As we try to believe what is not meant to be understood will You help us to trust Your intentions for us are still good. ‘Cause You laid down Your life and You suffered like I never could” ⁃ Always Good, Andrew Peterson

I think doubting his father’s intentions was why the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable asked his father for his inheritance early. He quickly spent them on short-lived happiness because didn’t grasp his father’s love for him and hoped to find satisfaction elsewhere.

After splurging all his father’s gift he lost hope in his own selfish ambitions and set his hope on his father allowing him to return home and become a servant. He decided he would say to his father:

“’I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.’”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭15:19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

He didn’t know the full extent of the father’s compassion and love for him. But he did know enough about his father’s character that he thought the father might show him enough kindness to make him a servant despite his dishonorable and ungrateful actions.

And so he got up and walked toward his father. He left the muck and grime that physically and mentally had become all too familiar and moved toward his father in hope.

“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” Luke‬ ‭15:20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

What happiness the son must have felt when his father showed his love for his son with an unexpectedly affectionate embrace …

Or not. I don’t think it was happiness the son felt … not yet:

“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’”

He hadn’t realized the depth and extent of his father’s love yet. Maybe guilt and fear were still holding him back from leaning into his father’s loving embrace.

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
‭‭(Luke‬ ‭15:20-24‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

I wonder when the son “got it.” Was it after the best robe was placed on his shoulders or after he was served the choice meat from the fattened calf? Was it in the midst of celebration or after all the noise died down and his father was still smiling with joy because his son had returned home?

What an example how it feels to be loved by God and actually accepting that love rather than questioning whether His heart and intentions toward us are good. To be safe and secure in our Father’s love.

Sometimes we need to hear repeatedly that God is filled with joy that we are His before we allow ourselves to believe it’s true. God patiently shows His extravagant love toward us through His Word, His people, His provision, His creation … Through all those many ways and many times that God reveals His love to us we begin to allow the reality of it to sink into our hearts.

God is not going to push us away when we confess that we spent the good things He has given us in purely self-gratifying, near-sighted ways because we doubted His good intentions for us.

He’s going to running to embrace us with joy and compassion because His child has come home.

He is persistent.

He is faithful.

He is always good.