The story of the Prodigal Son offers us one of the most powerful illustrations of God’s fatherly love in Scripture. While Father’s Day can bring mixed emotions for many—from celebration to pain—there’s a universal truth we can all embrace: we have a Heavenly Father whose love transcends our earthly experiences.
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What Makes God’s Fatherly Love Different?
In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus tells the story of a father with two sons to illustrate God’s incredible love. The context is important: Jesus was spending time with tax collectors and sinners—people on the outskirts of society—while religious leaders grumbled about his associations.
Jesus responds by sharing three parables about God’s love, culminating in the story of the Prodigal Son. This story reveals the depth of God’s fatherly love in ways that would have shocked Jesus’ original audience.
The Shocking Request
The story begins with the younger son asking for his inheritance early—essentially saying, “I want your stuff, but I don’t want you.” In Jewish culture, this was tantamount to saying, “I wish you were dead.” It was a deeply offensive, rebellious act that would have made the audience gasp.
Yet the father grants the request, dividing his property and giving the son his share.
The Son’s Downward Spiral
The son takes everything he has—indicating he never plans to return—and leaves for a distant country where he wastes his inheritance on wild living. When a severe famine hits, he finds himself desperate, hiring himself out to feed pigs (shocking for a Jewish audience) and longing to eat the pigs’ food.
How Does God Respond When We Return to Him?
The turning point comes in verse 17: “When he came to his senses.” Sometimes we need to hit rock bottom before we’re ready to turn to God. The son rehearses a speech, planning to beg his father to make him a servant, not expecting to be restored as a son.
The Father’s Unexpected Response
As the son approaches home, something remarkable happens:
“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.” (Luke 15:20)
This would have stunned Jesus’ audience. A dignified patriarch would never run—it was undignified. Yet this father runs to his son, embraces him, and cuts off his rehearsed speech. Instead of punishment, the father orders:
- The best robe (symbolizing restoration of position)
- A ring for his finger (symbolizing authority)
- Sandals for his feet (symbolizing freedom, not servitude)
- A feast with the fattened calf (symbolizing celebration)
The father declares: “This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
What About Those Who Feel They’ve Earned God’s Love?
The story doesn’t end with the younger son’s return. The older brother, representing the religious leaders (and sometimes our own self-righteous tendencies), becomes angry at the celebration.
He complains: “I’ve served you faithfully for years, yet you never gave me even a young goat to celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours returns after squandering your property, you kill the fattened calf!”
The father’s response is equally gracious to this son: “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
What Does It Mean to Be God’s Child?
This parable reveals profound truths about our relationship with God:
We Are Adopted as God’s Children
Galatians 4:4-7 affirms that through Christ, we are no longer slaves but God’s own children and heirs. When we come to God, we’re welcomed thoroughly into His family.
God Knows Us Intimately
Psalm 139:13 tells us that God created our innermost being and knit us together in our mother’s womb. Our relationship with Him is deeply personal.
We Can Call Him “Abba”
Galatians 4:6 says we can call God “Abba, Father”—an intimate term similar to “Daddy.” This shows the closeness of our relationship with Him.
Why Does Understanding God as Father Matter?
Understanding God as our Father helps us grasp:
- His character
- How He relates to His creation
- How we can relate to Him through Christ
Many of us have misconceptions about God—seeing Him as a temperamental judge, too busy for our requests, or someone we must impress to earn love. The story of the Prodigal Son corrects these misunderstandings, showing us a Father whose grace, not our performance, is the basis of His love.
Life Application
Every Christian can find comfort in knowing our Heavenly Father both welcomes us home and reminds us of the home we have in Him. This means:
- Despite our history of sin, we have a place with God
- We don’t have to worry about God “kicking us out” when He remembers our past mistakes
- We don’t have to chase perfection or worry about losing our place in His family
- His love for us never grows cold or old
- There’s always room for more people in God’s family
Questions to consider this week:
- In what ways have I been like the younger son, wanting God’s blessings but not relationship with Him?
- Have I been like the older son, believing I need to earn God’s love through my good behavior?
- Do I truly believe God sees me as His beloved child, or am I still trying to earn my place in His family?
- How can I celebrate with God when others come home to Him, rather than resenting His grace toward them?
- What would change in my daily life if I fully embraced my identity as God’s child?
This week, take time to remember who your Heavenly Father is—that He looks on you with love, calls you son or daughter, and reminds you of the home you have with Him. Let this truth transform how you approach Him in prayer and how you live out your faith.