Luke 15: 20-21
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
In Part 1 the story Jesus told about a father and his two sons is described. We pick this story up again when the younger of the two sons is on his way back home after he had spent all his inheritance and had lost all his friends and was starving for food.
…but when he was still a great way off, his father SAW him…
How come the father saw his son from far away? He saw him, because he was looking out for him continually from night to day. This father was very rich and in these days the rich lived communally in villages. The villagers would have seen the father holding a lamp up at night, scanning the horizon for his son, feeling sorry for the father and cursing the boy. The important point here of note is that you tend to look at the one you love.1
…his father saw him and had COMPASSION…[in His heart]
This father was totally rejected, the object of ridicule and scorn in the village. He had lost possessions because of his son, and yet what was in his heart? – Compassion. Jesus is saying to us, this is how our Father is. He is not filled with resentment or bitterness in His heart towards us, only COMPASSION towards all of us. The beautiful question here is, ‘Has the son repented yet, when he was still a great way off, when the father saw him and had compassion?’ – Not yet! 1
This story is commonly thought of as “the prodigal son, sinners, coming home to Jesus”, people saying, ‘I used to be in this category but now I’m home.’ But it really is not an evangelistic sermon for sinners. It is a story about a son experiencing the Father’s love. It is ‘The Prodigal Father.’ The word ‘prodigal’ in Collins English dictionary: can be either positive or negative. It means extravagant; generous in giving! Our Father is also prodigal in the entire positive sense of the word! 1
…and he had compassion and [the Father] RAN….
The New Testament was originally written in Greek and there are more then one Greek words for ‘run’. One means run as in a slow jog, the other means a sprint, ‘as in a race using every movement of the body in a fast pace.’ The Greek word used here is sprint. The father sprinted to the boy! Why did he run? – Because our feet tend to follow our heart. 1 Days and nights, He’d been longing for the boy to come back with compassion in His heart, such that THE MOMENT he saw him, he didn’t think he RAN to him! His feet ran in the rhythm of His heart, all BEFORE the boy repented. 1
….and ran and EMBRACED him…
He gave his son a good bear hug! By now, the son smelled of pigs after having to work with swine to get food. Everyone longs for the Father’s embrace. 1
…embraced him and KISSED him…
This word kiss in the English translation is lame. The Greek verb for kiss here is to kiss again and again; to kiss repeatedly and fervently! Jesus is saying, see this is our Father! The boy should be the one kissing the Father’s feet! When you love someone, one kiss is not enough. It is not enough for the Father to kiss us once. 1
How is this possible for God to embrace us and kiss us? To think He is in Heaven we are here on earth is the wrong mentality. God embraces and kisses us today by the Holy Spirit. The word embrace in this story is the exact same Greek word for embrace used in Acts.1
Acts 10: 44 (Amplified)
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon – EMBRACED – all those who heard the word.
The Holy Spirit came and gave them and can give us all a bear hug today! He hugs our hearts with the love in His Word. In the Father’s loving, compassionate embrace, all the poison is squeezed out; you find wholeness, strength, security.1
Jesus is saying to us, we have a Father who looks out for us constantly even when we’re far from him seeing us with compassion, sprints to us because he can’t wait to embrace us and lavish kisses on us. And the son still has not yet said ‘Father I have sinned.’ God, our Father’s forgiveness is INSTANT and it is COMPLETE. He did not put the boy on probation and say, ‘Prove yourself and then I’ll forgive you, then I will love you.’ 1
Our Father did 5 things, the number of Grace, completeness in the Bible: He saw, He had compassion, He ran, He embraced and He kissed. It is complete. It is not only love that is instant and complete, it is love that is sacrificial – it cost God His Son. 1
How is this possible for God to embrace us and kiss us? To think He is in Heaven we are here on earth is the wrong mentality. God embraces and kisses us today by the Holy Spirit. The word embrace in this story is the exact same Greek word for embrace used in Acts.1
Acts 10: 44 (Amplified)
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon – EMBRACED – all those who heard the word.
The Holy Spirit came and gave them and can give us all a bear hug today! He hugs our hearts with the love in His Word. In the Father’s loving, compassionate embrace, all the poison is squeezed out; you find wholeness, strength, security.1
Jesus is saying to us, we have a Father who looks out for us constantly even when we’re far from him seeing us with compassion, sprints to us because he can’t wait to embrace us and lavish kisses on us. And the son still has not yet said ‘Father I have sinned.’ God, our Father’s forgiveness is INSTANT and it is COMPLETE. He did not put the boy on probation and say, ‘Prove yourself and then I’ll forgive you, then I will love you.’ 1
Our Father did 5 things, the number of Grace, completeness in the Bible: He saw, He had compassion, He ran, He embraced and He kissed. It is complete. It is not only love that is instant and complete, it is love that is sacrificial – it cost God His Son. 1
During every Christian revival there has been a hymn that is famous for that time period. In 1904 during the great Welsh revival in Wales, this was the favourite hymn: ‘On the mount of Crucifixion fountains opened deep and wide, through the flood gates of God’s mercy flowed a vast and gracious tide, grace and love like mighty rivers poured incessant from above, Heaven’s peace and perfect justice kissed a guilty world in love.’ 1
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
This is the Father’s love song over you today:
‘Lift your eyes for I am running, running to you, my child. Forget all the former things, you are home at last.’ We sing, ‘He tells me that He loves me, He loves me, He loves me. My soul cries Abba Father, because I am His child. Let the love of Jesus fill your heart, the Father’s embrace make you whole. The Holy Spirit is with you. Let Jesus happen to you. He can heal the hurts from the storms you’ve been through. Let Jesus happen to you.’ 1
Today when God looks at you, He ‘cannot’ see a sinner because of the perfection of the work of Jesus at the cross having removed all our sins from the sight of a Holy God. 1
Prayer:
In the name of Jesus, there is only one that is perfect Love and that is You Lord. Let your perfect love embrace your people now, embrace them out of all their fears, worries, stress, depression and all their cares. Embrace each one of us into wholeness, wellness, and completeness. Come home to a love that is so strong, a love that is unconditional, a love that will love you forever, that will never stop loving you. See now that Jesus died on the cross for yours and my sins. 1
I ask Lord for not just a theoretical knowledge of your love, but for a miraculous, supernatural deep experience of that love that will cast out every fear. Father I ask that this experience will be the portion of every person hearing this message, we welcome your embrace your kisses. Amen. 1
Know today that our Heavenly Father who loves you so much, such that THE VERY MOMENT you turn to Him even when we may be far off or at home with him, even when our motives are selfish in coming to Him and BEFORE we have a chance to repent He is looking out for us with compassion in His heart, ready to sprint to us and embrace and kiss us repeatedly. God loves us so much!
Reference:
1. See The Father’s Love For You. Joseph Prince 2007.