The Prodigal Son

The father listened and did not respond immediately to his son, but as they arrived together at the home, here is what the father said and did.

22. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe. And put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

23. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

24. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

A lost soul had come home, and when a repentant sinner returns home, God rejoices, the angels rejoice, and so should we, for that which was dead to sin is alive again. That which was lost is found.

Now the oldest son was in the fields, probably doing his chores. He began to hear music coming from his home so he asked one of the servants what was going on. He was told that his brother had come home and that his father was so happy that he had had the fattest and best calf killed to celebrate.

This made the oldest son very angry and he would not go into the house and participate in the merriment. The father, missing his older son, came out and asked him why he was so angry.

The son told the father that he had faithfully served him for many years while the youngest son had been gone. He told his father that he had never sinned against him of disobeyed any of his commands.

He told his father that despite this, his father had never had the best calf killed so that he could have a party with his friends, but that as soon as his long lost brother had come home, he had killed the fatted calf for him. And, his brother had not been faithful to his father these many years, but rather had wasted his inheritance on riotous living and harlots.

The father looked with love upon his oldest son and said “Son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours. It was fitting that we should party and be glad, for your brother was dead, but now he is alive again – he was lost, but now he is found.

This father loved both his sons. He loved neither one more than the other. He loved them equally. He loved them the same way that God loves us. God doesn’t love Mrs. Toms more than he loves Roger, or Wanda more than he loves you or me.

Now – He may be more pleased with one person’s life than another, but He loves us all equally, regardless of whether we are young or old, skinny or heavy, short or tall, black or white, or male or female.

Let me quickly tell you one more story of another father, my father, before we close.

There has never been a person in this world that I have known, that I loved more than I loved my father. He was a wonderful man that everyone seemed to love. He had a great personality. He was humorous, loving, kind and gentle. He was a Pied Piper to all the children of my neighborhood.

He was a good husband to my mother, faithful always, and provided a good home for his family. He was the best of fathers. He spent countless hours playing ball with my brother and I. We fished, played games and did all the fun things that father and son can do together. He was my idol, my hero.