Today my devotions took me to Luke 15:11-42, the Parable of the Running Father. As I was growing up, it was so commonly referenced as The Parable of the Prodigal Son that I thought "prodigal" meant wayward or rebellious; prodigal means "spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant." And he was, but there is so much more to be gleaned from this story when we know Who the Father really is. I believe I've mentioned it before, but I have always felt as though I identified with each of the characters in this story: the reckless and selfish son, the jealous brother, and the heartbroken, loving father. Well, two out of three. Today the Holy Spirit really showed me something about this father I'd never seen before.
It can all be seen in the climactic return of this lost and prodigal son:
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him."
"While he was still a long way off." This parable falls right into line with two others found in Luke 15 -- a lost sheep, and a lost coin. In both of those cases the owner searched desperately for that which had been lost. Given the context, it does not appear this father had ever given up the search -- not for a day, not for a moment. Customarily, farmers did not live on their farms, so this does not appear to be a scene with some solitary figure cresting the hill of a sprawling estate, the distinguishable walk he'd had since toddlerhood betraying his identity, the father looking up from his raking, and the two locking eyes. Besides, the young man had demanded his share; this means land would have been sold in order to divide the portions between the man's sons. It is quite possible Jesus' listeners would have instantly deduced the setting to be a community -- residents and animals moving through the streets, neighbors watching, tongues wagging, a father walking streets he'd walked countless times before in search of the very one who'd betrayed and rejected him most vehemently.
And Dad's response? Running toward him! When my son was gone I'd often imagined what a reunion might be like, but it never included me throwing myself at him, risking more rejection and hurt. This father can't imagine what his son has been through or what ideas have been rolling around in that self-indulgent and belligerent little head of his, yet he runs to meet him. What if the son had remained stiff and unyielding to his father's embrace? Or even hurled vitriol and pushed right past him? And for an elder to run was highly undignified and equally unlikely. To run to a youth was unheard of. To hike up his robe to avoid tripping himself, thereby expose his legs to his servants and neighbors looking on? Scandalous. Shameful. But this true, selfless father abandons any measure of caution or self-preservation to greet this rebel with tears of joy and to shower him with kisses! Kisses! For a filthy boy who had acted so wretchedly. Not to mention the ramifications of a Jewish pig keeper. Jesus makes no mention of this young man even considering his need to clean himself up before appearing to his father. I'm certain he not only stunk to high heaven, but by Jewish law he had no right to get there -- he would have been decidedly unclean, unworthy. But Dad is willing to defile himself, to wear the stench of his beloved child's misdeeds if only to draw him closer.
The Father that Jesus describes never forgets. He never puts up walls to protect Himself from the hurt of losing a child. He never goes on about His life with periods of grief getting farther and farther apart. He is never distracted by thinking, "This one is so far gone right now, I'll deal with her later, when she's a little more broken, a little more tired of screwing things up her way." This Father is relentless in His pursuit. Whether you return His embrace and call Him "Abba," or whether you demand what is "yours" and reject His authority, He is your Father and He is pursuing you.