by Ed Ostrom

Created on: June 21, 2010

Yesterday was Father’s Day. It gave us an opportunity to celebrate Fatherhood. For those who had  a good relationship with their fathers  it was a time to give thanksgiving to God for that relationship. For those of us who do not have the blessing of a good memory of  our fathers it was a time to consider the everlasting love and mercy of our Heavenly Father.

The love of the heavenly Father is demonstrated in the parable of the Prodigal Son that Jesus told. The story is recorded by the feathered quill of Doctor Luke in Luke 15:  11-31.  The story is so well known but in spite of its familiarity we can mine some golden nuggets of spiritual truth  from it that  can help us  discover that “Life is a journey into the heart of God.”

The Dutch Painter , Rembrandt, painted a very famous painting of the Prodigal Son returning home to his father. The father  receives the prodigal into his loving arms. The painting is very moving and demonstrates very clearly the love and the mercy of the father. This really is a picture of God’s love for each of us. For truly each of us have been along life’s pathway” prodigals”. We have disobeyed our Heavenly father. We have broken his heart. We have squandered the riches God has freely given us, in riotous, selfish living. We have played in the dens of sin, and often our hearts are very far from God. It is only when we come to our senses and admit to ourselves our true state, that we realize what we have done, and how desperate we are , that we return to our Heavenly Father. In honest, humble confession and  we  cry out to Him. Then we find His loving arms extended to us and He accepts us back into His family. 1 John 1:9 declares “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.” Praise God! The prodigal is accepted by The Heavenly Father.

But there is another side to the coin. How often is it true that we become prodigal sons to our Heavenly Father, and also prodigal fathers (or mothers) to our earthly sons and daughters! It is very revealing to consult the Scriptures and find countless examples of spiritual heroes who were derelict fathers. Among that ignoble list are spiritual giants like Abraham (and his treatment of Ishmael and Hagar); Isaac and Rebecca  ( and their favoritism of Esau and Jacob respectively);  Jacob (and his favoritism of Joseph);

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