Written and Illustrated by Corrin Charlson
“The Father runs eagerly to welcome you home with open arms.”
The “Prodigal Son” is one of my favorite Bible stories because it reminds me of my Father’s love for me and for all of His children. (If you are not familiar with it, read Luke 15:11-32) This story is often referred to as the “Prodigal Son”, but I like the title of the “Prodigal Father” better. Here’s why:
One definition of prodigal is “recklessly extravagant.” We may think this best describes the son’s actions in his wild spending of his father’s money, but looking closer, the father is much more reckless in his actions.
After reading about the son’s foolish actions with his father’s inheritance money, the story tells of the father running to welcome his wayward son back home. It does not make sense. Why would he run to welcome back his rebellious son?
Look what the son committed against his father. The son cared only about money and what the world could give him, completely ignoring his relationship with his dad. So, he asks for his inheritance early, insinuating he wished his father was dead so he could have his portion already. When the father graciously gives him his inheritance, the son goes and spends his father’s hard-earned money on wild, sensual living. What hurt the father must have endured from this son and his actions! If this story ended with the father turning his back on the son, we would not be surprised. The son would have deserved what he got after losing everything his father gave to him. The father could have closed the shades, locked the door, and pretended he was not home.
But, the father does not do this.The father runs out to his son with eagerness, excitement, and enthusiasm. No hesitation or overthinking. Just as he does not seem to notice the state of his son’s physical self: filthy, smelly from living with pigs, the father does not care about the son’s dirty, shame-filled soul. He throws his arms around his long lost son.
And it gets better.
The father then calls for a party with the best food, drink, and people to celebrate this son. What reckless love! It is this reckless, extravagant love that causes us to call him a prodigal father. This story is a beautiful picture representing our Father in heaven who rushes to welcome us home despite our sin and shame. We are the wayward son and praise God that He is the loving Father in this story!
This picture I drew is a drawing of one fluid line that creates the son and the Father. The beginning of the single line starts at the Father’s hand. This line continues to shape the Father and then it travels down to form the son. This line represents the Father’s connection and commitment to us, His creation. Just as His hands formed us with a uniqueness we each have, those same hands never fail to reach out to us when we wander from Him. God longs to hold us and keep us close. However, in our rebelliousness, we wander off from His safety. We pursue what we think will fulfill us but only leaves us dirty and far from Home. Although that line between the Father and the son may stretch far because of our waywardness, it does not snap or break. The Father does not lose patience with us and cut us off, instead He eagerly waits for us. It is Him that draws us in; He shortens the line between us and Himself. Despite our dirtiness, our sin, our shame, our guilt, He welcomes us with reckless, beautiful, committed love that we have never known elsewhere. Wherever we go or wherever we have been, the Father opens His arms and invites us into His safe and loving arms just as the prodigal father did for his beloved son.