The Father’s Love

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By Isaac Tan, 20, Singapore

All the world is distracting and youth are but the most distracted people.

Constantly plagued with material pursuits and mindless partying, it really questions the values to which most young people live by. However, even with the adverse consequences evidently flashed out in all these things, they choose to revel in temporal satisfaction.

In Luke 15: 11-32, Jesus shares a parable about one such man. In this parable, a rebellious young man decided that he had enough of living under his father’s household and rule. He requested from his father the share of the inheritance. However an inheritance is only claimed when the father passes away. When this young man accelerated the process, he was thus deeming his father as deceased.

This must have been a very hurtful thing for the father to go through. Nonetheless, he acceded to the son’s request and handed over a third of the inheritance.

As the story goes, this young man went to squander all he had in reckless living. The Bible says that, “he wasted all his money in wild living” (13b). Just then, famine broke out across the land. This unfortunate disaster resulted in him having to find a job as a pig feeder. He was so hungry that he even ate from the trough. This must have been the lowest point of his life, especially for a Jew who reckons pig as unclean.
Just then, he remembered the luxury he had at home. He even realized that the hired servants of his father’s household were treated better than him. So he decided to go back and be a slave.

Upon reaching the doorstep, his father spotted him and with arms wide open, ran to invite his son back and reinstated him. Such is a father’s love for his own.

The father could have easily ignored the son and not received him. But to the father, this young man who had severed ties with him, was still the very son that he brought up. This move of compassion and forgiveness is one that is full of grace and mercy.

Similarly, our heavenly Father showed us grace and mercy when He did not treat us as our rebellion deserved, but sent His own son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins instead. God paved the way for us, as His lost children, to come back into the right relationship we were created for.

His grace is sufficient for us. Though we were unworthy, He still bothered in love to provide us a way out and mend our broken relationship.

How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
Song “How deep the Father’s love for us” by Stuart Townend