Guest Post: Understanding The Father's Love

 It is always a pleasure to welcome a guest to the blog and today, I welcome a good friend of mine who has experienced the love of God in a very real and personal way. When I first met Jared Reklaitus last summer, I was deeply touched by his testimony and his description of how his wandering heart had been captured by the grace of Jesus Christ. He had only been steadily walking with God for a few months, but one could tell by listening to his story that the change in his life was powerful. Sometime later, I approached him about doing a guest post for this blog and sharing from his own perspective why the Father's love is so unique and special and unlike any other love this world can offer. You are in for a wonderful read today and some deep insights into the story of the Heavenly Father's love for sinners as shown through the story of the prodigal son, told in Luke 15: 11-32.  Come, meet my friend Jared, and let's encounter the amazing love of God together!

Take it away, Jared...


"Have you ever had a week where something strangely keeps coming up? You see the same word, number, phrase, or story an unusual amount of times, and you just can't help but wonder why. Maybe you've even thought it was somehow...divine? This has been my past week as a familiar Bible parable that I have known for most of my life has now come up three different times in the last five days: the story of the prodigal son.

First, I read the story in my personal Bible study as I am going through the book of Luke right now. Then, at my local church, Cornerstone Milwaukee, the pastor preached a powerful sermon on the Father's love - based on, you guessed it, the prodigal son story. And now, to top it off, while listening to the Bethel Church Sermon of the Week podcast on my way to class, pastor Eric Johnson gave a message on, that's right, the prodigal son. Some may call it a coincidence, but I say there's something more to it.

Now what is that "more"? That's a good question, but I felt it in my heart to take some time and share my thoughts on the story, and the fresh revelation that the Holy Spirit has brought to me this past week.

First, some background on the reason Jesus told the story: Jesus was eating dinner with tax collectors, sinners, and social outcasts and was criticized by the Pharisees (religious leaders) for eating with these sinners. Jesus responded with three different parables - all a beautiful depiction of what the Father's love towards us looks like.

Now, to the story...

Jesus starts by describing one of two brothers who, essentially, is sick of living at home, wants to go experience the world, and live a luxurious life. So, to do this, he asks his father for his inheritance, which he was supposed to receive upon his father passing away. This would have been incredibly insulting to his father, yet he graciously splits his possessions and freely gives them to his son.

You likely know what happens next - he goes off, wastes all his money on "luxurious living," becomes completely broke, and eventually is left to work in a pig pen, feeding slop to the pigs. For a Jewish boy, feeding pigs (who were deemed ceremoniously unclean in that time) would be the absolute lowest-of-the-low. The son finally realizes how good he really had it in the presence of his father and decides to go back, but this time, simply as a servant of his, as he feels completely unworthy to be accepted back into his family and called a son.

Now, this is where it gets good and the point I really want to focus on: The son had prepared a speech to recite to his father to ask if he could be a servant of his because he expected to be received with anger and bitterness. But look at this...

"And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your

sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said 

to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his

hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us

eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and

is found.' And they began to be merry." - Luke 15:21-24

Did you see what just happened? No really, did you truly see what just happened?! The son was giving his speech, only hoping he would be able to be a servant to his father, and what does his father do? He cuts him off mid-speech and starts calling for a massive celebration that his son has returned! He doesn't even let his son finish speaking...and he is celebrating, showing that he is not even listening to his son! So this son who wasted away his inheritance, essentially spitting in his father's face, wants to come back to him but only thinks himself worthy of being of the lowest status, a mere servant. 

The pure joy of the father to have his beloved son back with him was enough to completely overlook this and give him everything he has. He didn't accept his apology and hold a grudge against his son for doing what he did. He saw his genuine repentance, and instantly forgave him, welcoming him back into the family as if had never left. The father didn't make him prove his apology through some amount of action or service to him, he simply accepted him back and completely restored their relationship. 

Guess what? That's exactly what God is like.

We mess up. We waste our time on fickle things and give our hearts away to people, experiences, and possessions that eventually won't satisfy. Yet, there God is - eagerly awaiting our return, ready to welcome us into His family with a warm embrace and celebration, restoring us back into right relationship with Him. He washes us of our sin and sees us as if we had never sinned. We are an entirely new being, and His grace now empowers us into our change that leads to a new, victorious life as a son or daughter of God, finding true joy and hope in the one thing in this life that is eternal. 

Don't miss it. 

He is too important. 

He is too loving. 

There is nothing you could have done to make Him unwilling to welcome you into His family. His grace is a gift and there's nothing the Father loves more than to extend it to his lost son or daughter. 

You aren't too far gone. God loves you more than you could ever understand." 

Photo credit: Jared Reklaitus