Story of Love
My sin, not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross
And I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul
I was recently meditating on the lyrics of this beautiful hymn: It is well with my soul. I can not help but think of one of the most beautiful stories about the love of God displayed to us sinners, the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).
I can’t help but imagine what it must have been like for the prodigal son after his father welcomed him back and bestowed upon him great honor. He must have felt the highest form of joy any man can experience. I imagine him walking down the street one day, and one of his neighbors calls his attention for a brief conversation. I can imagine the conversation going like this:
Neighbor: Hello sir, how are you doing today?
Prodigal son: I’m doing very well, thank you, sir. I am full of joy.
Neighbor: That must be some great feeling. Sir, I have a few questions to ask you if you don’t mind.
Prodigal son: That’s alright, sir, I’m all ears.
Neighbor: Are you the son everyone in town is talking about that asked his father for his portion of inheritance?
Prodigal son: That’s right, sir, you are correct.
Neighbor: Forgive my many questions, sir. Is it correct that you lavished the money in a foreign city?
Prodigal son: Yes, that is correct. I finally got to the point where I had nothing left, and I had to feed on a swine pod.
Neighbor: Alright, that must have felt terrible. One more thing, is it true that you came back to your father to accept you back?
Prodigal son: Yes, I did. But I came back for him to accept me as a servant, not his son.
Neighbor: Okay, thank you for graciously answering my question. Do you mind if I tell you something?
Prodigal son: Yes, please do.
Neighbor: Okay, thank you for your patience. Alright, what I was going to say is this: you are a wicked man! I live not so far from your home. Every day for the days you were gone, I saw your father languish away, waiting for you to return. He wouldn’t have anything to eat, and his health deteriorated. He would not have it if anyone told him that you were gone forever. He kept insisting on your return, which I found very absurd. He did not go to work as usual, which resulted in him losing a fortune. I saw how much your elder sibling had to do to keep the family running. And now, for you to return and pretend as if nothing happened, that is so unthoughtful of you.
Prodigal son: Oh, my good neighbor, you have spoken well.
Neighbor: What?? I thought that would make you mad.
Prodigal son: Oh, my good neighbor, it doesn’t make me mad. It only makes me all the more joyful. You were right when you said I was wicked and the most unthoughtful of all men. I thought the same of myself on my journey back home, and I readily accepted that when I met my father. But guess what? Halfway back home, my father ran toward me as soon as he saw me and embraced me with an open arm. He wouldn’t let me speak a word. His love was so great towards me that it readily overlooked the multitude of my wickedness.
Neighbor: Wow, that is amazing. I need to get to know your father better. I only greet from afar, even though I live next to your home.
Prodigal son: Oh, you should get to know him. But my good neighbor, it did not stop there. He put upon me the best robe, a ring, shoes on my feet, and killed fattened calf to celebrate my return. Oh, it was much more than I expected. These were his words: my son was dead but now alive, he was lost, but now he is found.
Neighbor: Amazing, only if I had someone to love me the same way.
Prodigal son: I know that my father can love you the same way if you allow him. Concerning the comment you made, I sure think about my wickedness from time to time. Whenever I think about it, it only reminds me of how much my father has overlooked on my behalf that I can’t help but love him more. Before I turned my ears away from his commands, now, my greatest joy is in doing whatever he commands me. Yes, I was once the most callous man, now I am the most joyous man, glory!!!
Neighbor: Oh, what a story. I never knew the details. Thank heaven for your father, and I believe it’s high time I got to know him.
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