The Lovesick Father

A Reflection on the Gospel for March 30th, 2025:
Fourth Sunday of Lent

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Luke
15:1-3, 11-32

All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

So he told them a parable: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So the father divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.

“When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. The young man would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’

“So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

“Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe — the best one — and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. The slave replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’

“Then the elder son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’

“Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

We have all made the decision to go our own way at one point or another. Sometimes that decision is obvious and quite literal, like it was for the younger son. Wanting to do it our own way, we push back against the advice and love of others, turning our backs on everyone and everything, including God. Other times, we may not literally leave, but our hearts are no longer filled with love; rather, they’re filled with sin, bitterness, and unforgiveness, as with the elder son. 
When I was pregnant with our third child, my husband’s company was downsized and his job became obsolete, a fancy way of saying that he was now unemployed. Up until that point, I had believed that if you were a hard worker, fair and honest, the world would treat you fairly. Not only was my faith in mankind rocked, but so too was my faith in God. While I still attended church weekly, my heart was angry and bitter toward God who I proceeded to ignore. I was present in body but through my own volition, I was far away from God.


 While much of the focus of this parable is on the sons, it is to the father that my heart is drawn, for I believe this story beautifully illuminates the character of Father God.


The Father gave freedom. When the son wants to go his own way, the father lets him. We each have freedom of choice. If God had created us without this freedom, our relationship with Him would not have been based on true love.


The Father cared. Did you notice that he saw his son coming when the son is still a long way off? The father was watching, waiting; no doubt praying. When he saw his son, he hoisted up his robe, an act that was undignified for a man in that culture, and ran to His son. The father desired, in fact yearned, for reconciliation.


The Father forgave. As the son tries to apologize, the father recognizes the son’s repentant heart. He doesn’t make him grovel, nor does he withhold, even for a moment, forgiveness toward his son. In fact, he does the opposite.


The Father restores. He has a worker bring for his son the best robe, a ring, and sandals. The robe not only represents belonging, but is also a foreshadowing of the robe of righteousness that Jesus bought for us through His death and resurrection, providing the payment for the sins of a repentant child. The family ring signifies he is a child who shares the father’s authority. Sandals were given only to sons and daughters. The robe, the ring, and the sandals clearly said, you are my child. You are part of this family. You are fully restored. And the father doesn’t stop there.


The Father celebrates. His next set of instructions is to kill the fattened calf.. The son coming home was worthy of a joyous celebration. “This son of mine was dead and is alive again”, he says,” He was lost and now is found” (v. 24).  


What if the younger son had not chosen to come back to the Father’s love? What if I hadn’t? During the painful seven months that I nursed my resentment and disappointment, I became aware of my Father calling me back to Him. While I may have been giving God the cold shoulder, He was offering me His loving shoulder. When I did come back to the Father’s love, it was like a beautiful homecoming, perhaps not entirely unlike the younger son’s. I experienced Father’s caring, forgiveness, restoration and joyous celebration.


What of the elder son? He was no less lost than had been the younger? To him, the father goes out as well. I always felt this parable ends on a bit of a cliff hanger. What did the elder son decide? Did he recognize how loved and cherished he was by his father?


Each of us has sinned and gone our own way (Romans 3:23). But we each have a choice. Will we stay separated from God or will we turn back to Him and accept His love? His arms are open wide and He will come running.



Lisa Wing

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