S&F-The Prodigal Son Part 3

To conclude my Prodigal Son Series, I want to look at the final person in the story, the father.

I don't think many people see ourselves as the father in this parable, because we know that the father represents God, and none of us is God.  So what can we learn from him?

I was listening to the reading this weekend, and after I realized how long the parable was (Luke tends to be a little wordy here), I was struck by the actions of the father.  

I was confused by why he would allow the younger son to take his portion of the inheritance.  But that really represents the gift of free will that God has allowed all of us to have.  What we do with God's gift is up to us.  Hopefully we do better than the younger son with the life we have been given.

The part that really struck me about the father is that he saw the return of the younger son from "A long way off."  That means that the father must have been looking for his son day in and day out, hoping for his return.  Hopefully God is keeping the same watch out for all of us, looking out over the horizon, hoping, that someday we to will return to His home.

So what can we learn about the father in the story?  We all should live with hope.  I'm sure there were days the father was discouraged, thinking his son would never return.  I think all of us have times of discouragement.  Let us not be dragged down by disappointment and pessimism.  Instead let us live our lives with optimism and hope, knowing that if we keep our eye on the horizon, somewhere out there, a long was off, our dreams will come true in Heaven.