The Bible talks about God's love for mankind which is displayed in various ways. There are many parables used to exemplify and illustrate this love.
The parable of the prodigal son(Luke 15) is a very familiar story. This story aims to help us understand God's unconditional love for the human race, in all the scenarios.
In the parable, the younger son demands the share of his inheritance when his father is still alive. An insulting demand especially in those times, where it is equivalent to saying, " I'm tired of waiting for you to die. Just give me my share." The audacity of the boy does not end there; he travels far off and squanders all the wealth that he received. The sinful behaviour of a son which separates him from his father.
Towards the end of the parable, we see another character. The older son who has stayed faithfully by his father's side. This man has always served his father never disobeying any of his commands showcasing himself as a righteous son. In the end, he is angry at his father for accepting his younger brother who had left them. He does not understand the father's love and refuses to enter home.
But in both the cases, we see a father whose heart goes out for both his children. When the younger son returns home even after making the insulting demand, the waiting father runs towards him and embraces him. He forgives all his mistakes and accepts him.
It was the same as the elder son too. When he is grumpy and angry, the father comes and appeals to him. His heart goes out for the elder son too.
“Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies." (Psalm 36:5)
Both sinful behaviour and self-righteous attitude take us away from understanding the love of our Father in heaven. But He still seeks for us and takes us back in His arms. His unconditional love and mercy embrace us by making us a new being.
Ansu Susan Oommen
Ansu is a student of Delhi University and a youth leader in Crossway. She can be reached at ansususan9828@gmail.com
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