Two Sides to the Story

He was broken and repentant and wanted to return home but had no idea what reception he would receive. ... He had not understood how much his father really loved him.

Luke 15:16-19 (ESV) And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."'

Let’s pause for a minute on this story of the prodigal son a little longer to consider what was going through the mind of this son before he returned home.

This boy’s decision to return home was based on his desperate need. He was in a bad state. He had spent his whole inheritance. The money had been wasted, and there was nothing left. His friends who had surrounded him while the money lasted had now deserted him, and it seems there was no one willing to help. He was all alone and in desperate need. Out of necessity, he even violated his religious conscience. He hired himself out to the citizens of the land, taking on the worst of jobs. Caring for the village pigs. Animals that were unclean and prohibited under Jewish food laws. And to make things worse, this job didn’t even pay enough to cover the cost of his daily food. He was so hungry he longed to eat the swill he was feeding to the pigs.

We do not know how long this boy was in this condition, but eventually, he thought about going back home. There was plenty of food in his father’s house, and even his father’s servants were living a better life than he was. He thought things could never return to the way they had been. He had rebelled against his father and now thought he was not worthy of being treated as a son, but maybe, if he returned home, his father would hire him as a servant. He was broken and repentant and wanted to return home, but did not understand what reception he would receive.

At this stage, he did not understand the heart of his dad. He didn’t realise there was another side to this story. He had not understood how much his father really loved him. How he had broken his father’s heart when he had left home, and how much his father had longed for him to return. Daily yearning and hoping that this would be the day his son would return. The thrilling truth we see from this story is that the father was, in fact, more relieved and excited about the son returning home than the son was. The son was looking for a solution to his problems. But the father yearned for the son to return because he loved him. “This son of mine was dead, but now is alive. He was lost but now is found.”

I suggest this was just the same when we became Christians. We knew we had a need. We were broken and repentant, and asked God to forgive us of our sin, and our hearts were overjoyed when we realised that He accepted and loved us just as we were. But did it ever occur to us how thrilled and excited our Father was that we had returned home?

When we understand this, we realise that He loves us more than we love Him. The Father is more excited about our salvation than we are and is more committed to our well-being than we can imagine.

Further reading: Lk 15:3-7; 1 Jn 4:10; Rom 8:31-32

He was so hungry that he even considered eating the food that was given to the pigs.

Spend a moment right now to remember the joy and relief you felt when you became a Christian.

Now reflect on the idea that your heavenly Father was more excited than you when you came back to Him.

This is an extract from my free book Knowing God as Father, which is available for download at Knowing God as Father.