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Good Morning Family!
Our culture always tends to compare the heart of our Father(God) to our earthly fathers. This can be good or not so good depending on your relationship with your father. Regardless of these earthly father experiences our Heavenly Father's heart is pure love and far exceeds anything you or I could think or imagine!
Let's look at the parable in Luke 15: 11-32.
This is the parable of the loving father! I want to look at this parable from a couple different perspectives.
First you have the younger son who takes his inheritance. The younger son had no worries of lack or not being covered but he felt a need to try things in his own strength, so he asked his father for his share of the inheritance. Now in this time and culture it was considered an offense to ask for your inheritance. Also the younger son would have only received 1/3 of the inheritance and the elder 2/3. When asked the loving father didn't deny his son, he gave the younger son his 1/3 inheritance (but the father's wealth continued to grow). The younger son didn't leave right away in verse 13 we see he took a few days to prepare for his journey to see the world. We can get antsy and just want jump in both feet without planning or contemplating how decisions will affect us and others. The younger son then leaves and mismanages his inheritance and loses it all causing him to take a job caring for pigs (which would have been very degrading for a Jew who was forbidden to raise swine).
While carrying for the swine the younger son had a revelation that he would be better off being a servant unto his father. The younger son was clearly not receiving a pay at this job because he was having to eat the slop given to the pigs, while all his father's servants were treated well. So, now the younger son saw himself no better than a servant and headed back to his father's house to repent and carry a lower status, as a servant not a son.
Secondly you have the eldest son who is striving to please his father. The eldest son was a hard worker striving to impress his father by all he did and how well he followed all the rules. The eldest son never asked his father for a thing and was waiting for his father to just give him all the eldest son thought he deserved. He was so busy working and striving like a servant, which is how he compares himself in verse 29, that he didn't see that he already had access to all his father had verse 31.
Thirdly you have the loving Father who gives without expectation and is waiting for His children to just ask. The loving Father gave to the younger son when he asked, the younger son knew his Father wouldn't refuse him, but quickly forgot when he made a mistake. Meanwhile the Father's love for his son was never kindled. The Father waited and watched for his younger son to return and when he did return the Father ran to him with open arms and immediately restored him to the position of son. The Father covered his son and threw a big party for him. Regardless of any choices or mistakes we have made we can return to our loving Father and He will cover you and welcome you with open arms!! The younger son was always His son that never changed!!
The Father wasn't just waiting for the return of the younger son but also for the eldest son. The eldest was always so busy working that he didn't have time to spend with his Father. After the return of the younger son the Father asked the eldest son to come join the celebration and the eldest son refused. The eldest was like why should I? My brother waisted what you gave him and didn't earn it to beginning with. I have strived and worked for so long and you gave me nothing. The Father's response was all that I have always been yours all you had to do was ask.
Our Loving Father is always there with open arms waiting for you to come to Him and ask. In Matthew 6:25-33 we are told that if our Father takes care of the plants and animals how more does He care and will take care of you.
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