"And when he saw his son returning from afar, he ran to him, fell on his neck, and kissed him."
This statement in the Bible is most poignant and is taken from the story of 'the Prodigal Son.' A young man left his father, saying, 'Give me my inheritance now, and let me go and see the world' (paraphrased). Grieved, the father did exactly that.
The young man squandered all of the money in a short period of time and wound up destitute, poor, and essentially a slave. He got a job feeding hogs, but conditions were so horrid that he found himself sleeping and eating with them as well.
Finally, he said, 'Enough! I will arise and go back to my father's house and beg his forgiveness.'
Not knowing how his father would react, the young man walked home, intending to beg the father just to be a servant at his house, rather than a son. But before he could get there, his father saw him at a distance and ran to him. He ordered a robe of honor to be placed around his shoulders and threw a banquet for him that evening.
The parable is a portrayal of God's love and mercy toward his wayward children. When we wake up to the mess we've made of our lives, he receives us back into his house with open arms, full forgiveness, and restoration. Praise the Lord!
The following song captures this parable in music. It is powerful. And it is sung by the late, great Glen Payne of the famed Cathedral Quartet. Listen to it all, and be blessed! The Prodigal Son by the Cathedrals.
I love watching Glen sing this song--he would get so moved by such songs he couldn't help himself. What a great gentleman and a great Christian!
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