I want gladly tell something what is of great importance for each person. Read with me in the Bible, Luke 15: 11-24: the story of the prodigal son. I don’t want discuss here about the departure and eventually the return of the son, but just about the warm, loving reaction of the father on the behavior of his son.

I want discuss three points with you, namely: - The father let go his son. - The father receives his son in love. - The father forgave his son; he did this with his heart.

Firstly we see how the father lets go his son freely. He didn’t stop him. He has entrusted his son to God, and therefore he could let go him in love. Naturally he felt pain in his heart, but he gave his son the space to develop oneself, searching his own personal way of live. The father dared his son letting loose in the hands of God, because he trusted on Him with his whole heart. He prayed every day to God for protection of his son. The father understood that love meant: let free each other. This reminds me of the story in Genesis 22:1-10.

It was on a very warm day that Abraham together with his son was working in its garden. They enjoyed together of the nature that God had given them. Together they took care of the garden and were busy as suddenly God spoke to Abraham:”Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

Abraham looked fully confused at his son, who was so zealous busy helping his father. He was upset. His son, for whom he had prayed for and he has to kill on such cruel manner and burn him. He continued working, whereas his thoughts were remained busy, and his heart filled itself with sorrow. It became evening and the night entered. Everyone slept, but Abraham couldn’t fell to sleep.

For him it was a long night until dawn. Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his servants and his son Isaac while he was in mind countersunk. In the meantime everybody was awakened and there Abraham went. Split wood was loaded on the donkey in order to the burnt offering, and then began the trip to the place of which God had told him.

After a long journey of 3 days Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Abraham stopped and said against his servants: “Settle down and stay here with the donkey, and I and the young man will go yonder and worship and come again to you.”

Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on the shoulders of Isaac, his son, and took the firepot and a knife in his own hand; and the two of them went on together. Suddenly Isaac said to Abraham: “See, here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt sacrifice?”Then Abraham answered: “My son, God Himself provides a lamb for the burnt offering. The two went on together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there with the help of Isaac and together they laid the wood in order (Abrahams’ heart beats wild) and he bound Isaac and laid him on the altar on the wood. Isaac was stiffens by the fear which came over him and he was not able to fend itself. Isaac looked at his father with big startled eyes. Abraham stretched fort his hand and took hold of the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said: “Abraham, Abraham! Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear and revere God, since you have not held back from Me or begrudged giving Me your son, your only son.” Abraham obeyed God, to sacrifice his only son.

What shall this have done pain Abraham, but he did it. In the same chapter we read in verse 12 that God Himself inhibited Abraham, to his son to slaughter. But why? Not because God Himself had been mistaken by letting Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, but … because He saw Abraham's awe for Him. And he could let go his son in love.

If we go back to the story of the prodigal son, I quote the second point, in the form of an event from this time.

There was a quiet boy who does not feel accepted by reactions of others about him. He felt himself discriminated, and wanted to be the same as his friends. He wanted itself to prove. If he had not looked so attractive, he wanted to show what he could! And so he became a thief, with the most refined way and could get within obtain the most. He was known for his craftiness, and everyone had awe for him. His parents lost contact with him. He moved out. How more artful he became, he however felt lesser reassurance in his heart. He knew how his parents always had told him about God, but he no longer wanted, he could not be otherwise, for he was now in a circle, which was completely closed. There was another robbery on the plan and to suppress these thoughts, he put all the energy he had in this organization. Actually, he was fed up, he was tired, but he could not do else. Meanwhile, he had found out through others that his parents knew what he was doing. He was with itself in the knot, but he continued. The robbery had a sad end for him, he got arrested, got no help of his "friends", because otherwise they would have betrayed them self. There he sat now, in a small square box. He had nothing more, nothing around oneself, everything was bare, but also nothing more in himself, he was empty, exhausted. That night he had a restless sleep, but thought about so many things which he had learned from his father. He thought back to the love of his parents. How ugly of appearance he also was, they accepted him as he was. Deep in his heart he desired to return back again to them. When he was released, he decided to actually return back. He wrote to his father with the words: "Dear father, I would gladly come home, but I don’t know if you still want to see me, after what I’ve done.”

The next day he stepped on the train. His heart beats terribly, because in fact he was very uncertain how his parents would react. He went with the expectation to be rejected. He felt himself guilty, and also already rejected. After a long travel he came at last at the station. The train stopped and he stepped out, and there was his father, who ran to his son, took him in his arms, and hugged him. Tears of joy came down his cheeks. "I've waited on you!" he called out. We also can read this in Luke 15:20. The son wasn’t rejected, but absorbed in love! The father was already waiting for him, and when he saw his son to come, he was moved with pity and tenderness. He walked towards him, fell him to the neck and kissed him. There was also immediately forgiveness of the father, because,

and this is my third point: The father had not forced the obedience of the son, but he had won the heart of the boy and that’s all what mattered the father.

That was him all worth. It had for him no sentence as the son out of sense of duty "Because now so once should it" would obey the father. What’s important for the father was the heart of his son. So wants God it also. He does not want external obedience, without your heart for Him it has been won. Why did God show love? He wants us not to love Him from coercion, but through His love by attract us to Him. He does not want our relationship to enforce, but gives us the possibility for a real relationship, to allow the freedom of our own choice. It is our own choice, because if God compels us to love Him, this would bring an enslavement that has nothing to do with a relationship of heart to heart. He wants a relationship with us and not forced obedience. He has patience until we are ready for. His heart follows us, but waits until we come back from ourselves. God wants a personal relationship with those He has created. He desires that people love him, by one's own free will; only that is real love.

Why the Father did wait every day on his son? Because He loved him. God has patience with us, because He loves us. How did He shown His love? It cost God the life blood of its begotten Son. And therefore is it also, that the access to the sky is quite. He gave for that voluntary His beloved Son in the terrible death on the cross. For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He gave up His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.( In John 3:16). God has given us a free will. He loves us. Now it is up to us, how we respond to Him. If we stray from Him and realize that we can return back to God, He receives us in love. He doesn’t reject us, He will forgive us. He does not desire that you/you follow Him from the intelligence, but from your/your heart. He wants to know you/you.

(Translated by: Winny Hallatu)