First Baptist Church, Montevallo
There are some things about God that we may never fully understand until we face Him in eternity; however, the Bible teaches us that God can be known through Jesus Christ and that He taught us through His earthly life what God is really like.
In Luke 15, Jesus drew for us three portraits of the character and essence of God. He enabled us to view God in a clear and beautiful way through the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. The third story is one of great interest to most people because it is referred to as the parable of the prodigal son; however, it clearly communicates what God is like. This story tells us that the God of all creation is like the father in this story. Jesus enabled us to see the beauty of the character of God through this parable.
In this story, Jesus said God is a loving father who will let you walk away from fellowship with Him but it breaks His heart when you do so. Jesus concluded this story of how God responds by telling how the father watches and waits with great anticipation for his son to return. When he sees him coming down the road, he runs to him and receives him with open arms, a kiss and a party.
There are different interpretations as to the meaning of the prodigal son, but no one can dispute the nature of God in this story. He is patient and loving.
In his short story “The Capital of the World,” Ernest Hemingway tells a joke about a father who went to Madrid and placed an ad in the newspaper. It said, “Paco, meet me at Hotel Montana noon Tuesday. All is forgiven. Papa.” Since Paco is a rather common name in Spain, 800 young men showed up to receive the forgiveness of their fathers.
God can be known and as your Father, He is waiting for your return to offer His forgiveness and love.
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