The Parable of a Father’s Love

Luke 15:11-24

A mother and her four-year-old son were looking through an old family photo album. The boy pointed at a picture of a handsome young man with dark, curly hair. He asked, “Who’s that?” She told him, “That’s your father.” The boy looked confused. “Then, who is that bald guy who lives with us now?”

The father of five children had won a toy at a contest. He called his kids together to ask which of them should have the present. Who is the most obedient? he asked. Who never talks back to mother? Who does everything she says? Five small voices answered in unison. “Okay, Dad, you get the toy.”

Today is Father’s day. This is a day when we remember and honor our fathers. Our father will always be there whenever we need him. He provides everything that we need. He encourages us, guides us and protects us. He always waits for us. We should always give thanks for every father’s support. God wants us to honor and respect our fathers in Christ.

Once Mark Twain said, "When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in 7 years.” The attitude of children toward their parents changes, as they grow older. As they mature, many begin to recognize that father knew a lot more than they gave them credit for.

A man had two sons. The oldest son was very obedient, and the youngest son was very rebellious. When the rebellious son was old enough, he asked his father for the portion of the inheritance that was rightfully his, and he promptly left home and wasted it out all on partying and prostitutes. He never – not even for one moment – thought about his father. When a famine hit the land where he was living, he had no food, no money, and no friends. So he hired himself out as a farm hand whose main job was feeding pigs, in which pay was poor and working conditions were terrible.

One day, he was so hungry and so miserable that he came to his senses, realizing that even the hired hands on his father’s farm received better treatment than what he was experiencing on the pig farm. So he quit his job and started for home. He was broken, humbled and wanted to be received back by his father–but not as a son–this time, just as one of the farm hands

Meanwhile, what was his father doing? Was he angry with his rebellious son? Was he preparing to sue him to regain the property? Absolutely not! Day after day, the father had been scanning the horizon for any sign of his lost son. And finally, when the younger son at last returns, the father couldn’t wait to see his son and he sprang to his feet and ran to meet him. In ancient Palestine, it was regarded as unbecoming and a loss of dignity for a grown man to run. Yet the father set aside all concern for propriety and ran. He was moved by compassion, and his joy carried him down the road to his young rebellious son.

With open arms, he embraced his son, pulling him tightly to himself. Before the son could say, “I do not deserve to be called your son. Please receive me as a servant instead,” his father interrupts him, giving instructions to his servants. The father dresses his son in a fine garment, puts a ring on his hand, provides a holiday calf for the feast, and celebrates saying, “This child of mine who was dead and has come to life, who was lost and now is found.” Then the father, in his overflowing joy, arranges a feast with this son as guest of honor.

The account of the prodigal son is the all time favorite story about fatherly love. But it is most often called the parable of the prodigal son. The focus of the parable is the father. This is not a parable about a younger son or a parable about an older son, but a parable about a father--especially a waiting father. This parable describes the passion of a caring father for his runaway son.

A father had a young son who was very ill. After the boy had undergone an exhaustive series of tests, the father was told the shocking news that his nine year old son had a terminal illness. The youngster had accepted Christ as his Savior, so the father knew that the boy would go to heaven when he died, but he wondered how he could tell his young son that he soon would die.
After a long time of praying, he went with a heavy heart to the boy’s bedside. First, he read a passage of Scripture and had a time of prayer with his son. Then he gently told him that the doctors could promise him only a few more days to live. “Are you afraid to meet Jesus, my boy?” asked his father. Blinking away a few tears, the little fellow said bravely, “No, not if He’s like you, Dad!” What’s your dad like?

Today is Father’s day. Today is a day to celebrate the goodness of fatherhood. This is a day when we remember and honor our father’s love and commitment. As children, have you thanked your father for his love toward you? We are thankful for fathers’ support, guidance and love. We thank God that He has blessed us with special fathers.

A father is a good provider. As long as he is capable, he is willing to labor hard to provide shelter for his family, and food on the table. However, I strongly believe that Christian fathers are not judged by how much they earn or how many material goods they can provide. What does matter to his children, is how he introduces, educates, and guides them to Jesus Christ and how good a faithful Christian role model he is.

When I look back on my relationship with my father, I have just a few memories of playing, enjoying, going out with him. Because in Korea, to be a pastor means being a public person, so he, who has been a pastor for forty-three years, is not just my father, but father of the whole congregation. Although he was always a good shepherd, and I respect his life and passion for ministry, he didn’t get a good grade as the father of three children because he was always busy and spent a lot of time away from his family.

In spite of this, my father taught me many things. He taught me how to ride a bike, how to say grace at mealtime and how to pull out a loose tooth. He showed me through his example how a loving husband and father should act. But most of all, he taught me to love and obey God. He taught me that, not only with words, but also with his life everyday. He gave me food to eat, clothes to wear, and a warm house to live in. But all that was not as important as teaching me to love and obey God.

Fathers are very important in God’s plan for the family. Fathers have a wonderful opportunity to encourage, to warn, to teach, to counsel, and to model the Christian life for their children. The most important job for fathers is found in Deuteronomy chapter 6 to teach their children to always love and obey God. Paul said that fathers should raise their children in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Christian fathers who do this will distinguish themselves from other fathers and will be obedient to God’s will. God desires that our children should be nurtured by fathers who love the Lord.

A man and his young son were climbing a mountain. They came to a place where the climbing was difficult and even dangerous. The father stopped to consider which way he should go. He heard the boy behind him say, “Choose the good path, Dad; I’m coming right behind you!”
As Christian fathers, are you doing your job? I am not talking about providing a cozy house, food for the table, and high education. By establishing the disciplines of worship, prayer, and Bible study in your own life, you’ll be prepared to integrate these into teachable moments with your children.

Chaplain Richard Halverson of the United States Senate told the story of a time when the subject of prayer in schools came up just before a Senator was to give a speech to several hundred men at a church’s annual men’s dinner. In response to the Senator’s question about how many of the church men believed in prayer in the public schools, nearly every man present raised his hand in the affirmative. Then the Senator asked, “How many of you pray daily with your own children in your home?” This time, only a few hands were raised. The power of a father’s blessing cannot be overestimated. Bless your children daily. That is your privilege as a father in Christ.

A father is the head of his family. A father does this, not out of insecurity, selfishness or pride, but out of the desire to be an obedient servant to God. (Ephesians 5:22) In this day and age when the concept of the family is under attack, and the role of the father is made light of, let us show our support of the institution of Fatherhood by loving and honoring our Fathers, and by being good Fathers; and by remembering and loving and honoring the greatest father of all - God the Father Almighty.

The Parable of a Father’s Love

A Father's Love - Sermon On-line - Reverend KyungMo Koo