I doubt that day the prodigal son returned home was the first time in his life his father had forgiven him. There was probably the day he forgot to close the barn door and all the calves got out, or the time he hurried out to go fishin’ with his friends and totally forgot to feed the chickens, then covered by saying it was his brother’s turn to feed them.
I think this because this father in Jesus’ story was a metaphor for God his father, who doesn’t forgive as a one-time incident but is forgiveness as a quality of character.
Knowing that makes me believe that the father also forgave the rotten attitude of the son who viewed himself as faithful. I think that father probably even invited to the party the friends of both boys and friends who probably, on a given day, had not always brought out the best in his sons, but sometimes the worst.
This song, I wrote with our son who has been quick to forgive us on those days we’ve been less than perfect parents, and I can’t imagine anything he could do to make us stop loving him or being eager to welcome him home.
There has ever been only one perfect Father and one perfect Son.
On those days we get down on ourselves, it’s good to know this great Father has already forgiven us, not because he should, not because we deserve it, but because forgiveness is what He is!
