I AM ... AcceptedSample

Welcomed at the Table

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20 NIV)

In this parable, the father does not wait at the door with arms crossed, requiring an explanation before offering welcome. He sees his son while he is still far off and runs.

The word Luke uses for compassion here describes a deep, visceral movement of love that acts before thinking and welcomes before demanding.

The son had prepared a speech. He had rehearsed what he would say to earn some small place in the household. He expected negotiation, perhaps a reduced status, certainly a period of proving himself before trust could be rebuilt.

What he received instead was a robe, a ring, a celebration, and a father who never stopped watching the road.

Many people approach God the way the son approached his father: carefully, rehearsed, braced for conditions they are certain must be coming. They keep a running account of their failures and assume this particular season of distance has made them less welcome than before.

Jesus told this story to correct that assumption.

The Father is not standing at a distance calculating your debt. He is watching for you, ready to run. Acceptance in this house is not offered to the son who earned his way back. It is offered to the son who came home.

Prayer

Father, thank You for running toward me before I could say a word. When I approach You expecting conditions, remind me of this story. You are not waiting for my explanation. You are waiting for me to come home. Help me to simply come. Amen.