To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
Luke 15:11-32

Dear God, there are actually all kinds of scriptures running through my head today. I listened to a sermon this morning based on today’s New Testament reading from John 11 (Lazarus), and the priest referenced this passage about the Prodigal Son. I liked the theme given some of the things that are on my heart today–parents loving children who have left. So I thought I’d pray about it.

But now as I sit here, I’m just flat out lost. My wife and I went out to a winery this afternoon, and I asked her how the father in this parable (you) would have felt if he got word that the son was actually doing well, had not squandered everything, and was living a good life apart from him. She said, “He would have still been sad and sitting on the porch, hoping he would come home.” Is that how you feel when we go off and live our lives without you? Our lives apart from you don’t have to look like disasters. There are plenty of godless people in the world who are functionally successful at this life. Just how sad are you about them? I would guess that your existence as the Creator of all of this would have to be very sad.

Father, I love you. And I thank you for your love. I thank you for your comfort. I pray for your healing in the lives of those I love. I pray for your healing in my life. I learned last night about the death of a young woman a couple of years ago that I actually have a loose connection to her story about back 14 years. It broke my heart. I pray for her parents and family. For their healing. God, bring us all to you. Use this pain and let it count for your glory and our peace. I am sorry for my sin in all of this. If it is possible for me to call for your forgiveness for others like Jesus called for the forgiveness of those who were crucifying him, then I ask that you will forgive everyone involved 14 years ago, and bring us all into reconciliation with you. Oh, Father, make this count.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen