“Abba-Father” is full of compassion for you
Compassion is not something that we have to wait for. Compassion is not something we need to be good enough for. Jesus gave us a parable that describes what the Father’s compassion looks like. The story of the Prodigal Son in today’s Gospel reading illustrates that compassion fills the Father’s heart even while we are still far off-track in the Christian life.
Abba-Father cherishes us no matter what we’ve done. He waits, full of fatherly yearning, for us to turn away from our sins and turn toward Him. That’s all we need to do; just turn around. And the moment we do that, He runs to us! He wastes no time but immediately embraces us, welcomes us, and kisses us with His super-abundant Love.
The prodigal son had not yet asked his dad for forgiveness when he felt forgiveness wrap around him like a warm blanket. His confession came afterward. This is how the Father treats us. When we sin, He waits for our repentance with eager anticipation. He feels the pain of our absence. His Fatherly heart yearns for the moment when we’ll realize that we’re better off with Him than in the pigsty of our sins.
Just like Father God is focused on our turn-around and celebrates our repentance, so should we. Instead of unceasingly wallowing in regret, we can learn from our mistakes, and we can grow stronger in our commitment to live as the saints that God gifted us to be when we were baptized.
When my imagination illustrates the story of the prodigal son, I see the son limping toward home. He’s walked a long distance on an empty stomach. He’s weak and barely able to trudge through the last few miles of the journey home. His father runs to him and cries tears of joy and relief while hugging his son. Then he provides his own strength to support his son for the rest of the journey home.
Abba-Father is bracing you up, too, in your weaknesses — even before you conquer that persistent sin that makes you feel so unworthy. In his tremendous compassion he is giving you powerful support.
The problem is, such compassion is unimaginable for those of us who were abused or neglected or rejected by parents. If we grew up in a home where we did not feel our parents’ compassion during punishments, we subconsciously project their character flaw onto God’s Fatherhood. Then, when our prayers go unanswered, we automatically assume that God is lacking compassion.
That’s why I wrote the book, “The Father’s Heart.” I use my skills as a spiritual coach to I lead you through a series of spiritual exercises that will heal you from your father wounds. One chapter guides you through the process of learning to identify the Father’s compassion for you in your daily life. Order the book now @ enroutebooksandmedia.com/thefathersheartbookone.”
The passage speaks of God, referred to as “Abba-Father,” who cherishes us unconditionally, yearning for our return and offering immediate embrace, welcome, and abundant love upon our repentance.
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
- Unconditional Love: The core message is that God’s love for us is unwavering, regardless of our past actions or present state.
- Fatherly Yearning: The passage emphasizes God’s desire for our return, portraying him as a father who waits patiently and with a longing heart for his children to come back to him.
- Repentance and Return: The act of turning away from sin and towards God is presented as the key to experiencing his love and grace.
- Immediate Response: The passage highlights the immediate and enthusiastic response of God upon our repentance, depicting him as running to us, embracing us, and welcoming us back with open arms.
- Abundant Love: God’s love is described as “super-abundant,” emphasizing its limitless and overflowing nature.
- The Parable of the Prodigal Son: The passage draws on the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:20, which illustrates God’s unconditional love and willingness to forgive.
- “Abba, Father”: The term “Abba” is an Aramaic word for “father” and is used in the Bible to express a personal and intimate relationship with God.
- The Holy Spirit: The passage also alludes to the role of the Holy Spirit in helping us to experience God’s Love and to cry out to Him as “Abba, Father”.