"And the [prodigal] son said to [his father], 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be cal-
led your son.' "
To me, this is one of the most poignant and beautiful sections of Holy Scripture. The Prodigal Son is on his way home. He has been rehears-
ing his lines. He's musing to himself, "Remember to say, 'I have sin-
ned.' Don't forget the 'No longer worthy' part. And be sure to finish with, 'Make me like one of your hired servants.' "
The Son does pretty well at getting his speech out--but before he ever gets to his last line (about being a hired servant), his father is all over him, showering love and acceptance on him. So it is with God: He is a loving Father, who forgives His Own, and receives them into His em-
braces. This is a picture of God's love for the church Jesus procured with His precious blood atonement.
[Puritan quote of the day: "If anything in us or on our part could stop God loving us [His church], then He would long ago have turned away from us." --John Owen, in, "Communion with God"]
