All I asked Albert was, “Why are you crying?” In answer, he cried the more. After a while, he said, “I have wronged my step-parents deeply.” His step-parents cared for him when his own parents died. But, without saying goodbye to them, he ran away from them. He lived in the city for many years. Now he felt sorry for what he did. “Return home to your step-parents,” I told him. “Tell them you are sorry for what you did and ask them to forgive you.” Albert said No! Several months later when I saw Albert, I asked him, “Did you return home to your step-parents?” He bowed down and said, “No, I did not.” The Lord Jesus told the story of a young man who ran away from home. He took money and goods from his father and went to a far-away city. After spending his money with women, drinks, and bad friends, he became totally broke, hungry, and sad. He couldn’t even get pig’s food to eat. He was sad, but he did a wise thing. The boy said Yes: “When he came to his senses, he said: How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants” (Luke 15:17-19). The wayward boy didn’t waste time. He returned home quickly, wondering if his father would welcome him home. His father saw him: “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). The boy said to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father was happy to have his son back home. He organized a big welcome party for him. “Let’s have a feast and celebrate,” the father said. “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” God loves us: This story Jesus told is about God and how much he loves us. It is about us who have gone astray from him. We have wasted God’s kindness towards us. But our kind-hearted Father is waiting to receive us back to himself. The boy did the right thing. As soon as he came to his senses, he returned home to his father, and his father forgave him and welcomed him home. When you hear the Good News of Jesus, don’t waste time. Confess your sins and receive Jesus who said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). To receive forgiveness, approach God the wayward the boy did. He was humble, willing to become a servant. He was sorry for what he did, and he confessed. To feel story and yet do nothing about it is not helpful. Albert felt sorry, but he didn’t return home to his step-father. Are you far away from our Father God? Return home. Pray to God. Ask Him to forgive you. Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Then there will be celebration in heaven because you’ve returned home to God. Jesus said, “In the same way, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:710).
All I asked Albert was, “Why are you crying?” In answer, he cried the more. After a while, he said, “I have wronged my step-parents deeply.” His step-parents cared for him when his own parents died. But, without saying goodbye to them, he ran away from them. He lived in the city for many years. Now he felt sorry for what he did. “Return home to your step-parents,” I told him. “Tell them you are sorry for what you did and ask them to forgive you.” Albert said No! Several months later when I saw Albert, I asked him, “Did you return home to your step-parents?” He bowed down and said, “No, I did not.” The Lord Jesus told the story of a young man who ran away from home. He took money and goods from his father and went to a far-away city. After spending his money with women, drinks, and bad friends, he became totally broke, hungry, and sad. He couldn’t even get pig’s food to eat. He was sad, but he did a wise thing. The boy said Yes: “When he came to his senses, he said: How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants” (Luke 15:17-19). The wayward boy didn’t waste time. He returned home quickly, wondering if his father would welcome him home. His father saw him: “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). The boy said to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father was happy to have his son back home. He organized a big welcome party for him. “Let’s have a feast and celebrate,” the father said. “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” God loves us: This story Jesus told is about God and how much he loves us. It is about us who have gone astray from him. We have wasted God’s kindness towards us. But our kind-hearted Father is waiting to receive us back to himself. The boy did the right thing. As soon as he came to his senses, he returned home to his father, and his father forgave him and welcomed him home. When you hear the Good News of Jesus, don’t waste time. Confess your sins and receive Jesus who said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). To receive forgiveness, approach God the wayward the boy did. He was humble, willing to become a servant. He was sorry for what he did, and he confessed. To feel story and yet do nothing about it is not helpful. Albert felt sorry, but he didn’t return home to his step-father. Are you far away from our Father God? Return home. Pray to God. Ask Him to forgive you. Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Then there will be celebration in heaven because you’ve returned home to God. Jesus said, “In the same way, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:710).