A LOVING COMPASSIONATE FATHER

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him!” (Luke 15:20 NKJV).

As sinners, we have rejected the Lord, wandered in far countries, and spent the good gifts He has given us in selfish and often sinful pursuits. God, like the father in the Prodigal story, is watching for us, greets us and assures us of His unchanging love when we turn to Him in true repentance. Thus we want to note a guardian that was alert, a greeting of acceptance, and the great affection of the Father.

A Guardian that was Alert – “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him.” As he gazes at the horizon, the father sees someone in the distance walking toward the house. This tells us that the father was looking for his son’s return. He stayed alert for his arrival. If you have run away from the Lord, He is looking for your return, too. He desires that you come back to Him. He does not force Himself upon us, but gives us opportunities to return to Him again and again.

The Greeting of Acceptance – “And had compassion and ran.” The father looked for his son through a heart of love and compassion. He welcomed and had compassion on his returning, wayward son. The Bible says that he ran to his son; this son who is returning in disgrace and failure. The fact that the father runs is very significant and demonstrates the father’s acceptance. In Biblical times, it was a humiliating, undignified, and an unacceptable thing to do. The father did not care what others thought. His son was home! The Lord Jesus willingly faced humiliation as He died on the cross so that we might be saved from our sins and be accepted by the Father.

The Great Affection of the Father – “And fell on his neck, and kissed him.” When the father reached his son, we have no record of him saying anything. He simply fell upon his neck and kissed his son, even though he was probably smelly and was filthy. He demonstrated great affection for this young man who had spurned, burned, and turned from his dad. The restoration of the son was immediate. The father kissed his son. The Greek meaning indicates he kissed him several times. Kissing was an act of forgiveness or acquittal. It was a pledge of reconciliation and peace. What a wonderful reunion. The Lord will embrace everyone who will put their faith and trust in Him.

(Adapted from Treasure From the Scriptures)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“God is the archetypal Father; all other fatherhood is a more or less imperfect copy of His perfect fatherhood!”

Frederick Fyvie (F.F.) Bruce (1910 – 1990)

British Biblical Scholar and Author

Word Study

Compassion

In Luke 15:20 we read, “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (NKJV).

Compassion is the Greek word word splanchnizomai (σπλαγχνίζομαι = splangkh-nid'-zom-ahee). It mean to have compassion, feel sympathy, have mercy. In classical Greek splanchnizomai means to feel compassion, mercy, pity. The root splanchna refers to the internal organs of an animal or person, such as the heart, liver, or lungs and were regarded by the ancient Greeks as the site of emotions. In the Septuagint, splanchnizomai carries the idea of pity and mercy. In the New Testament, splanchnizomai only occurs in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and also carried the idea of pity and mercy. God in Christ is moved with compassion and pity to act on behalf of a lost and dying world. At the heart of this compassion is His great love for all mankind (John 3:16).

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would intercede to God in behalf of mankind (Isa. 53:12)

New Testament Fulfillment – Luke 23:34; Rom. 8:34

Did You Know…

In the Bible it states that the Lord Jesus has declared or explained the Father (John 1:18).

Bible Quiz

According to Colossians 3, why should a father not “provoke” his children?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: According to 1 Peter, how is the ignorance of foolish men to be silenced? “By doing good” (1 Peter 2:15).

Names of the Lord Jesus Found in the Bible

“Lord of Lords”

"And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!” (Rev. 19:16; 1 Tim. 6:15 NKJV).

1. Meaning – Jesus Christ is Lord.

2. Insights – Jesus Christ is Lord over all! He has this title by right as the Son of God and Creator of the cosmos. It is also a title that He has earned by His humble work of becoming human in order to redeem us through His death.

3. Related Titles – Lord (Phil. 2:11).

Did You Know – Christian History

Francis Asbury was born August 20, 1745 in Staffordshire, England. He was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church consecrated in the United States. Francis Asbury was known as the “Father of American Methodism.”

Reared in a Christian home, Asbury was converted at 15 in his father’s barn. At the time of his conversion, Asbury worked as a saddler. Now he was not content merely to exercise his hands; his conversion had led him to read the scriptures, pray and to reach out to others. He became a Methodist helper and exhorted where he could, even when he was persecuted.

Asbury worked out a system to use his time to the best advantage and develop steady habits. In short, he became methodical, and this blessed his work in later years. Teaching himself, he corrected serious deficiencies in his education. At 4:00 each morning he rose to read and study for 2 hours. 10 of the 16 hours that he was awake he gave to reading and study. For instance, at one point he gave an hour each day to studying the Old Testament in Hebrew, a language he taught himself. Later, in America he would carry books in his saddle bags and read as he rode. He made it a rule to read at least 100 pages a day.

At 17 he was licensed by the Methodists as a local preacher, and at age 21, Asbury became an itinerant lay preacher in the Methodist movement. In 1771 at age 26, Asbury accepted John Wesley’s call for volunteers to cross the Atlantic and minister in British North America.

Highly regarded for his piety, perseverance, and administrative leadership, Asbury was ordained a Deacon, an Elder, and a General Superintendent (Bishop) during the 1784 founding “Christmas Conference” of the Methodist Episcopal Church. During his forty-five year ministry in North America, Asbury rode an estimated 5,000 miles a year, preached 17,000 sermons, ordained 3,000 preachers, founded five schools and distributed thousands of pieces of literature. His organizational skills divided America into circuits and his circuit riders learned the hard life from him. .

Under Bishop Asbury’s leadership, Methodism in North America grew from less than one 1,000 members in 1771 to over 200,000 in 1816. So hard did Asbury work that his health often suffered. But in him Christ once again showed what he could do with a single dedicated life. At his death the Methodist Episcopal Church was the largest denomination in the United States.

A Little Humor

What four words solves Dad’s every problem? “Go ask your mother.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“It’s never too soon to repent, but soon it may be too late!”