Dinner With JesusSýnishorn

The verses above are from the parable of the prodigal son. In it, a son tells his father he wants his inheritance early, then leaves home, spends it all foolishly and completely, and ends up eating pig slop before he realizes how much he has ruined his life and should go home and submit himself to his father as a hired hand. But as the son rounds the bend towards his house, the father sees him, hitches up his cloak, and runs out to meet him. The younger son doesn’t even say he’s sorry before the father calls for a celebration. This wasn’t just a meal—this was a party. This parable is often seen as encapsulating the heart of God as described by Jesus in the story.

If that’s true, we never have to live in any fear of how God feels about us, how God responds to us, and what God desires for us. More than any kind of perfect behavior, God desires our presence. Just like the father in the story didn’t even require a groveling son, God does not require us to be miserable before He takes us in. God’s ready to set a place at the table. And if we want to be there, God is just waiting for us to realize the door has been open this whole time. Instead of thinking about how God may be disappointed or mad with us, spend some time thinking today about how God might celebrate your presence.