581st Post Jesus Said Concerning Parables Con't. - Parables on Forgiveness Con't. - Parable of the Prodigal Son Con't. 8th Post - Luke 15: 11 - 32.

Parable of the Prodigal Son Continued 8th Post. Luke 15: 11 - 32.
Last Post we were talking about the father and watching his actions as he approached his son.  When the father reached his son, he fell on his son's neck and kissed him.  Remember this son had been feeding pigs, and had traveled a great distance to get home.  This was before the time of public showers, I don't think the Roman baths would have let him enter the way he was, and not having any money, I don't think they would have had compassion on him and let him use their facilities for free.  The father falls on the son's neck and kissed him.  This shows the love of his father, even in the condition his son was in, his father hangs on his neck.  Hangs on his neck, is a phrase we don't use often in the west, but it means, the father hugged his son deeply, and spent some time in this position.  Hugging is something we have lost in the west, we don't show outward signs of affection in public, like the people did in this story.  The son confesses that "he had sinned before his father and God."  The father then tells his servants to bring him a robe and put a ring on his finger, put sandals on his feet, and kill the fatted calf.  By asking the servants to do this the father was showing that he was restoring this son to his rightful place he had enjoyed before he sinned.  This love the father showed is agape love.  I am running out of space here will post more on agape love in next post.