“And (the father) ran and embraced (the younger son) and kissed him.”
– Jesus, “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” (Luke 15:20)
Jesus tells us that when the father saw the son at the edge of the village, he pulled up his robes and ran to him.
In Middle Eastern culture, running was considered shameful. For an honorable man to pull up his robes and run down the road would be similar in our day to a dad running down Main Street in his boxers one morning while the townspeople are out on their porches drinking coffee and watching the spectacle. A man of stature never pranced around in public!
But the father knew that if someone else were to meet the son first, they might beat him, send him away, or publicly humiliate him for shaming the family. The community had nothing but disgust for such a scoundrel.
But surely no one would have noticed the strange, ragged looking fellow at the edge of town if a man of stature in the community was publicly scurrying down Main Street!
See the heart of God – the father standing on his porch with the light on, waiting, watching, hoping for a glimpse of the person who has spurned the relationship that he so longs to have; the father running towards his son, taking the shame of the community upon himself.
Now look at Jesus – the King of the world, allowing himself to be thrown naked onto a splintery cross. As He hung there, shamed, bleeding to death, suffocating in sheer agony, He allowed His Messiahship to be put in question. He willfully took the shame of Israel and the evil of the entire world upon his shoulders. The hate of mankind and the wrath of God fell upon Jesus, as he took the shame and pain that we deserved. Salvation does not come without sacrifice!
Here is the picture of salvation: God – running towards mankind with arms outstretched, not only to embrace us but to take the nails reserved for our punishment.
written by Trevin Wax © 2007 Kingdom People blog
