June 10 - The Waiting Father

The Waiting Father

“He got right up and went home to his father. When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him.”  Luke 15:20

  In 1973, Tony Orlando recorded the song, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree." It became the number one hit record for the year and became Tony Orlando's theme song.  It grew into an American melody of hope and homecoming, reunion and renewal. We have used it, and its yellow ribbon symbol, to welcome home soldiers, POW's, hostages and lost children.

As you listen to the words of the song, you get the picture of a young man who has run away from his wife (or girl friend) and has been gone for three long years. Through the lyrics, you sense he might have been in prison.   Now, he has come to his senses and he wants to come home, but he doesn't know what kind of reception awaits him there.

After the hurt and heartache he has caused, he doesn't know how welcome he will be so he has sent a message ahead saying: "If you still love me, if you forgive me, if you still want me, then tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree. If I see the ribbon, I'll get off the bus... if not I'll stay on the bus and out of your life."

Remember the words of the chorus with me:

"Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree. It's been three long years;  Do you still want me? If I don't see a ribbon round the old oak tree, I'll stay on the bus, forget about us, put the blame on me; if I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree." 

A long time ago, a famous little story shared a similar tale that had become famous as the symbols were seemingly interchangeable with the message.  It was about a young man who ran away from his family on a train. He ultimately sent a message of his return requesting a white rag be place on a crabapple tree.  There are such obvious similarities that it just couldn't be a coincidence. Notice how they compare:

The original story takes place on a train rather than a bus.
The young man has run away from his family rather than from a girlfriend.
The tree is a crabapple tree rather than an old oak tree.
And, a white rag is used rather than a yellow ribbon.

But the inspiration for that original story came no doubt as a parallel to one of the most famous stories in the Bible from Luke 15 called the “Prodigal Son.”  The young man defies his father and decides to demand his inheritance as he goes off to “sow his wild oats." He parties with wine, women and song until finally he exhausts his resources leaving him to feed pigs.

In 1636, Rembrandt painted a suggestive portrait of a cheerful and debonair Prodigal with a pencil-thin moustache. He wears a hat with enough plumage to take flight while hoisting a large flute of ale, itself over a foot tall. There is a young lady on his lap enjoying the fun while another promiscuous gal lacking  clothing plays a mandolin in the background. A peacock pie on the table suggests the arrogance of the scene. In Rembrandt and the Bible, a note says that the great painter used himself as a model for this particular canvas. But these stories never end with a soft landing but rather a hard thud.

Ultimately, the Bible says, he loses everything and “He comes to his senses” choosing to return to His father in humility hoping for a servant’s position but not expecting to be treated like a son.  As he comes to his home, the Bible recounts in Luke 15:20, ““He got right up and went home to his father. When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him.”  The father is waiting and runs to embrace and kiss his son. 

There is no portrait of God in any of the world's religions more revealing than this one.  It’s the most powerful picture of “grace” in the Bible you will ever find.  The sin deserved judgment and rebuke but the heart of the father gave proactive forgiveness and embrace. It is the perfect picture of our Heavenly Father who loved us though we deserved the opposite.  Paul wrote in Romans 5:8, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Helmut Thieleke says that we should call this the parable of the waiting father, and he is right. This great parable is the third of three parables in the fifteenth chapter of Luke. One is about a lost sheep, one is about a lost coin, and the third is about a lost boy. It is important for us to see that in this parable Jesus was not interested in teaching us something about shepherding or keeping up with our money or even being good parents. What he was trying to do was to give us a snapshot of God. He is seeking to answer the age old question, "What is God like?"  God is the waiting Father wanting us to return to Him at any moment.  As Tony Orlando’s song concludes, “Now the whole bus is cheering and what do you think I see?  A hundred yellow ribbons round the old, the old oak tree.”  The Father sends that same message to us.  You are loved, accepted and forgiven….and welcomed home leaving no doubt that you are back where you belong…safe in the Father’s arms.

Terry Risser

Reflections:

1)    What would have been an understandable response to the Son’s rebellion?

2)    Why does the story shock us and how does it apply to us?

Consider reading the Word today:

 

Copyright 2014- Terry Risser