The story of the prodigal is the summary of the entire Christian faith.

It is the Christian faith in a story.

It is Christianity in a capsule.

You see, the prodigal story is the story of every one of us.

Every one of us who sought to live for self, and we did, only to discover the painful consequences

of that living for self is nothing but a mirage.

No fulfillment.

It's the story of every one of us who pursued the mirage of the world's attraction

only to discover it's a dust. It's the story of every one of us who have searched for fulfillment

in life and come to realize that fulfillment is only found in the one who made us and created us and redeemed

us. But, believe it or not, the story of the prodigal is not primarily about the prodigal.

Now, a lot of people misunderstand that. It's primarily not about either the younger son or the older son. The story of the

parodical is primarily about God. Before Jesus came from heaven, God, Yahweh, Elohim, appeared in the

person of Jesus before incarnation, to Abraham, to Jacob, and to Daniel,

and to different people for a period of time, just a short time, for a specific purpose.

And all we know is through their eyes.

But God wanted us to know him fully. God wanted to reveal himself fully. God wants us to know

what is like. And so God the Son came from heaven to reveal to us what God the Father is all

about. When God the Son revealed God the Father, he revealed him throughout his own virgin birth,

life, death, on a cross, resurrection. But he also revealed him by telling us some stories to illustrate

what God the Father is like. And so he tells the story of the Prodigal.

Jesus, in the story, attempts to reveal the heart of the Father.

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