The word prodigal means "reckless." It's a word we don't use that much anymore. But you could talk about your prodigal years when you were young and carefree. Or, you could talk about your prodigal uncle who always spoiled you when you visited him.

One of Jesus' most beloved parables is the "Parable of the Prodigal Son". In the 1984 version of the New International Version of the Bible the parable is renamed "The Parable of the Lost Son." (Luke 15 is where you'll find it.)

Lost or prodigal, the son is loved. As the story goes, the son grabs his inheritance while dad is still living, runs off to another country, spends it all, and is left with nothing. He comes back to his senses, returns home, and finds that dad has been waiting for him the whole time. And he doesn't get a cold reception, his father throws a party because he's so glad to have his son back safe and sound. But his older brother doesn't get it. Why should his worthless brother get the royal treatment, when he's been working his tail off the whole time and hasn't gotten anything special from dad?

What's a dad to do? One son abuses his love, another one thinks he can buy his love! What's a dad to do? He loves, and he loves and he loves.

Let's go back to that word prodigal. Who was really the reckless one in the story? It's easy to see the son who blew through his inheritance as the reckless one. But isn't dad a little reckless too? He doesn't say anything about what his son did wasting his money, he welcomes him back and forgives! He doesn't slap his other son upside his head for being so selfish, he loves! He just loves. He can't help it but love, and love and love some more. 

Which of course, is Jesus' point in telling the story. God loves and loves and loves. He loves us when we treat his love with contempt. He loves us when we think we can buy him off with our good works, our church offerings, or our outward righteousness. He loves. He forgives. Not because love and forgiveness are such cheap commodities that he can throw around whenever he likes. No, he can love so much becasue he spent so much. He sent Jesus to be our savior. Jesus lived and died to pay for our sin--to pay God for our sin. God spent his own son to buy us back. So now that sin is paid for, God is free to love us because he doesn't need to punish us.

God has one thought: that you would spend eternity with him in heaven. He loves you. And he will always always welcome you home.