“… his father saw him and felt compassion…”
God is full of foolish love. That’s what the three parables in Luke 15 tell us. Each is an example of God’s foolish and joyful love. God loves you so much that it doesn’t make sense.
Consider the lost sheep. Jesus asks who wouldn’t abandon and risk 99 sheep to go and find one lost sheep. That’s bad business, Jesus! Don’t you know that sometimes you just have to cut your losses and move on? In your case, Jesus says, “Never!” You will never just be a loss cause to be written off. That’s foolish love.
Or consider the lost coin. When it is found, the woman celebrates. She celebrates not because she found 1000 other coins or won the Powerball, but she celebrates because she finds that one coin she had all along. Likewise, God’s love for you never grows old, but is always joyful and new. Jesus never stops delighting in being your Savior.
And the kicker. The crazy dad. He gives half his estate to his younger brat, and then runs to meet him (which wasn’t dignified) and throws a wild party when the younger boy finally comes home. And then this dad actually leaves his party to go find his lost and bitter older son who is pouting in the field. Always gladly loving his sons, even when they are greedy or self-righteous buzz-kills,
Those are pictures of God’s foolish and joyful love for you. The world might think God is crazy for loving you, and when you see your own sin you yourself might know that God is crazy for loving you… but guess what. He does. He has won you salvation in Christ, He has baptized you and brought you into His family, and His House always has His joyous feast of victory for your benefit. This is His foolish and wonderful love for you.
