Prodigal Love for the Prodigal Son

"And kissed him." – Luke 15:20

I'd like you to imagine something. Visualize that you are transported to heaven and you are standing beside the throne of God. God is busy running the universe, commanding angels, and answering prayers. But then, for a moment He pauses, slowly turns His face in your direction, and looks at you! What does God's face look like as He looks at you?

If you are a Christian and you imagine any other look upon the Father's face than sheer delight, then you have not understood the gospel.

Our image of God is often based on our bad experiences with earthly fathers or authority figures. The father who gives his 6 year-old son a stack of books to hold for 30 minutes to "make him strong." When he drops one, the father smacks him. Cruel words said in anger that become mottos we end up living by, such as "you big dummy, you can't do anything right." Or it could be the absence of a father - someone who separated or abandoned himself from his children.

When we become Christians we assume that God is like our earthly father. We need to be reparented in the true image of God. Luke 15 contains a parable that Jesus told about the prodigal son and the loving father. This is a parable that can begin the process of reparenting. If we meditate on this passage we will see the overflowing love of God toward returning sinners.

In the Revised Version of Luke 15:20, if you look at the margin, you will find that the text there reads, "And kissed him much." This is a very good translation of the Greek, which might bear the meaning, "Kissed him earnestly," or "Kissed him eagerly," or "Kissed him often." There is a picture here that is very rich.

Before we focus on the Father's kisses I want you to notice a precious truth. If you come a little way to God, when you are "yet a great way off" the Father will run to meet you. I do not know that the prodigal son saw his father, but his father saw him. The eyes of mercy are quicker than the eyes of repentance.

God can run where we can scarcely limp, and if we are limping towards him, he will run towards us. The more willing you are to admit your sin, the more willing God is to forgive you. When you make a clean breast of it, God will soon make a clear record of it. The son that was willing to use his lips for confession found that his father was willing to use his lips for kissing him.

"When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him." It was not with icy eyes that the father looked on his returning son. Love leaped into his eyes, and as he looked at his son, he "had compassion on him;" that is, he felt for him. There was no anger in his heart towards his son; he had nothing but pity for his poor boy. It was true that it was all the boy's own fault, but that did not come before his father’s mind.

His son deserved all the rough treatment that some heartless men might have given; and had the story been that of a selfish human father, it might have been written that "as he was coming near, his father ran at him, and kicked him." But that's not what is written: "he fell on his neck, and kissed him;" kissed him eagerly, kissed him much.

What does this much kissing mean? It signifies seven things:

First, this much kissing means MUCH LOVE. There is no hypocrisy with God; He never kisses those for whom He has no love. Oh, how God loves sinners! When you repent, and come to Him, you will discover how greatly He loves you.

This much kissing also means much love displayed. The poor prodigal in the parable had so much love displayed to him, that he could have sung of the downpour of his father’s affection. That is the way God receives those whom he saves. He doesn't give them a meager measure of grace, but displays an overflowing love.

This much kissing means further, much love perceived. When his father kissed him much, the poor prodigal knew, if never before, that his father loved him. He had no doubt about it; he had a clear perception of it.
Secondly, this much kissing meant MUCH FORGIVENESS. From this point of view, those kisses meant, first, "Your sin is all gone, and will never be mentioned any more. Come to my heart, my son!

As the father looked upon him, and kissed him much, there probably came another kiss, which seemed to say, "there is no soreness left: I have not only forgiven, but I have forgotten too. It is all gone, clean gone. I will never accuse you of it any more. I will never love you any less. I will never treat you as though you were still an unworthy and untrustworthy person."

There stood the prodigal, overwhelmed by his father’s goodness, yet remembering his past life. As he looked on himself, and thought, "I have these old rags still on, and I have just come from feeding the swine." I can imagine that his father would give him another kiss, as much as to say, "My boy, I do not remember the past. I am so glad to see you that I do not see any filth on you, or any rags on you either."

I pray that you may be able to say, "I understand it now! I see how He kisses all my sin away and when sin rises, He kisses it away again. And when I think of it with shame, He gives me another kiss. And when I blush all over at the remembrance of my evil deeds, He kisses me again and again, to assure me that I am fully and freely forgiven."
Thirdly, these repeated kisses meant, FULL RESTORATION. The prodigal was going to say to his father, "Take me as one of your hired servants." In the far country he had resolved to make that request, but his father, with a kiss, stopped him. By that kiss, his sonship was owned. By it the father said to the wretched wanderer, "You are my son."

"Despite all that you have done, you belong to me. However far you have gone in wickedness and foolishness, I own you. You are bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh." In this parable Christ would have you know that God will own you, if you come to him confessing your sin through Jesus Christ.

Come to your Father’s arms now, and he will hear your prayers. And before many days are over, you shall have the clearest proofs that you are fully restored to divine favor by answers to your prayers that will make you marvel at the Lord’s kindness to you.

You will have all your privileges restored, even as this young man was placed among the father's children when he returned. Now look at him in the father’s house, where he was received with the many kisses, he wears a son’s robe, the family ring is on his finger, and the shoes of the home are on his feet. He no longer eats swine’s food, but children’s bread and fatted calf. This is what will happen to you if you return to God.
But these many kisses meant even more than this. Fourthly, they revealed his father’s EXCEEDING JOY. The father’s heart is overflowing with gladness, and he can't restrain his delight.

The repeated kiss meant also, a repeated blessing. For every time he put his arms round him, and kissed him, he kept saying, "Bless you; oh, bless you, my boy!" Sinner, if you only had some idea of how God would welcome you, and how He would look at you, and how He would bless you, you surely would repent at once, and come to His arms and heart, and find yourself happy in His love.

The many kisses meant repeated delight. That is the teaching of the prophet’s words: "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17). Think of the eternal God singing, and remember that it is because a wandering sinner has returned to him that he sings.
Fifth, these many kisses mean OVERFLOWING COMFORT. The son was so conscious of his guilt that he hardly had the courage to face his father; so his father gives him a kiss, as much as to say, "Come, boy, do not be depressed. I love you."

"Oh, but," the boy might have said, "the future, my father, the future! What would you think if I should ever go astray again?" Then would come another holy kiss, and his father would say, "I will see to the future, my boy."

Whatever there was to trouble the son, the father gave him a kiss to set it all right. And, in the same way, our God has a love-token for every time of doubt and dismay that may come to his reconciled children.

People, when they come to Christ, can be in a dreadful plight. I have known them to talk a lot of nonsense in their despair. But I have also seen how the Lord has received them, "and kissed him much." God brings them from the horrible pit and sets their feet upon a secure rock.
Six, the father's kisses meant STRONG ASSURANCE. The father kissed his son repeatedly to make him quite certain that it was all real. His father gave him another kiss, for there was no way of convincing him that the first was real like repeating it. And if there lingered any doubt about the second kiss, the father gave him a third.

If the first kisses were given privately, when only the father and son were present, it is quite certain that, afterwards, the father kissed him before men where others could see him. He kissed him repeatedly in the presence of the household during the feast, so that there would be no question that he was his father’s child.
Finally, the father's kisses mean SECURITY BEFORE THE CRITICISMS OF MEN. All this was given before the prodigal son's meeting with the elder brother. If you get your Father’s many kisses, you will not mind your elder brother being a little hard on you. Suppose that you have honestly repented and come to the Father, but your brother does not accept your return, withholds his love, and does not welcome you; go and get a kiss from your Father and never mind your brother.

Someone may remind you how you have squandered your living, painting the picture even blacker than it ought to be; but your Father’s kisses will make you forget your brother’s frowns. If you think that in the household of faith you will find everybody friendly, and everyone willing to help you, you will be greatly mistaken. But your Father's kisses will make up for it.

A Prayer:
Lord, give to many poor trembling souls the will to come to you! And while they are yet a great way off, run and meet them. Fall on their neck. Give them many kisses of love. And fill them to the full with heavenly delight, for Jesus Christ’s sake! Amen.

Prodigal Love for the Prodigal Son

The above article is based on a sermon originally given by Charles Spurgeon.