“And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”   Luke 15:21

Sometimes the very last thing in the world we feel we deserve is comfort, and yet here in this parable is God, eager to pour the greatest comfort, the comfort of forgiveness, into the life of his most sinful son. He cannot resist doing so, because as the Scripture says, God is love , and love never fails.

Spiritual leader, apply this to your relationship with your people today. How can you overlook their frailties, their ragged sins, and even their offenses against you, and move toward them with forgiving comfort today? If they’re like you (and they are), comfort is the last thing they feel they deserve. Surprise them with your eager desire to give it to them anyway.

The striking thing about this parable is that it is the Father who runs to the son. Runs in eagerness, runs in joy, runs in full-out desire to bring His son back to Him. It occurs to me that often as spiritual leaders, particularly after some experience of inner hurt at the hands of those we shepherd, we find ourselves running from people instead. But there’s no hope of joy in that direction.

Remember… the Father ran.