Our image of who God is, is so important. It's what we take with us when we read God's word. And it's likely to be what we find there when we read. We take our image of God into life and it tends to govern our interpretation what happens to us. Our image of God can also motivate the decisions of our life. Our image of God also affects our decisions and even how we relate to others. For example, if we believe our God is a judge, then it's only a small step for us to become pretty harsh judges ourselves and believe that this is what we are called to do.

But, of course, there isn't just one image for God. We are given many images. No one image can capture him. But our text today contains one of the most important images of God that can be found in the entire Bible. And it can teach us much about who our God is, and what the Gospel is all about.

When we read this parable it's usually the Lost Son who gets our full attention. This morning I want to stay with the Father, the Waiting Father. The character of the story who clearly aims to indicate the nature our God.

"There was a man who had two sons" (V 11) OK fathers, (and mothers), you're getting on in years, slowly withdrawing from the farm work as your two sons take on more and more responsibility. Then one day your younger son calls you over to finally tell you what he's been mulling over in his mind for the last few weeks. "Dad", he says cheerfully, disguising the unbelievable hurt that his next words contain, "Dad, give me my share of the property NOW."

Imagine the pain. This son of yours is more interested in the his inheritance than you. There is no way to disguise the fact he can't wait for you to die. In his mind, your health is an inconvenience. You're worth more to him dead than alive.

So Dad how do you respond? Do you think of the property that's been in the family for years and years, and laugh at this impudent thoughtless child? Give him half the property, yeah right! Do you punish him for his cocky self-centredness? Do you give him a swift clip over the ear and force him back into the field.? Do you argue; lose your cool; treat his cruel request, and him, with the utter contempt he deserves?

What do we read this father did? A simple response. "So the man divided his property." What an amazing father this is!!

For this father nothing is more important than his son and the relationship they enjoy. The family farm is important, but not even close to what his son is worth. Respect as a father is precious especially at this time in the history of the world, but this father is willing to undergo utter humiliation for this son. Relating to this young person is going to mean pain, loss, humiliation, and a huge risk, but there is no hesitation - "So the man divided his property."

The father could laugh in his face, he could order him back to the farm, but this father isn't interested in becoming an ogre, a slave driver, or jail keeper. He wants his son to be nothing less than a son. He knows it means he'll have to suffer the pain of his son's rejection, but his love gives him no choice.

What an amazing Father this is!

The unthinking brat of a son quickly disappears from the scene. And so fathers, what do you do next? Suppress the pain and get on with life? Do any and everything possible to make sure you doesn't lose the other son? Tell everyone that since he's rejected you, you renounce him as a son? Or head for the comfort of the bedroom, lock yourself in, and enjoy a few weeks of deep depression?

The parable tells us that this amazing Father moves his old rocking chair in front of the window, plonks himself into it and waits with eyes fixed on the point the road out of the village meets the horizon. Well OK, it doesn't actually tell us that, but it does say that eventually when the son reluctantly decides to return home, the father sees him coming when he was "still a long way from home". There's no way that can happen unless he's sitting there each day just longing to see his son returning.

What amazing father this is to sit and wait.

And of course, that day does come. You Fathers easily recognize the shape of your son's body even though it is much thinner, you can't miss his gait, even though he's stumbling along more than walking. So what do you do next? You wait that little bit longer don't you. You wait inside. You open the door and used a tone that harries all your hurt, "O it's you is it?" And then when he stammered his apology as of course he would, you would have responded, "Too right you've sinned, you good for nothing fool. Didn't I tell you.... " You would have rubbed his nose in his self-centered hurtful behaviour. You would have said, servant? Don't think so, how about slave! No salary, no responsibility, just orders and obedience till you've earned enough to buy back the part of the farm you've lost. No relationship at all with anyone, until you've proved you know just how much you hurt me, until your brother is confident that you won't do anything like this ever again. You would have made sure that there was no mistake about him knowing just how unfair and utterly evil his behaviour has been.

This Father rushes out like a love sick teenager. Before the son can say anything at all, he's embraced by his Father and smothered by kisses. This Father either doesn't hear his son's request to be treated as a servant, or totally ignores such a ridiculous request. Bring the best robe he shouts (his own robe as master), get the family ring (today it would be the family credit card), and don't forget the shoes (just to make sure the son can't even begin to think of himself as a slave). Then go and butcher our prize calf" this amazing father shouts. There has to be a feast. For he shouts, "This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." There's purpose back in his life, "I have my son back." he tells everyone.

What an amazing giving and forgiving father this is.

And just before the parable ends with and they all lived happily ever after, Jesus uses this image to tell us one more thing about our motherly Father God.

His eldest son arrives home and spits the dummy. He refuses to even enter the house. Let me quote to you from an author who lived in the middle east for quite some time and applies his knowledge of local customs to this story.

"Word of the son's refusal reaches the father and immediately spreads to all the guests. Nothing is secret in the village. This is an open rupture of their relationship. The situation is very serious because all this takes place publically during a banquet. This, the older son's rebellion, is just as serious as the earlier rebellion of the younger son. Everyone in the banquet hall tenses expectantly, awaiting the father's decision. They assume the son will be punished immediately or ignored till the guests as gone. Then he will be beaten."(69 "The Cross and the Prodigal")

But this isn't what this father does. He makes the effort to meet with his pouting son with the big bottom lip.

What an amazing father this is. Even though you and I can see it clearly, this father doesn't agree the elder son has had a rough deal. This father loves his oldest son, but rejects the father image he seems to have.

You might want me to be someone who smacks naughty children and praises the good ones. You might expect me to be a father who rewards those who try hard to do the right thing and punish those who fail. But that's not the type of father I am. I am a father who loves his children. And that's about it. Compared to that all those other things you seem to long for fade into nothingness in comparison. You've never experienced what it's like not to have my love, not to be my son, not to have me as a father. You've lacked nothing. But your brother lost everything. He discovered what life was like outside a relationship with me. Of course he had money, and parties, and pleasure, but he didn't have the life of a son. Your brother was dead! Your brother was lost!

There can be no doubt that in this wonderful parable we are given an amazing image of our God. He's no normal human parent, his love, his forgiveness, his acceptance, go well beyond any human capability. This father blows our minds.

This image of God still causes people today to join the elder son shaking their heads at his unbelievably strange behaviour. It lead the people to Jesus day to nail him on a cross. But this is indeed what the Gospel message is all about.