The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you
with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
Before we leave the comparison of Peter with the prodigal son we need to remember the the prodigal son is really about the love of the
Father. David Jeremiah makes several points about the love
about the prodigal’s father love for his son. Through them we
see the great love of God for us no matter our situation.
He loves us even when we are wounding His heart
The prodigal son began to despise the father and wanted his
freedom. Peter departed from the Lord and wanted to rule his own
life. In both cases the Lord loves them even as they reject Him. He loves us while we are walking away The prodigal son took
his money and turned his back on his father. Peter’s descent into sin was a deliberate action. TheLord loved him even as He watches turn our back to Him and depart from His presence. He loves us while we are wasting our life The father loved the prodigal while he wasted all he had given him. The Lord loved Peter even as he argued with the Lord over His will. The Lord loved Peter even while he ignored His authority by sleeping when the Lord called on him to watch and pray.
He loves us while we are living in sin The father loved the prodigal while he ate the food of the pigs. The Lord loved Peter even while he sat at the fire with the Lord’s enemies. Perhaps the Lord’s look at Peter, love mingled with disappointment is what broke his heart. He loves us while we are walking on the way back The father looked and watched for his son’s return while the Lord loved Peter even as he struggled in agony with his shame over the evil he had committed and the great treasure from God he had squandered. They were both loved as they pondered if they could dare to return home. He loves us while we are wrapped in the arms of forgiveness The Lord’s love for Peter continued even as he forgave and restored him. It continued as He told Peter that the command to follow Him was still in effect. The love of the Lord for Peter never changed the truth. God’s love and God’s truth always are in perfect harmony with each other – they are inseparably wrapped around each other in His character. He loves us but will never deny His truth to placate us. He loves us while he corrects and guides us The last thing the Lord does with Peter is reestablish what his mission. There is still work for him to do but it must be done God’s way. The Lord wants His servants to be made into His image. To do that they must follow Him. So the Lord speaks the truth in love – this is the way Peter is to walk, no exceptions.
What can we learn? Scripture teaches that God seeks us. If He did not love us and seek us in our sin, we would never seek Him. This is true in salvation when we are dead in our trespasses. We are blind and have no idea who or what to seek but God breaks through with the light of His word. This is also true after we are saved yet sinning against the Lord.
While he is heartbroken over our sin and hates what we do, He reaches out in love to warn us from continuing on the path we are taking. If we refuse His warnings, He allows us, in love, to learn by experiencing the consequences of the desires of our hearts. Peter’s worst week and the Parable of the Prodigal Son show us that without God’s great love for we would be hopeless! Praise His name!