Hey Carpool Crew. No matter where you are riding today, I am really glad you are here. This is Episode 3 of our five-episode Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible series on the story of the prodigal son. So far, we have heard this same story from two very different points of view. First, we rode with the younger son, the one who ran away. Then, we rode with the older brother, the one who stayed but struggled on the inside. Today, we are riding with the father. This story comes from Luke chapter 15, and when Jesus told it, He wanted everyone listening to understand something very important about God. So today, imagine you are riding in the car with the father. You are hearing the story through his eyes. Here is how it felt to him. I was the father. And I had two sons. I loved them both. Not differently. Fully. One day, my younger son came to me and asked for his inheritance early. I knew what that meant. It meant he was done waiting. It meant he wanted freedom without family. It meant he was choosing life without me. Every part of me wanted to stop him. In that culture, fathers had absolute authority. I could have said no. I could have refused. I could have corrected him harshly. But love does not force obedience. So I let him go. And when he walked away, he did not just take money with him. He took a piece of my heart. Every day after that, I watched the road. That matters. Fathers in that time did not stand outside watching. They worked. They stayed busy. They protected their honor. But I watched. Because when you love someone, you hope. I knew the village was watching too. Everyone knew what my son had done. Everyone knew the shame it brought on our family. And then one day, I saw a figure on the road. He was far off. Dirty. Thin. Walking slowly. But I knew. And something took over. I ran. This is one of the most important details in the whole story. Older men did not run. Running meant lifting your robe, exposing your legs, and losing dignity in public. But I was not thinking about dignity. I was thinking about my son. I ran to him before the village could. Before anyone could shout insults. Before shame could land on him. I hugged him. I kissed him. I covered him. And before he could finish his apology, I called for the servants. Bring the best robe. Put a ring on his finger. Put sandals on his feet. Every detail was intentional. The robe covered his shame. The ring restored his authority. The sandals showed he was family, not hired help. I did not test him. I preventively restored him. Because grace does not wait for proof. Then I did something else that shocked everyone. I threw a celebration. Not quietly. Not privately. Publicly. That was not just for my son. It was for the whole village. I wanted everyone to know this. This son belongs to me. This family chooses mercy. This house celebrates restoration. But the story did not end there. Because my older son was missing. So once again, I went out. Just like I ran out to the younger one, I went out to the older one. That matters. I did not send a servant. I did not demand obedience. I went myself. He was angry. Hurt. Bitter. And I listened. Then I reminded him of something he had forgotten. 'You are always with me. And everything I have is yours.' The father's heart is this. I do not love one son more than the other. I do not measure love by behavior. I do not divide grace. I invite both sons into joy. The younger son needed forgiveness. The older son needed reassurance. And I was willing to give both. This story never tells us what the older son decided. Because that question was meant for the people listening. And it is meant for us too. If you are listening today and you feel like you have let God down, this story tells you that He runs toward you. If you are listening today and you feel overlooked, unnoticed, or tired of doing the right thing, this story tells you that God sees you too. The father in this story is not distant. He is not cold. He is not waiting to punish. He is watching. He is running. He is restoring. And that is what God is like. Before you go, remember this. We are still in the same story. We look at it from one point of view at a time. Next time, we are going to hear from the people who were watching all of this happen up close. The servants. The ones who had to help grace take action. That is Episode 4. Remember, no matter where you are or how you are listening, God loves you.
