The Pharisees are the surly elder brother in Jesus’ parable, and surely they expected that the father would be equally surly – greeting his returned son with harsh rebukes and scolding rather than with joy.
How did they miss it? Israel’s whole history demonstrated the opposite. Israel’s history revealed Israel’s God as the Father of the prodigal, waiting eagerly for the first sign of his wandering son, ready to break into dancing and singing as soon as Israel appeared on the horizon.
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