When do I return to my father? (On the occasion of the Prodigal Son Sunday) Key Verse: "So he got up and went to his father" (Luke 15:20) An Engaging Introduction It is said that a preacher once asked his congregation a simple yet painful question: What is the hardest step in a person's life? Is it the step of success? Or the step of service? Or the step of spiritual struggle? Then he said: The hardest step in a person's life is the step of returning. Returning after a fall... Returning after sin... Returning after a long distance from God. Therefore, the great story that the Gospel presents to us on the Prodigal Son Sunday is not just a story about a young man who made a mistake... But it is a story of a big question that God poses to the heart of every person: When will you return to your Father? First: When does a person return to himself? The Gospel says: "He came to himself" (Luke 15:17) A person who is far from God lives outside of himself. He laughs but is broken inside He succeeds but is empty inside He owns many things but his heart is hungry The prodigal son did not return to his father first... But he returned to himself first. He discovered three truths: He discovered his poverty "How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare" He discovered his fall "I have sinned against heaven and before you" He discovered his father's love Many do not return because they have not yet returned to themselves. Second: When does a person decide to return? The prodigal son said the decisive sentence: "I will arise and go to my father" Notice that repentance begins with the word arise. Arise from sin Arise from habit Arise from lukewarmness Arise from a life far from God Repentance is not a feeling... But a decision. How many people say: I will start tomorrow I will pray later I will leave sin after that But the prodigal son did not say tomorrow... He said now. Third: When does a person discover his father's heart? The most beautiful verse in the story: "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion" The father was waiting. He was not waiting to blame... But to save. He was not waiting to hold accountable... But to embrace. God does not wait for your return to say to you: Where have you been? But He says to you: I longed for you. A Touching Story: The White Handkerchief on the Apple Tree It is said that a young man left his father's house after a big disagreement. Many years passed while he was away from home. He felt ashamed to return. After years, he wrote a letter to his father saying: "Father... I know I have made many mistakes. And I do not know if you can forgive me or not. I will come by train next Sunday, and the train will pass by our house. If you have forgiven me, put a white handkerchief on the apple tree in front of the house. If I see the handkerchief... I will know you have forgiven me and I will get off. But if I do not see it... I will stay on the train and leave." The day came... And the young man was very afraid to look out the window. So he asked his friend sitting next to him to look instead. As the train approached the house, the friend began to cry. The young man said to him: What happened? Is there no handkerchief? The friend said to him while crying: There is not one tree with a handkerchief... But all the trees in the field are full of white towels. The father was saying to him: My son... I do not want you to doubt for a moment that I have forgiven you. The Spiritual Message This is how God deals with us. We say: Lord, will you accept me? And God says: I have prepared for you: The embrace The ring The shoes The feast God does not put one handkerchief... But the whole heaven says to you: Return. Conclusion The question that the Gospel poses today is not: Have you sinned? For we have all sinned. But the question is: When will you return to your Father? Today... Before the opportunity ends... Before the heart hardens... Before life is wasted. Get up now and say: I will arise and go to my Father.