[al_c]

I understand that he came back. But what if he had not? He made the choice to take his inheritance and leave. Of course his father wouldn't disown him and would still consider him his son. But he did give his son the choice to leave ... even risking the fact that he may never return. Yes, we are God's children and always will be, but we are free to leave Him and choose the wrong path.

[Quester]

I understand that he came back. But what if he had not? He made the choice to take his inheritance and leave. Of course his father wouldn't disown him and would still consider him his son. But he did give his son the choice to leave ... even risking the fact that he may never return. Yes, we are God's children and always will be, but we are free to leave Him and choose the wrong path.

Perhaps the parable also tells us that, ... though they may stray for a season, ... in the fullness of time, God's children will always come back home.

[CindyDawg]

I understand that he came back. But what if he had not?

. What if he was killed or died before he returned? We agree that his father would have been sad about how he wasted his life and the good things he could have done, but don't you think that a father that would take him back the way his did would have brought him eternally home too, when he passed on?