Luke 15:20 presents the most moving moment in the parable of the prodigal son. A young man who demanded his inheritance early, squandered it in a distant land, and found himself eating pig slop to survive, finally makes a decision: "I will arise and go to my father."

Yet the true protagonist of this parable is not the son, but the father. That the father saw him "while he was yet a great way off" tells us something profound—the father had been watching the road every day, waiting and hoping. And when he "ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him"—in the culture of that time, such behavior from a respected patriarch meant the complete abandonment of dignity.

Before the son could even finish his prepared confession, the father commands his servants: bring the best robe, put a ring on his finger, and kill the fattened calf. This is God's grace. He does not scrutinize our worthiness, does not attach conditions, but simply rejoices that we have returned.

Lenten repentance is about returning to the embrace of this Father. Do not be afraid. He is already running toward you.