A Glimpse of Eternity
The Parable of the Prodigal Son, No. III: The Return, 1882
JAMES TISSOT
Etching on laid paper, second state of two; The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1968
Opening Prayer:
Lord, please draw my attention to the good, true, and beautiful in this artist’s work.
Open my mind to realize connections between the captivating elements of this etching and my core yearnings.
Stir within me those yearnings that expose how my soul longs to be with You for every moment of this life and for eternity.
Take some time to read the following passages of Scripture:
Luke 15.20b-24
English Standard Version
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
Hosea 11
English Standard Version
When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 The more they were called,
the more they went away;
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning offerings to idols.
3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up by their arms,
but they did not know that I healed them.
4 I led them with cords of kindness,
with the bands of love,
and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,
and I bent down to them and fed them.
5 They shall not[b] return to the land of Egypt,
but Assyria shall be their king,
because they have refused to return to me.
6 The sword shall rage against their cities,
consume the bars of their gates,
and devour them because of their own counsels.
7 My people are bent on turning away from me,
and though they call out to the Most High,
he shall not raise them up at all.
8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
9 I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and not a man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.
Reflections:
Eyes fixed on the limp, kneeling body, not even opening his eyes as he has finally found himself back in the arms of his dad: has there been a moment when I was this weary of fighting to keep my head above water? This weary of trying to get out of that sin cycle or be okay without that relationship or just get my life in order?
The father’s hand pulling the son’s head closer into his arms, without aversion to whatever uncleanliness may be caked in his hair: can I think of a moment when I’ve felt loved so absolutely? Or a moment when I’ve wished someone would be there like that?
This parable describes such a Father and recognizes such a son. “But while he was still a long way off,” Luke writes, “his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran” (15.20, emphasis added). This is not a passive “of course I love you.” C.S. Lewis writes, “To please God… to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness… to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son- it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is.” The arresting beauty of Tissot’s etching is not mere wishful thinking. In Old Testament passages as well, we see this character of the Father’s heart for Israel on display:
How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and not a man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.
This is the kind of father God is, always and forever. This is the content of His heart. What a hope in the face of the ache to be seen and loved in the very ways we feel overlooked or unlovable.
Closing PRAYER:
God, please make me aware of Your nearness as I think of the things in my life that are making me weary. Help my heart believe how deeply You love me.
Father, if there is something in my life, thoughts, or habits right now that has me straying from You, please give me the grace and power to return home.
