Scandalous Love

The religious mind often changes the Good News from a story of God's unconditional, loving acceptance into a loveless deposition of a legal case, requiring proper acknowledgment of guilt, accompanying shame, appropriate, verifiable repentance, and then a trial period for behavior modification. The younger son (known as the prodigal), doesn't change the Father's mind about him, rather he is greeted by his father RUNNING to him from a distance to welcome him, then throwing him a LAVISH, scandalous party!