od continues to love us, no matter what.  We can be mystified sometimes, at the love we have for one another.  We can wonder how a parent could forgive a child who did something very hurtful.  We can wonder how a wife could forgive her husband, or a husband his wife.  In even the most grievous of circumstances human love can remain constant.  If God is infinitely more loving than we, it stands to reason that God's love is much more dependable than human love.  Take a look at these Scripture references and take consolation that God loves us even more than the father loved the son who hurt him so badly.  God will treat us with as much dignity and respect as Jesus did the woman caught in adultery.  God will be much happier with our return than the man who found his lost sheep or the woman who found her lost coin.

Luke 15:1-10

he tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

 

So to them he addressed this parable. "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'

 

I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

 

"Or what woman having ten coins  and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.'

 

In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

 

---

~Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

esus said, "A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.

 

When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.

 

Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."'

 

So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

 

His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began.

 

Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

 

He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.'

 

He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.'"

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~John 8:1-11

hen the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.  Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?"

 

They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. 

 

But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."  Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.

 

And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more."

Scripture excerpts are taken from the New American 
Bible with Revised New Testament and Psalms 
Copyright © 1991, 1986, 1970 
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. 
Used with permission. All rights reserved. 
No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced 
by any means without permission in writing from the 
copyright owner.

e can see that God's love for us is always there.  God's call for us to return is always there as well.  The question has been asked, "When God seems far away, who moved?"  When we turn back, God is there to welcome us!