There was a rich man in a village. He had two sons. The elder was with

his father and was obedient to him. However the younger lived a wicked

life under the influence of his bad friendship. He was unwilling to pay

attention to his father's advice. The rich man sold off the produce of

his land and was keeping the entire money at home. The younger son took

all the money without the knowledge of his father and ran away with his

friends to a distant place. The rich man sold off his properties in that

village and went to another city and prospered there. The thought of his

son who, instead of being with him enjoying his wealth, had left him

treacherously, kept troubling him. Out of his love for his son, he

continued to search for him and make inquiries of him with the known

people. However the prodigal son who left his father spent away all

his money. He was lonely and had to sweat out doing menial jobs in a

hotel for his living. He wrote a letter to his father but the letter

came back undelivered. He yearned to see his loving father again. In

this way the father and the son kept looking for each other.

One day, as he was working in the hotel, a letter came to him suddenly.

As he opened and read it hurriedly, he was filled with surprise and joy.

The letter stated as follows: My dear son, this is from your loving

father. I was talking about you to a merchant whom I met. Upon hearing

my story, he gave me your address. He told me that when he was staying

at your hotel, you had told him about yourself. I forgive your

dishonesty. Don't worry. I have enclosed a demand draft for Rs.1000.

Start immediately and come to the following address. I shall come and

receive you. Your loving father.

The son who received the letter believed the letter. He believed the

contents of the letter. He did as advised and reached his father.

Dear children of God, though God had given Adam, our early father, all

the blessings in full measure, he forsook His word and His love and

listening to the words of satan, separated himself from God. As mankind

multiplied, sin too multiplied and the face of God was hidden from man

with humanity losing the relationship with God. Mankind was excluded

from the commonwealth of Israel, was foreigner to the covenants of the

promise, without hope and without God in the world, darkened in its

understanding and separated from godly life because of its ignorance due

to the hardening of its heart having lost all sensitivity. People had

given themselves over to sensuality and indulged with continued lust in

every kind of impurity (Eph. 2:12, 4:18-19).

Mankind was frustrated as its intense search for God and meditation

failed to secure them heaven. But God searched for man and found him.

God willed to reveal to him the path leading towards Himself. He

graciously willed to forgive his sins and transgressions. As that father

communicated his intention to his prodigal son through his letter, God

too sent His word. That word is truth which showed the way to reach Him.

Whoever obeys that word and follows that path, will reach God. That God

is the life of man. Lord Jesus Christ is the truth, the way and the life

(John 14:6).

The God in heaven sent Jesus Christ out of His love for mankind. As the

letter which came to the prodigal son, Jesus also was like a letter

containing the words of God. We express our words by means of paper and

ink or any other media such as telephone, radio, TV etc. In the same way

God too expressed His Word to the mankind through Jesus Christ who was

of flesh and blood like us. Jesus Christ was that Word (John 1:14). In

the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was

God (John 1:1). God was manifested in flesh in a visible form (I

Tim.3:16). Jesus who came to the world in flesh was the letter from God

to man and declared Him as the way to reach Himself (John 14:6). Not

speaking on His own, He tells us only what God tells Him. Just as we use

a telephone as an instrument of communication between one another, Jesus

is the mediator between man and God (I Tim. 2:5). Jesus is the way to

reach God. No one can reach the Father except through Him. Truth is

that which He says for our salvation. There is no other name given

among men by which we must be saved (Act 4:12). When the prodigal son

received the letter from his father, if he had not believed it to have

come from his father, he might have never seen him again. The one who

does not believe in Jesus also would perish without knowing God. Also

though believing the letter, if he does not act according to it, he will

still not reach his father. In the same way, the so called Christians

who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God but do not do according

to His words too will not reach heaven.

Now, are you not willing to believe in Jesus Christ? Why should you be

cursed (I Cor. 16:22). If you had been considered worthy of eternal life,

you would have believed (Act.13:48). "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you

will be saved - you and your household"(Act 16:31). Become true

Christians!

"If any one does not love the Lord - a curse be on him. Come, O Lord!"

(I Cor. 16:22)