Jesus associated with everyone. It was important to Him that everybody be given a chance to return to God if they were living apart from Him. And when they did return, Jesus said heaven and the angels rejoiced, so precious is each person to the Father (Luke 15:7, 10).


He tells three stories in Luke 15 to illustrate this truth, the last one about a son who leaves his father to pursue all that this world has to offer. When doing so leaves him empty, he decides to return home, his expectations at an all-time low. But his father cannot contain his joy when he sees him coming: he runs to meet him, showering him with love. The father jubilantly instructs his servants to lavish the best of everything on him and prepare a feast. At the celebration, there is music and dancing.


God rejoices as much over our reunion with Him as we do, as our burdens fall away and we feel nothing but His love and compassion. We are united in the celebration of our lives, a party whose refrain will echo for all eternity.