Why did He run? Luke 15 Why did the Fath

Why did He run?

Luke 15

Why did the Father run?
Was it because He loved the son? Was it because He was so excited he was coming home?
Both those things but more.
The son had not only shamed his father. He had shamed the community.
The community held to the belief that children honoured their parents. It is the 5th commandment. In the Torah the curses and blessings are clearly emphasised for the disobedience and obedience of the children to their parents. At the time of Christ stoning was still being used for shameful sins. This kind of community policing is not just in the Jewish culture.
Even today in some tribal areas of Africa, community leaders will excommunicate a shameful person from their village announcing that the sinner never to be allowed to come back home.

While he was still long way off, the father ran …
Quick! Bring me the best robe …

Now why did the father run? Why was he in such a hurry to make his son look like his son again? He got to His son before the community leaders did!
There will always be a community that want to pass judgment on those who have sinned.
We need more fathers.