G-d, the Almighty, the Ancient One, the Everlasting One, reveals Himself to humankind by means of three footprints in the sands of Time.
The three footprints can be found if one reads the Parable of the Prodigal Son especially with a focus on the One who told the parable. (Luke 15:11–32)
There is the Father, the One who has a home and a field in which His sons find habitation. That home and field is Earth, the planet where each human being is provided a place to live in and prosper.
The Father is rich in love towards his progeny and provides them with everything necessary for them to be happy and to flourish under His loving care.
Of course, the time always comes when one or the other of His sons is finally discontented with all that has been bestowed. He demands his share and His Father duly apportions him without question.
The adventurer now disappears into a life of unseemly hedonism till he is left with Nothing. In his consternation, he returns to His Father who welcomes Him home with joy and restores everything to him.
The footprints of the Father are made visible by the narrator of the parable, Yeshua HaMashiach.
Gaze closely at the first footprint left by the Father. One might notice His unquestioning generosity even as His son disappears into the horizon. Here, THE WATCHING FATHER is revealed as the One who watches over all things visible and invisible.
One might even comprehend, inside this first footprint, THE WAITING FATHER, pregnant with good intentions and expectations and waiting for all things to fulfilled, for the moment when that which seems to be working towards an evil end for His son is transformed into something good, into that which expresses His fundamental nature which is Goodness and Mercy.
Then first footprint is left by THE WATCHING-WAITING FATHER, whose watching and waiting is hardly in vain.
When one comes to the understanding of the first footprint, then one might see into the second footprint left by the Father into which one might step in or up.
This footprint may be seen a composite of the many footprints of the Father who runs down the road as soon as He spots a son who is making Teshuvah or returning home as a broken being. Put one’s foot into this footprint. One will suddenly realise the many hard steps the Father Himself took running down the road towards a returning son.
Inside this second footprint is THE HALFWAY-THERE FATHER, the One who meets penitents halfway down the road even as they are homeward bound.
Luke 15: 20 So he got up and started back to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him warmly.
For a long, long time human beings experienced only these two footprints left by the Father in the sands of Time.
Indeed, many are yet to come to even the first footprint.
Some remember THE WATCHING-WAITING FATHER and are wondering whether or not to return to Him.
Some others have gone forward, made Teshuvah, and found the second footprint of THE HALFWAY-THERE FATHER. They make it back to the Father’s home.
But now, in the present aeon, a third footprint has been left for humans to find. This footprint, strangely enough, includes and supercedes the first and second footprints.
That is, if one finds the third footprint, one need not come up (as it were) to the altar by steps.
The third footprint is of the Father who goes beyond watching and waiting or running halfway down the road to meet one who desires to return to Him.
Gaze into the third footprint and one will find therein the person of Yeshua HaMashiach.
He is THE ALL-THE-WAY FATHER.
Or, one might say THE ALL-REDEEMING FATHER.
He has come ALL THE WAY down from His dwelling place in the Eternal to the lowest parts of the Earth to redeem each and every human being.
One no longer has to just remember a generous, watching, waiting Father.
One no longer has to just listen for the running footsteps of a Father who meets one halfway down the road as one crawls back to Him.
This third footprint reveals The Father who has Himself come down to humankind.
John 1:14 “The Davar became flesh and mishkaned (tabernacled) among us, and we gazed upon His glory: the One and Only of a Father, full of steadfast love and truth.”
The Father has come down even into the place where one might be eating pig’s food to survive.
You and I have not returned to the Father. The Father has returned to us.
John 15: 16 “It is not that you have chosen me; but it is I who have chosen you. I have appointed you to go and bear fruit that will be lasting; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
This is Yeshua HaMashiach, THE FATHER.
Emmanuel, G-d with us.
John 14: 7 “Because you have known me, you will also know my Father; from now on, you do know him — in fact, you have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us.” 9 Yeshua replied to him, “Have I been with you so long without your knowing me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me? What I am telling you, I am not saying on my own initiative; the Father living in me is doing his own works. 11 Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me.
The Father is now beside you, with you. The Father desires to be inside of you.
John 14:23 And to this Jesus replied, “When a man loves me, he follows my teaching. Then my Father will love him, and we will come to that man and make our home within him. (J B Philips)
The first and second footprints are analogous to Hebrews 1: 1 In days gone by, God spoke in many and varied ways to the Fathers through the prophets.
Sometimes, G-d spoke through the first footprint to those who found it and they remembered the watching-waiting Father. Sometimes, G-d spoke through the second footprint, in progression, and those who found it found the Father who met returning humans halfway.
But, now in this present aeon, the third footprint is left as a clear imprint for all to find. Those who see it and gaze into it know that the Father has come right down to the lowest parts of the earth to embrace and redeem each one.
Ephesians 4:10 The One who went down is Himself the One who also went up, far above all of heaven, in order to fill all things.
John 1:14 “The Davar became flesh and mishkaned (tabernacled) among us, and we gazed upon His glory: the One and Only of a Father, full of steadfast love and truth.”
1 Peter 2: 21 Indeed, this is what you were called to; because the Messiah too suffered, on your behalf, leaving an example so that YOU SHOULD FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS.
Shalom!
RudraPrajapati 