John Calvin Commentary Luke 15:20

"And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." — Luke 15:20 (ASV)

And while he was still far away. This is the main point of the parable.

If men, who are by nature inclined to revenge and too protective of their own rights, are moved by fatherly love to kindly forgive their children and to freely bring them back when they are overwhelmed by misery, God, whose limitless goodness surpasses all the affection of parents,⁵³⁶ will not treat us more severely.⁵³⁷

And certainly, nothing is ascribed here to an earthly father that God does not promise concerning Himself. Before they call, He says, I will answer (Isaiah 65:24). That passage from David is also well known:

I said, I will acknowledge against me my unrighteousness to the Lord
and You forgave the iniquity of my sin (Psalms 32:5).

Therefore, just as this father is not merely appeased by the pleas of his son, but meets him as he is approaching, and before he has heard a word, embraces him, dirty and unsightly as he is, so God does not wait for a lengthy prayer, but of His own free will meets the sinner as soon as he intends to confess his fault.

It is poor reasoning to infer from this that the grace of God is not shown to sinners until they precede it with their repentance. “Here,” they say, “a father is presented to us ready to forgive, but it is after his son has begun to return to him; and therefore God does not look upon, nor bestow His grace on, anyone except those who begin to seek Him.”

It is undoubtedly true that, in order to obtain pardon, the sinner is required to have a troubled conscience and to be displeased with himself; but it is wrong to infer from this that repentance, which is the gift of God, is produced by humans from their own heart's initiative.

And in this regard, it would be improper to compare a mortal man to God, for it is not within the power of an earthly father to renew the stubborn heart of his son, as God changes hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.

In short, the question here is not whether a man is converted by his own effort and returns to Him; but only under the image of a man is commended the fatherly gentleness of God and His readiness to grant forgiveness.

⁵³⁶ “L’amour de tous les peres de ce monde;” — “the love of all the fathers in the world.”;” — “the love of all the fathers in the world.”

⁵³⁷ “Sera bien pour le moins aussi debonnaire envers nous;” — “will be at least as gentle towards us.”;” — “will be at least as gentle towards us.”