Note 4 at Lk. 15:20: For this boy's father to have seen him "a great way off" would imply that the Father had been eagerly awaiting his son's return. This was not a case of the father reluctantly receiving him back home, as can be seen by the fact that the father "ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." Certainly, in the spiritual application of this parable, our heavenly Father is longing to cleanse and receive the sinner if he will just repent and come to Him for forgiveness.