While still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was filled with compassion. The parable of the prodigal son is one of those teachings of Christ that sometimes appear unrealistic and beyond our abilities. "I just can't buy that," we might find ourselves saying, "how else will the young man learn his lesson?" It is a teaching that requires that we stop thinking as human beings and start thinking as God does. But can we? Is that even possible? Others have advocated that we stop looking at it from the perspective of the sons, and approach it from the father's perspective. It has even been suggested that it be renamed "the parable of the compassionate father." And rightly so, because it is the compassion of the Father that Jesus wanted to talk about. 
This approach of focusing on the father's compassion rather than the son's squandering is furthermore corroborated by the artistic renditions of this parable. In most of the arts, the father is always there together with the son. Rarely is the son depicted by himself. It is what the father does while with the son that captures the imagination of the artists. Some even take this to another level by depicting the father alone. In one of such cases, the father is depicted staring into the distance hoping to catch a glimpse of his son returning home. And when he finally catches a glimpse of his son, he doesn't sit and wait for him to get home. No, he rushes towards his son and throws himself onto the son. The father gets overcome with joy at the sight of his son finally "come back to life." It becomes such a powerful moment so much so that everything else remains at bay. Everything is forgotten, including the speech that the son had prepared. The father deems his son’s speech non-consequential and doesn’t allow him to remain kneeling as he addressed him. He promptly raised him up in order that the two could see eye to eye. He wanted to see the son that was hidden behind the tapered and smelling clothes. He wanted to see the son hidden behind this thin and emaciated figure that was crouching before him. He wanted to see him as he was: his son and a fellow human being. He did not let the knowledge of the amount of wealth the son had squandered prevent him from showing him compassion. He did not want the guilt of his son prevent him from giving him a fatherly embrace. No. He wanted to be free: free to have pity on him.
This is the compassion of the Father. This is how God treats us when we come to him as sinners. He forgets our sins and rejoices in the knowledge that we are alive again, and that we have come back home. It was not what the son did that became important but rather what the father did. The father gave back to the son his life. God gives us back our lives when we ask for it whenever we repent our sins and ask for forgiveness.