Joe failed to understand Dad's love

I hope this is not a true story.  It happened before the mobile phone era.

Joe completed his tour of duty in the war in Middle East.  He was flown back to San Francisco.  He called his parents in New York. 
"I'm really glad you are coming home son." said Dad.
"Just a few more days, Dad.  By the way, I would like to bring a friend with me." Joe said.
"Sure, and who is he?"
"Dad, his name is Peter.  He stepped on a landmine and lost an arm and a foot.  He has nowhere to go. Can I bring him home and live with us permanently?  Joe replied.
"Son, you don't understand what you are asking.  It will be too much for us to look after Peter.  We have our lives to go on. Surely Peter has somewhere else to go and someone to look after him? Dad replied.
The phone call ended shortly.

3 days after, Dad received a call from the police that his son Joe had apparently committed suicide.  When Dad went to identify the body, he was stunned that Joe was without an arm and a foot.

Lesson:  Joe should not do what he did.  He should not test his Dad.   Joe did not grasp the immense greatness of parental love.  He did not did not really appreciate the different types of love.

A parent's love to his own child is not the same as his love to another person's child.  There are many parents who have severely handicapped children who require life-long care.  Yet these parents are prepared to forsake everything, glory, freedom, wealth, worldly enjoyment, and even their own lives, to look after their own handicap children for 20 years, 50 years, 80 years. But ask them, the same parents, to adopt someone else's handicap children and accord them the same sacrifice, the answer is no.

Love is like that.  Joe's Dad can sacrifice much, or readily sacrifice everything, for Joe's sake.  But do not expect him to do the same for Peter, who was just another person in the world of 7 billion.  Parental love could be sacrificial.  Other human love could come and go, wax and wane, or turn hot and cold.

There was no need for Joe to use Peter to test his Dad's love.  Joe was the begotten son.  Peter was not.

"So then, you are no longer a slave but a son.  And since you are a son, God will give you all that he has for his sons." Gal 4:7.

Christ has freely invited us to be sons of God.  You decide.