To love without condition means to love first. That is hard for us. We would rather approach others more guardedly, with the idea, “I’ll love you when…” No matter what that “when” is, it reveals something about us: we place conditions on love. We put the “if” first. But any condition placed on love makes that condition the operating concept rather than love itself. That condition becomes the main thing rather than love being the main thing. And if love isn’t the main thing then it isn’t really there at all. The prodigal son thought his father would “love him when”. He would love him when he apologized well enough. He would love him when he groveled. He would love him when he proved himself. And the older brother agreed. There were all kinds of conditions that the younger brother should have met and didn’t, and the older brother had met those conditions, at least in his own mind. But the father didn’t want to hear any of that. He loved without condition, which meant he loved both of them not when, but already. He didn’t love them because of what they did or didn’t do. He loved them with agape, which meant he loved them without condition.