Luke
15, with its parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the
lost son, is one
of the most-loved chapters in the word of God.
Reflecting mostly on the lost son (verses 11-32), I want to
offer you a
reminder, some reassurance, an opportunity to re-evaluate and one
thought that
is too good to keep to myself.
The
reminder: You will never
be happy when
you are running away. The
younger son
tried it. However, after
wasting all he
was given, he figured out that home was better than he knew. Verse 17 says, “When he came
to his senses…”
he went back home. I love
that!
The
reassurance: We serve a
God who is
waiting, welcoming, running towards and celebrating (verses
20-24). Never let anyone
convince you that God is
mean, angry or ready to slam the door in your face. When God looks at us, he is
“filled with
compassion” (verse 20). Never,
ever,
doubt God’s love!
The
re-evaluation: We can be
in God’s
presence but not in a relationship with him.
That is the position of the older brother. He served his father, but he
did it out of
duty, not love! His
service made him
resentful instead of joyful. Legalism,
keeping the rules simply because they are rules, will always harm
your
soul. So, let me ask you,
are you
celebrating or are you bitter? In
the
end, what your service produces in your heart is more important
than the
service itself (see Matthew 15:8-9).
One
last thought: We love the
stories in Luke
15 because we often see ourselves on the receiving end. We are the lost sheep, coin
and son. But what if we
are not supposed to read
these stories only as if we are passive receivers of God’s grace? What if we are called to be
the shepherd who actively
searches, the woman who tirelessly sweeps and the father who runs
and
welcomes?
Remember,
Jesus told these stories to correct a group of people who were
trying to keep
others out, rather than welcoming them in (verses 1-2).
Please
keep telling about how the lost can come home.
That is our message. But
just as
importantly, join the search! Help
others come home! And
when they do,
celebrate with them.
It
is a
chance to experience, in a small part, the big celebration at our
final
homecoming!
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