Well we are back in Canada and have survived the extremely long flight! The kids are no longer jet lagged, but unfortunately they are still trying to adjust to the colder weather here.
Just today Darryl asked me what all the little bumps were on his legs. He was covered in goose bumps from being cold! It just made me realize that my kids truly are getting different experiences overseas.
THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS
I recently listened to a sermon out of Luke 15 - the prodigal son. This is a passage that I have read and heard preached many times in my life and I have always thought that it is a great passage, but I have never heard it explained the way this pastor explained it.
The basic premise of the three stories, as I have always understood, have been about the celebration that happens when someone that was lost is now found. For me, the focus has always been on the fact that God celebrates when sinners repent. I thought that Jesus told three stories in order to reiterate this fact, but I believe that there is more to this section.
The passage starts out with the pharisees and teachers of the law criticizing Jesus for eating with tax collectors and notorious sinners. Basically, he was hanging around with "bad" people. Jesus, knowing the hearts of the people criticizing him, addresses the main issue without there even being a question. The main issue is: How does God deal with bad people?
According to Luke 15, there are 4 types of bad people. We see this by the types of stories that Jesus tells. The first story is about a sheep/person, that is bad because they are careless and wander away. Jesus says that he will search for that person and carry them back to him.
The second type of bad person is the irresponsible person - someone who loses their most precious belongings. Jesus says that he will look for them until they are found.
The third type of bad person is the one who is willfully rebellious, like the son that told his dad that he was tired of waiting for him to die. This type of bad person is rude, disrespectful, and does things to hurt themselves and others. The story shows that nobody follows and tries to find this person, like in the other stories. Sometimes people need to realize things for themselves. When that person finally does come home, there is no rejection, the father is waiting with open arms!
The fourth type of bad person is reserved for those who already know Christ. This special type of bad person is the christian who has been good his/her whole lives and were responsible and didn't wander away. This type of bad person is the self-righteous person who judges the one who was lost and begrudges those who get a party. It's like the movie "Family Man" where the father is shopping and doesn't get anything all day and finally asks, "where are my Mary Janes?"
I am not sure if you can rate these bad people as best or worst, but it seems to me, and scripture kinds of slants this way also, that the last kind of "bad person" is the worst kind. In fact, Jesus doesn't even finish the story because He wants us to realize that the whole story is about us, the fourth type of person. The story isn't finished because He wants us to realize that we can change the way we respond to those other "bad people".
For me, this story has always been about how much God wants the lost to be saved. Now I realize that there is much more to this story - it is about how the saved respond to the newly saved.
I want to encourage you to re-read this story with new eyes and some new insight. Maybe you will feel Christ speaking to you as as I did.
Blessings,
Paul
Blessings,
Paul
