Scripture Reflections

On Sunday, we heard the first part of Luke 15, which is one of the most beloved chapters in Luke’s Gospel. The three parables Jesus tells in that chapter (the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son) remind us of two profound truths: One, God never stops searching for those who are lost; and two, there is great joy in heaven when one sinner repents.
 
The backdrop to Jesus’ three parables is sometimes forgotten. The Pharisees were angry at Jesus for eating with notorious sinners—in their eyes, he was not valuing God’s holiness sufficiently (and therefore endangering Israel) when he ate with prostitutes and tax-collectors. He told them these stories to show that his meals with sinners were both God’s means of searching for the lost and also heaven’s celebration over them being found. The meals were double-edged moments: an evangelistic search and the ensuing celebration when someone repented.
 
By ending the story of the prodigal son with a feast that the older brother is refusing to join, Jesus is both challenging the Pharisees (they are the older brother, who never left God’s home) to enter the search AND inviting them to enjoy heaven’s celebration over each sinner who repents. But they weren’t interested in either invitation; they preferred their own “righteous” company.
 
(There is a lot more that could be said about this chapter! Those participating in the Bible studies on David might see interesting themes in the father-son-brother relationships. There is also the fascinating idea that eating is integral to evangelism. This would have been much more provocative to the Jews than it is to us, because of their food purity laws, but we should still realize that eating a meal with someone is a profound way to demonstrate love.)
 
Interesting ideas aside, there is a simple and clear challenge for us:
 
Do we eat with those who are far from God, or is it safer for us to stay in the company of the “already righteous”? Do we hold a celebration when someone comes to know God, or do we continue to look down on them because of their past?
 
The first two parables end with the declaration that heaven rejoices when a single sinner repents, and the third ends with an invitation to enter into that celebration. May we be a church that doesn’t give up on the sinner, but instead gladly joins both the search team and the heavenly celebration that follows.
 
In Christ,
Steven+