October 29, 2011 – Luke 15

The prodigal son story has been told and talked about a lot, or at least I have heard it talked about a lot, so I don’t want to go into it in too much detail. I will point to the part I find most interesting and easiest to reflect on. The story is left unfinished. The bother comes home, the one brother is mad, father invites him in to celebrate, the end. We don’t know what the older brother chooses to do. Does he continue to be angry or does go in to welcome his brother. The fact that it is unfinished leaves us to reflect on what our choice is going to be. God is telling us that everything He has is ours if we choose to come and celebrate with Him. The answer is of course we want to, but then we see that God is letting in people that we think do not deserve it. Those people we know have lived sinful lives and that we feel more righteous than. And we balk. Why are we celebrating for them, where is our celebration. I have found myself in this boat many times when I think I am doing more than someone else or holier than though. We must be careful. God is willing to welcome back the biggest of sinners, the most lost sheep, and when that happens we are suppose to rejoice fully with God for their return, not be jealous of the grace shown to them.

This also feeds into situations that would come up soon after Christ, and even that He dealt with. In the context, this was mainly talking about sinners that have repented and how those that did not need repentance should rejoice in their conversion. I think it could also be seen as a foreshadowing of the Jewish Christians accepting the Gentiles into the Christian ranks. Christ is saying that it doesn’t matter what you were doing before repentance, everyone is My sheep and when a lost one comes back, you need to all celebrate.