What prompts Jesus to teach these parables in Luke 15? (1-2) Give us the answer, Jesus is explaining the apparent contradiction between him being God’s judge but spending time with ‘sinners’. That word was a common way of referring to someone considered to be under God’s judgement, people like the corrupt and cheating Tax Collectors.
The 3 stories explain why Jesus befriends sinners and in the third story Jesus gives us his definition of a sinner. 15:11-32 The younger son represents the sinners, the elder son the religious leaders and the Father, God
We all have our own definition of sin, from really serious crime to anything that causes injustice to be felt by another. Often our definitions of sin, subtly ensure we are not classed as sinners - ironically that's exactly what the Pharisees do. But Jesus definition of sin is more subtle and more troubling.
V11-13, what was the young man’s offence? It's not that he ends up in wild living, it’s that he demands his share of his Father’s resources and then spends them on himself far away from the Father. He wants what the Father has to offer but not relationship with the Father himself. (It’s actually the same problem the older son has too!)
That is Jesus definition of sin. We claim God’s resources – relationships, food, money, environment, right to live a suffering free life, but want nothing to do with God. Do you see why Jesus definition of sin is so troubling? Because he says sin is not living wildly it is living separately.
But Jesus not only has a unique view of sin but of God.
(20-24) What does the Father do? He sees the son while he is a long way off because he is looking for him, then he runs, embraces and kisses the son before he can offer his apology. Then after the apology the Father lavishes gifts and sonship on him.
Jesus speaks with God’s authority and we need to listen to what he tells us about ourselves and God. Our problem is not what we do so much as how we do it, we cut God out of life, we ignore him. But says Jesus God is a searching, running, embracing, pardoning, lavishing, partying parent who wants to see those who have ignored him return to relationship with him.
He is a God who loves those who deserve his judgement and sends Jesus to warn and to save. That’s Jesus mission, that’s why Jesus befriends sinners to assure them and bring them back to God, whether they alienate themselves by outright rejection or by pride and religion.
The question that comes out is am I a sinner still living at a distance from God or have I returned to him and asked for forgiveness?
No comments:
Post a Comment