In studying the Prodigal Son last week I was very struck by Keller's question Do I pray like an older brother?
The elder brothers prayer does not delve into the intimate relationship with God they enjoy by grace with a God who loves them. Rather the prayer of an elder brother is driven by a desire to control their environment and life.
Fascinatingly at the same time I was continuing to pray a Psalm a day, and for last week each one revelled in the goodness of God, in the privilege of being one of God's people because of his steadfast love. The Psalmist does not pray like an older brother, but provides a model of relational prayer.
Do I pray like an older brother?
Showing posts with label Prodigal Sons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prodigal Sons. Show all posts
Monday, 13 July 2009
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
The Prodigal God
I began reviewing this before my week off for the birth of Malachi. I have just finished the book and want to commend it to you, Keller has done an excellent job in examining this well know parable and bringing it to life again and pressing home its implications and calling both younger and older brothers to repentance.
I am not going to review it chapter by chapter, however I just want to highlight one particular chapter which I found insightful, helpful and provoked me to examine Luke 15 again. In Chapter 5 'The True Elder Brother' Keller begins by pointing out the similarities and differences between the three parables Luke groups together in chapter 15. The key difference, deliberate he contends, is that in the story of the lost sons there is no seeker of the lost. The older brother should have been the one who went off and searched for his younger brother at cost to himself but he doesn't. The Pharisaical older brother makes us long for the true older brother who will seeker the lost son and pay the price necessary to restore him to relationship with his Father. Jesus is that true older brother, who stands making that offer to the very ones who will in a short while reject him and nail him to a cross to die.
It is a brilliant chapter and worth the price of the book alone. The other highlight for me was chapter 7 looking a biblical theology of exile and feast and seeing the parable as a snapshot of the story of the whole Bible and therefore of the whole of history.
Read this book and give it away to friends who have been damaged by older brother types in the church, to those who haven't grasped grace, to those who don't know Jesus as their Saviour. But most of all read it yourself and find the older brother in you exposed and repent before a gracious and lavishly loving Father.
I am not going to review it chapter by chapter, however I just want to highlight one particular chapter which I found insightful, helpful and provoked me to examine Luke 15 again. In Chapter 5 'The True Elder Brother' Keller begins by pointing out the similarities and differences between the three parables Luke groups together in chapter 15. The key difference, deliberate he contends, is that in the story of the lost sons there is no seeker of the lost. The older brother should have been the one who went off and searched for his younger brother at cost to himself but he doesn't. The Pharisaical older brother makes us long for the true older brother who will seeker the lost son and pay the price necessary to restore him to relationship with his Father. Jesus is that true older brother, who stands making that offer to the very ones who will in a short while reject him and nail him to a cross to die.
It is a brilliant chapter and worth the price of the book alone. The other highlight for me was chapter 7 looking a biblical theology of exile and feast and seeing the parable as a snapshot of the story of the whole Bible and therefore of the whole of history.
Read this book and give it away to friends who have been damaged by older brother types in the church, to those who haven't grasped grace, to those who don't know Jesus as their Saviour. But most of all read it yourself and find the older brother in you exposed and repent before a gracious and lavishly loving Father.
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
The Christian and Social Involvement
Last night we held the first of our Where the Rubber Hits the Road series looking at The Christian and... Last night it was social involvement.
We began with 3 questions:
We began with 3 questions:
- Is social involvement something we should do as well as evangelism?
- Is it a means of doing evangelism?
- Or is it a distraction from the main task of making the gospel known?
The case for social involvement
We begin, as we must Biblically, with the character of God (Ps 146:7-9). God is a God of justice and therefore opposed to those who commit injustice. God expects his people to mirror his justice (Deut 10:18-19, Prov 31:8-9, Lev 19:9-18). In OT God condemns Israel for their indifference to the poor and injustice they tolerate (Is 58:3-7, Amos 8:4-6, Mal 3:5). In fact social involvement was to mark out the people of God (Deut 15:11, 24:17-22).
As we move into the New Testament the emphasis is the same (Matt 25:31-46, James 1:27, Gal 6:10, Acts 4:34-35, Mark 12:30-31, 1 John 3:16-17). The believers in the new community are called to social involvement as part of discipleship. To show God's love and stand for God's justice.
The case for evangelizing the poor
One of the key questions we must answer as Christians is what is peoples most pressing need?
(Matt 6:19-20, 7:12-14, 10:28, 12:13-21) The Bible says it is to be reconciled to God and escape his wrath. Our eternal fate is more important than what happens to us in this life.
This is also the greatest need of the poor. It is never enough just to address peoples felt needs. They are a good starting point but no one articulates God’s judgement as a felt need. Without an awareness of eternal need we will find ourselves focusing on temporal needs. So proclaiming the gospel must be central as we engage with peoples temporal needs.
WE must be those who love God, marvel at his grace to us and magnify him by reflecting his concerns and love for others. Both as we engage in Social Action among our communities and as we share and proclaim the gospel to people.
Thursday, 6 December 2007
The Prodigal Sons
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?
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?
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