God's House
Luke 15
The story of the prodigal son is perhaps one of the most famous passages in scripture. The story is simple in that a son, who takes his inheritance early, wastes it on whores, and finds himself starving and penniless, decides to go back to his father so he can regain his position and status. The father is overjoyed at his son's return, but the other brother is angry! Why would his father so easily accept the lost son back into the family? Why would he throw a party for him when the other brother has always been a present and faithful servant to his father?
It can be easy for us to get caught up in the story and feel good about being welcomed back into God's family no matter who we are or where we've been, but the point of the story is very compelling, especially when you consider the context. Jesus told this story to the religious leaders because they were upset with him. They were mad at Jesus for hanging out with the dregs of society. Watch carefully, though, how this story is introduced...
"By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The [religious leaders] were not please at all. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." Their grumblings triggered this story..."
Imagine for a moment what kind of people Jesus must have been hanging out with - prostitutes, criminals, drunks. Today it would be like spending time with druggies and the homeless, calling them your best friends. Very few of us would look at a man doing this and think "that is a holy man." We would assume he is one of them, falling victim to the same death-dealing situations as those he is surrounded by. But Jesus points to the heart of the Father - all people are God's beloved. God doesn't seek to save only those who are living good lives; God seeks to redeem all people, and he will rejoice at every single one that is brought back into his house.
The story of the prodigal son is perhaps one of the most famous passages in scripture. The story is simple in that a son, who takes his inheritance early, wastes it on whores, and finds himself starving and penniless, decides to go back to his father so he can regain his position and status. The father is overjoyed at his son's return, but the other brother is angry! Why would his father so easily accept the lost son back into the family? Why would he throw a party for him when the other brother has always been a present and faithful servant to his father?
It can be easy for us to get caught up in the story and feel good about being welcomed back into God's family no matter who we are or where we've been, but the point of the story is very compelling, especially when you consider the context. Jesus told this story to the religious leaders because they were upset with him. They were mad at Jesus for hanging out with the dregs of society. Watch carefully, though, how this story is introduced...
"By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The [religious leaders] were not please at all. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." Their grumblings triggered this story..."
Imagine for a moment what kind of people Jesus must have been hanging out with - prostitutes, criminals, drunks. Today it would be like spending time with druggies and the homeless, calling them your best friends. Very few of us would look at a man doing this and think "that is a holy man." We would assume he is one of them, falling victim to the same death-dealing situations as those he is surrounded by. But Jesus points to the heart of the Father - all people are God's beloved. God doesn't seek to save only those who are living good lives; God seeks to redeem all people, and he will rejoice at every single one that is brought back into his house.