Introducing the Parable of the Prodigal God
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. Luke 15:1, 2.
We have now arrived at what might be my favorite chapter in the Bible, Luke 15, with its graphic portrayal of lostness and foundness in several flavors. The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son feature largely. But we miss the point of the chapter if we fail to see its central character: the great "Finder," whom Timothy Keller calls "the prodigal God," the God who risks Himself and lavishes grace on stupid sheep, senseless coins, and rebellious sons; the God who loves and gives of Himself beyond measure.
The central person in Luke 15 is God, and the key word in unlocking its meaning is "murmured." Jesus introduces the three parables in the chapter with the scribes and Pharisees murmuring about Jesus receiving sinners and eating with them (verse 2), and its last scene features the older brother murmuring and complaining about the grace the father has shown to his younger, wayward sibling.
Murmuring, by the way, is an important word in the gospel story. In Luke 5:30, for example, we find the Jewish leaders murmuring about the disciples and Jesus because they fellowshipped with people who needed to be saved. And in Luke 19:7 they murmured because Jesus was going to the house of Zacchaeus. Then, of course, there is that well-known passage in Revelation 12:10, which identifies the devil as the accuser, the father of all murmurers.
While the idea of murmurings frames the stage in Luke 15, the central theme of the chapter is three parables that each feature rejoicing.
In the end we find a chapter featuring three kinds of lostness, two kinds of searching, and two kinds of responding to God's grace. We will let the parables unlock the various lostnesses and findings. But here we need to look at the two types of responders. According to Jesus, church members fall into two basic kinds: the rejoicers and the murmurers. In the latter category are those who are always complaining about the other members, the sermons, the pastor, and about each other. They can't see God because they are focused on what's wrong. Then there are the rejoicers, who sing with enthusiasm and pray with exuberance. Why? Because they recognize the prodigal God of grace working in their midst. Perspective determines what we see.
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. Luke 15:1, 2.
We have now arrived at what might be my favorite chapter in the Bible, Luke 15, with its graphic portrayal of lostness and foundness in several flavors. The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son feature largely. But we miss the point of the chapter if we fail to see its central character: the great "Finder," whom Timothy Keller calls "the prodigal God," the God who risks Himself and lavishes grace on stupid sheep, senseless coins, and rebellious sons; the God who loves and gives of Himself beyond measure.
The central person in Luke 15 is God, and the key word in unlocking its meaning is "murmured." Jesus introduces the three parables in the chapter with the scribes and Pharisees murmuring about Jesus receiving sinners and eating with them (verse 2), and its last scene features the older brother murmuring and complaining about the grace the father has shown to his younger, wayward sibling.
Murmuring, by the way, is an important word in the gospel story. In Luke 5:30, for example, we find the Jewish leaders murmuring about the disciples and Jesus because they fellowshipped with people who needed to be saved. And in Luke 19:7 they murmured because Jesus was going to the house of Zacchaeus. Then, of course, there is that well-known passage in Revelation 12:10, which identifies the devil as the accuser, the father of all murmurers.
While the idea of murmurings frames the stage in Luke 15, the central theme of the chapter is three parables that each feature rejoicing.
In the end we find a chapter featuring three kinds of lostness, two kinds of searching, and two kinds of responding to God's grace. We will let the parables unlock the various lostnesses and findings. But here we need to look at the two types of responders. According to Jesus, church members fall into two basic kinds: the rejoicers and the murmurers. In the latter category are those who are always complaining about the other members, the sermons, the pastor, and about each other. They can't see God because they are focused on what's wrong. Then there are the rejoicers, who sing with enthusiasm and pray with exuberance. Why? Because they recognize the prodigal God of grace working in their midst. Perspective determines what we see.
RSS Feed
