Jan 17 2008
returning to luke 15
I was invited to share a word on reading parables to a women’s Bible study group at Mountain Christian Church. In my next post I will share a short version of that talk, but first I want to comment on the text.
The text I was given for this exercise was Luke 15 and 16. It is a great text for practicing parable interpretation. I has several important parables. It has a few with reasonably obvious meanings and then a few that can be pretty tough for people.
I went into my preparations with a pretty technical attitude. After all, I was asked to come teach a skill not preach a sermon. But as I read Luke 15 I was forced to take a break from my technical preparations.
If you haven’t read Luke 15 in a while, I recommend you do it. Here is a link.
Here is what I noticed.
God loves you. God is pursuing you. Are you (like me) aware of areas in your life that are wandering? Perhaps you know that you have taken the blessings God has given to you and have left God’s house to waste them on your own passions and lusts. God loves you. God waits for you and searches for you.
Apparently nothing is more fully a part of the nature of God than loving those that are are far from God. Jesus came that God might be revealed, and God has been revealed as one who loves sinners, and rebels and all those far from God.
That really is good news.
No wonder they call it the gospel.
on the walk
-Ethan
