Day 18 - Lost trucks.

Jesus teaches about the Father's heart - Luke 15

And the angels rejoice at the repentance of one sinner, the salvation of one soul. That's how much we're valued. There is rejoicing when one of us is saved. I think that's pretty great, it makes me feel good at any rate, knowing that God cares about me that much. No matter how worthless I feel, I'm still important in God's eyes. 

Digging and Delving:

-Who do you care about enough to go after?

My initial response: everyone! But then I thought for a moment. Who am I really going after? Who am I pursuing? If I believe in Jesus so firmly, why am I not "going after" more of my friends and family to tell them about their beautiful Savior? Perhaps I'm not caring enough. I can't force anyone to believe anything, but I can be more loving, more serving, and "go after" the people I say I care about. Actions speak louder than words, maybe my actions are merely whispering now. 

-What is the heart issue Jesus is trying to identify here?

He's identifying the common doubt in His care, His love, and our own value. But He's also identifying our pride. Like with the elder son in the Parable of the Lost Son, the elder son is angry at the Father's joy over the lost son's return, but Jesus says, "it doesn't matter what you've done, who you've been, or where you've gone, you are mine, and I love you, no matter what." God's love isn't some special privilege we've somehow done enough to earn, it's a free gift we are utterly undeserving of, and we cannot forget that. 

-Is there any nuance of difference among the three different stories?

There are some differences. The Parable of the Lost Sheep emphasizes rejoicing more over one sinner who repents than 99 righteous people who don't need to repent, because they haven't been lost.  

The Parable of the Lost Coin reminds us that God has lots of other "coins" (people who have accepted His love and are no longer lost), but He still wants to find all of His lost children, and He searches carefully for us, rejoicing at every coin He finds.  

The Parable of the Lost Son really emphasizes the joy and forgiveness God shows us, despite what we've done. The lost son betrays his father. By asking for the inheritance before his father dies, he's essentially saying, "I wish you were dead." 

Despite this great dishonor and insult, the father still gives the son what he wants and lets him go his own way. The son makes bad decision after bad decision, and eventually realizes how much he's screwed up. He goes back to his father and doesn't even ask for forgiveness, maybe he's still too proud, but instead he asks to be one of the servants, just so he can have food and a place to stay. 

But the father won't have any of that. He gives the son clothes, and not just that, but the nicest clothes, his own robe. The father has a party and kills the fattened calf, much to the chagrin of the elders son, the self-righteous one who has always "done everything right" but without joy (which is a whole nother topic in and of itself). 

The father is just so happy, so full of joy that his lost son is found. The insults and disrespect are forgiven and forgotten, the son is home. 

-Spending time with sinners meant Jesus was speaking words of truth tho them. They wanted to listen. What keeps you from speaking truth to those around you who need to hear it?

Fear. Fear that they won't want to hear it and will cease to be in contact with me. Fear of pushing people away by coming across as judgmental or hypocritical. Fear of scaring people away from Christianity rather than bringing them closer to Jesus. Fear of failing. Fear of saying the wrong thing. Fear people won't want to hear about Jesus. Fear people will judge me. It's all fear. Some founded, some not. And that fear needs to become trust, trust that God will give me the words to say and the times to say it. Willingness to get out of my comfort zone and say what He wants me to say, do what He wants me to do, and go where He wants me to go. I need to change, give up my fear, it's a slow process, but I think God is slowly changing me. 

-There was no shortage of people coming to Jesus looking for forgiveness. Why were these people successful in getting an audience?

Because they wanted one. They wanted to speak to Jesus, they were seeking His forgiveness, repenting of their sins. Jesus wants us, He finds us, and if we're seeking Him, He's always there. 

-What is it about repentant sinners that causes all heaven to rejoice?

Because it means people who were enslaved to sin, trapped by Satan's lies, and bound in the enticing addiction of sin have recognized their enslavement and desire to be free. It means that someone has opened their hearts to Jesus and want to know Him. It means that a lost sheep, coin, son, and child has been found. Like we rejoice when we find something lost, Jesus rejoices at the finding of His children.