Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Thursday, January 31, 2013        I Continued Teaching with Many Parables: Part Two     

Page 188-190         Luke 15

NOTE: Today’s reading includes three of Jesus’ most well-known parables: a lost sheep, coin and son. Parables often find their power in the ways we are surprised, either by the ending, or by the focus of the story. Since these parables are so familiar, take a few extra minutes in reading them. Then stand back and see if Jesus has any surprises hidden in them for you. For those of you reading The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ, this translation is missing an important phrase. Compare the book to the NLT of verse 15:5: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? (Emphasis mine).

The young son’s homecoming is a compelling vision of the Exchanged Life. The young son came to his father with all that he had: dirt, filth, sinfulness, and brokenness. Immediately, the father gives the young son all that he has: his love, blessing, and affirmation of the young son’s truest identity as the beloved child of his father.

The older son’s confrontation with his father is also a compelling vision of the Exchanged Life. The father, when he divided his estate between his sons, has already given to the older son all that was his. The older son is now sinning against his father by refusing to celebrate his brother’s return, and by denying his own kinship with his brother. Yet, the father goes out to him, and continues to affirm the older son’s identity as his beloved child, affirming that “everything I have is yours.”

Jesus told this parable because the Pharisees objected to Jesus keeping company with tax collectors and sinners. When Jesus said “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found”, Jesus hoped the Pharisees would recall Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37). In that vision, Israel, which was lost, is made alive again by the power of God. This is how Jesus saw the people who accepted his invitation to come into the Kingdom of God. These children of God were dead, but are now alive again. That, Jesus believes, is cause for exuberant celebration. After all, all of heaven is rejoicing. Shouldn’t we join the party?

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  In addition to this BLOG they are distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Friday, February 01, 2013  I Continued Teaching with Many Parables: Part Three

 Page 190-191         Luke 16:1-17, 19-31